The first step in setting priorities for health improvement in a community is to understand what health problems the community is most concerned about. Conducting a comprehensive health assessment can be an effective way to identify high priority health problems and to obtain consensus from community leaders, organizations and residents to work together to address problems. Comprehensive health assessments incorporate the following components:
- Define what a good state of health means for the community.
- Identify health indicators to measure health status including indices of community strengths and resources available to resolve health problems; indices of illness and causes of death; and risk factors representing behaviors and conditions which lead to poor health and which may be modified.
- Collect and interpret health data from primary (focus groups and surveys) and secondary (publicly available data sets) data sources.
- Agree on the most important health problems to be addressed.
- Set benchmarks or measurable goals for improving health and specific action steps for achieving health improvement goals.
Mobilizing for Action through Planning and Partnerships (MAPP)
MAPP outlines a community strategic planning process that will help system partners come together and plan for community health improvement. The four component process includes a Community Health Status Assessment (CHSA) which answers the question, "How healthy are our residents?" and "What does the health status of our community look like?" The CHSA provides a list of core indicators (data elements) for 11 broad-based categories (see Tools). Communities may also select additional indicators. By gathering data for each of the categories and assessing changes over time or differences among population subgroups or with peer, state, or national data, health issues are identified.
See also: Indicators of Success
The Community Health Assessment Clearinghouse is a "one-stop" resource for community health planners, practitioners, and policy developers including a 10 Step process for Community Health Assessment and links to numerous resources.
A sample community health assessment incorporating secondary data collected by government agencies; primary data gathered through focus groups and a household survey; measurable goals for improving health; and an action plan.
New Hampshire Health Data Inventory
This website has been created to provide an inventory of existing health data to New Hampshire communities. The purpose of this inventory is to connect community residents to health data sources and to the stewards of these data sources.
NH DHHS Data- Statistical Reports
Links to published reports including a report on the oral health status of adults and children, rural health status, data on alcohol, tobacco and other drug use, and chronic disease data in
Community Tool Box (CTB)
The Tool Box provides over 6,000 pages of practical information to support your work in promoting community health and development. There are sections on leadership, strategic planning, community assessment, grant writing, and evaluation. Each section includes a description of the task, advantages of doing it, step-by-step guidelines, examples, checklists of points to review, and training materials.
Healthy New Hampshire 2010
This health promotion and disease prevention agenda for the first decade of the 21st century represents a shared vision and acknowledges a shared responsibility for improving the health and quality of life for all New Hampshire citizens. Healthy New Hampshire 2010 focuses on healthy behaviors, our common environment, and other shared factors that are the foundation for healthy living.
Download the "Healthy People 2010" Report [PDF, 2.1mb]
New Hampshire State Profile: Reforming the Health Care System 2003 [PDF, 160kb]
Published by the AARP Public Policy Institute, this publication covers nine topics including demographics, expenditures and financing, health status, health coverage and the uninsured, resources available, Medicare, Medicaid, utilization of services and key trends.
Links on this page will take you to select sources of population data nationally and in Northern New England.
The National Library of Medicine, a part of the National Institutes of Health, operates an interactive website that shows - on maps - the amount and location of certain toxic chemicals released into the environment. The site, called TOXMAP, is free.
Steps to a Healthier US is a new initiative from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that advances the goal of helping Americans live longer, better, and healthier lives. This site provides credible, accurate information to help Americans choose to live healthier lives.
Health Related Quality of Life Surveillance Report
The report from the Division of Adult and Community Health National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion examines surveillance-based health-related quality of life (HRQOL) data for 1993--2002. Survey data from a set of HRQOL measures (CDC HRQOL-4) were analyzed from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System surveys and from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHNES). These measures assessed self-rated health, physically unhealthy, mentally unhealthy, and activity limitation days. Measures are also included at a state level for mental health days and activity limited days.
City of Manchester Department of Health's Public Health Report Cards
Children's Alliance of NH
The Children's Alliance of New Hampshire is a statewide, nonprofit advocacy organization with over a decade of experience working on behalf of the health and well being of the children of this state. Website includes the KIDS COUNT reports with qualitative and quantitative data examining the successes and challenges of children and families in rural Northern New England.
New Futures
New Futures is a New Hampshire based organization working to reduce alcohol, tobacco and other drug use. Website includes links to publications and data on substance abuse.
New Hampshire Center for Public Policy
The NH Center for Public Policy is an independent, non-profit, non-partisan organization that pursues data-based research on public policy matters, develops options, informs policy makers and advises them about choices for action. Website includes links to data and reports.
"New Hampshire's Changing Landscape 2005"
From the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests. An update of the 1999 study with current data on demographic and land protection trends, plus expanded statewide data highlighting the extent and protection status of critical water supply lands, important forest soils, prime agricultural lands, and various critical wildlife habitat factors. Key findings include data on expected state population growth, residential development trends, land prices, decrease in numbers of towns classified as rural, the loss of NH's forestland and high quality farm land, and land conservation protections. All of these have public health implications.
NH Department of Health and Human Services
Links to published reports including a report on the oral health status of adults and children (www.dhhs.state.nh.us/DHHS/PIO/ LIBRARY/Press+Release/ocph-oral-health-03.htm), rural health status (www.dhhs.state.nh.us/DHHS/PIO/ LIBRARY/Press+Release/ocph-rural-health.htm),and data on alcohol, tobacco and other drug use, and chronic disease data in New Hampshire.
NH Statewide Obesity Prevention and Control Planning Process Assessment Summary of Results- 2005 [PDF, 343 kb]
This assessment provides a foundation to help better understand the needs of healthcare providers, worksites, schools and community organizations working to control the rate of overweight and obesity among New Hampshire residents.
NH Minority Health Coalition
Link to 2004 Health Disparities Report describing the health status and health care access of minority populations in NH.
Trust for America's Health
Trust for America's Health (TFAH) is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to saving lives by protecting the health of every community and working to make disease prevention a national priority. From anthrax to asthma, from chemical terrorism to cancer, America is facing a crisis of epidemics. Includes links to reports rating various aspects of public health system and health status of residents of New Hampshire.
Kaiser's State Health Facts Resource
Online source for the latest state-by-state and national data on demographics, health and health policy.
Maternal and children health data
Provides data by state on services to women and children.
Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)
Data for nationally notifiable diseases reported by the 50 states, New York City, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. territories are collated and published weekly in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).
The Statistical Briefing Book (SBB) has been redesigned to make it easier to find basic statistical information on juvenile offending, victimization of juveniles, and involvement of youth in the juvenile justice system.
2004 SMART BRFSS Data
Selected Metropolitan/Micropolitan Area Risk Trends from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) for 2002-2004. Functional capacity of SMART BRFSS relative to NH includes data on 13 health topics in four metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas (MMSA). NH MMSA’s are 1) Concord, NH Micropolitan Statistical Area (Merrimack County) 2) Lebanon, NH-VT Micropolitan Statistical Area (Grafton County, NH, Orange County and Windsor County, VT) 3) Manchester-Nashua, NH Metropolitan Statistical Area (Hillsborough County) and 4) Rockingham County-Strafford County, NH Metropolitan Division (Rockingham County and Strafford County).
Women's Health and Mortality Chartbook
The chartbook describes the health of people in each State by sex, race, and age by reporting current data on critical issues of relevance to women.
Broken link: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/datawh/stateb/chartbook.htm
US Cancer Statistics: 2001 Incidence and Mortality
Most comprehensive federal report available on state-specific cancer rates.
Public Health Partners Website
Easy to use website that searches for latest research or evidence-based strategies to help you achieve Healthy People 2010 objectives.
The Guide to Community Preventive Services, The Task Force on Community Preventive Services
National evidence-based public health guidelines
The Guide to Community Preventive Services (Community Guide) serves as a filter for scientific literature on specific health problems that can be large, inconsistent, uneven in quality, and even inaccessible. The Community Guide summarizes what is known about the effectiveness, economic efficiency, and feasibility of interventions to promote community health and prevent disease. The Task Force on Community Preventive Services makes recommendations for the use of various interventions based on the evidence gathered in the rigorous and systematic scientific reviews of published studies conducted by the review teams of the Community Guide. The findings from the reviews are published in peer-reviewed journals and also made available on this Internet website.