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Community Diagnoses and Rationale

Based on our assessment of Talbot County, Georgia, we believe the following two community nursing diagnoses are valid for members of the community: physical inactivity related to lack of knowledge as manifested by Talbot County’s obesity rate of 34.7% and physical inactivity related to limited community resources as manifested by lack of safe exercise facilities, sidewalks and parks with walking trails. While both community nursing diagnoses are pertinent to Talbot County, we believe physical inactivity related to lack of knowledge as manifested by Talbot County’s obesity rate of 34.7% would be given the first priority. Without any understanding of the importance of physical activity community resources may not be utilized. Therefore, educating the community on the importance of physical activity cannot be stressed enough. Based on a study conducted, knowledge deficits were linked to a lack of physical activity in socially disadvantaged communities (Clark, 1998). Unfortunately, rural communities tend to have lower education levels (Clark, 1998). Rural Georgians are less likely than their counterparts to complete high school or to complete a bachelor’s degree (Vinson, 2013). In Talbot County, only 47.2% of the population graduated from high school, 20.6% had some college or an associate’s degree, and only 5.1% had a bachelor’s degree (Vinson, 2013). Also contributing to the lack of knowledge on the importance of physical activity is limited community health resources to facilitate adequate health education on lifestyle activities that promote physical activity within Talbot. Talbot County’s Health Department consists of only one nurse daily and a nurse practitioner who is only available on...

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...and sidewalks, there is a perception of an increased sense of community and decreased isolation among the community, which helps members of the community to engage in physical activity (“Recommendations to increase,” n.d.). Based on our assessment and literature that supports the link between environmental structures and physical activity, accessibility and the quality of environmental structures may be linked to physical inactivity in Talbot.

Works Cited

Clark, D. (1998). Physical activity and its correlates among urban primary care patients. Journal of Gerontology, 54B(1), S41-S48. Retrieved from http://psychsocgerontology.oxfordjournals.org/content/54B/1/S41.short

(n.d.). Recommendations to increase physical activity in communities. American Journal of Preventative Medicine, 22(4S), 67-72. Retrieved from http://www.thecommunityguide.org/pa/pa-ajpm-recs.pdf