Overview
The final project for this course is the creation of an analysis and recommendations paper. Contemporary public health issues addressed by the social and

behavioral sciences include the prevention and treatment of alcohol and drug abuse, tobacco control, injury control, mental health, domestic violence, prevention of sexually transmitted diseases and HIV, adolescent health, communications, and grassroots political and community organizing. Effective solutions to widespread public health problems require the ability to plan, implement, and administer programs that take into account the actual factors that influence individual behaviors and reduce existing disparities. Both quantitative and qualitative research is used to inform program planning and evaluation.

For this project, you will analyze a public health issue that affects a community or population of your choice. You will also analyze the social and behavioral factors associated with the issue and make recommendations for specific changes in social and behavioral factors that will help improve the issue. You will use social or behavioral theories, concepts, or models to substantiate your claims.

The project is divided into four milestones, which will be submitted at various points throughout the course to scaffold learning and ensure quality final submissions. These milestones will be submitted in Modules One, Two, Four, and Five. The final project submission occurs in Module Seven.

This assignment will address the following course outcomes:

• PHE-340-01: Analyze the impact of social and behavioral factors on individual and population health for improving overall population health

• PHE-340-02: Analyze the impact of community interventions on population health in identifying the efficacy of health programs

• PHE-340-03: Apply appropriate public health theories, concepts, or models in examining behavioral, social, and cultural factors associated with health

  issues

• PHE-340-04: Recommend evidence-based strategies for effecting changes in social and behavioral issues

  Prompt

  For this assignment, consider yourself an employee of an actual healthcare organization of your choosing, in which your role is to research the social and behavioral aspects of public health issues and make recommendations about changes in social and behavioral factors that will lead to a decrease in public health issues. You will choose a public health issue with your instructors approval for the basis of this project, analyze the issue for its social and behavioral factors, and make specific recommendations for changes that will lead to a measurable improvement of that issue.

  Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed:

I. Introduction

1. Summarize your public health issue with respect to the community or state to which it is pertinent.

2. Discuss why it is considered a public health issue. Be sure to support your claims with research.

C. Identify the population that is most at risk for this issue. Be sure to support your claims with research.

2. Analysis

   1. Describe the social, behavioral, and cultural factors associated with this public health issue. Be sure to substantiate your claims with relevant

      evidence-based research.

   2. Assess the impact of local initiatives that may exist on your selected issue. In other words, what has been done in the community, including

      organizational support, initiatives, or programs, in response to this issue? Be sure to substantiate your claims with specific examples and

      research.

   3. Assess the impact of state-sponsored programs or interventions that may exist to address your selected public health issue. Be sure to

      substantiate your claims with specific examples and research.

   4. Analyze the efficacy of local and state initiatives and programs that address your selected public health issue. In other words, are those

      initiatives or programs working? Be sure to justify your reasoning with relevant evidence-based research.

   5. Bearing in mind that there may be several, identify a healthcare disparity (that is, a gap in care that is typically experienced by an underserved

      population) associated with this public health issue.

   6. What efforts have been made toward reducing the disparity you identified? Be sure to substantiate your claims with relevant evidence-based

      research.

3. Theoretical Support

   1. Bearing in mind that there may be several, choose a social, behavioral, or cultural factor associated with your selected public health issue that

      needs to change in order to improve the issue. Be sure to explain why you chose this particular factor.

   2. Select the public health theory, model, or concept that most appropriately applies to the social, behavioral, or cultural factor you chose in the

      above step.

   3. Describe the strengths of the theory, model, or concept you selected for addressing your chosen social, behavioral, or cultural factor. Be sure to

      substantiate your claims with specific examples and research.

   4. Describe the weaknesses of the theory, model, or concept you selected for addressing your chosen social, behavioral, or cultural factor. Be sure

      to substantiate your claims with specific examples and research.

4. Recommendations

   1. Make specific evidence-based recommendations for community-level stakeholders for positively impacting the social, behavioral, or cultural

      factor you selected. Be sure to justify the rationale behind your recommendations.

   2. Make specific evidence-based recommendations for the relevant state agency (or agencies) for promoting positive change in your selected

      factor. Be sure to justify the rationale behind your recommendations.

   3. Make specific evidence-based recommendations for reducing the healthcare disparity you previously identified. Be sure to justify the rationale

      behind your recommendations.

   4. Make general recommendations for improving the overall public health issue you selected. Be sure to justify the rationale behind your

      recommendations.

V. Reflection

1. Summarize the public health issue you selected and the social, behavioral, or cultural changes that would need to be made to bring about

   improvement.

2. Discuss how your recommendations would support such change. Be sure to substantiate your claims with evidence.

   Milestones

Milestone One: Topic Approval and Draft of Introduction
In Module One, you will submit your final project topic for approval and include a draft of the introduction portion of the final project (Section I). This assignment should contain an overview of the public health issue and target population you will be addressing in your final project. You should frame the impact that your selected public health issue had (or is having) on your target populations at a national and/or international level. At least two sources should be used for this assignment. This milestone provides the foundation for your entire final project. With future milestones, you will build upon the work you submit in this milestone. This milestone is graded with the Milestone One Rubric.

Milestone Two: Draft of Analysis
In Module Two, you will submit a draft of the analysis portion of the final project (Section II). This milestone requires you to expand your understanding of the public health issue you have chosen for your final project. You will demonstrate your deepened understanding of the issue by considering the cultural factors, local initiatives, state initiatives, and healthcare disparities associated with your topic. The milestone will help you establish a strong background of the issue so you can assess the theoretical framework that you will use as the basis for the rest of your final project work. It will also help you prepare for Milestone Three. This milestone is graded with the Milestone Two Rubric.

Milestone Three: Draft of Theoretical Support
In Module Four, you will submit a draft of the theoretical support portion of the final project (Section III). This assignment builds on the work you did in Milestone Two, as you will choose the theoretical framework you will use to guide the recommendations and reflection sections of the final project. In this milestone, you will determine and justify a factor to be considered for your analysis and recommendations. You will rationalize your choice by pulling in other research and support. In addition, you will address both the strengths and limitations of your chosen theory as it pertains to the issue you chose. This milestone is graded with the Milestone Three Rubric.

Milestone Four: Draft of Recommendations and Reflection
In Module Five, you will submit your draft of the recommendations and reflection portions of the final project (Sections IV and V). This assignment allows you to advocate for the health disparities you discovered in your analysis by providing a potential solution for the issue you discovered. The recommendations you put forth in this milestone will be substantiated with solid evidence. This milestone is graded with the Milestone Four Rubric.

Final Project Submission: Analysis and Recommendations Paper
In Module Seven, you will submit your final project. It should be a complete, polished artifact containing all of the critical elements of the final product. It should reflect the incorporation of feedback gained throughout the course. This submission is graded using the Final Project Rubric.

Milestone

Deliverable

Deliverables Module Due

One Two Four Five Seven

Grading

Graded separately; Milestone One Rubric

Graded separately; Milestone Two Rubric Graded separately; Milestone Three Rubric Graded separately; Milestone Four Rubric Graded separately; Final Project Rubric

1. 1  Topic Approval and Draft of Introduction

2. 2  Draft of Analysis

3. 3  Draft of Theoretical Support

4. 4  Draft of Recommendations and Reflection

   Final Project Submission: Analysis and Recommendations Paper

Final Project Rubric
Guidelines for Submission: Your paper should be 810 pages in length (plus a cover page and references) and should use double spacing, 12-point Times New

Roman font, and one-inch margins. Include at least three sources, which should be cited according to APA style.

Critical Elements Exemplary (100%) Proficient (85%) Needs Improvement (55%) Not Evident (0%) Value

Earned Total 100