31 Dec Explain how the demographics

Windshield Survey

Resources

A windshield survey helps you create a portrait of the people who live within a specific neighborhood or community. It is an inexpensive, time-efficient way to assess and better understand a community and the people who live within that community. Understanding the demographics of a community will help you determine the health-related issues that are likely to exist so you can plan the most appropriate types of wellness programs, health education, and disease prevention. Windshield surveys are done by making visual observations of a neighborhood or community while driving; hence the name. This type of survey lets you observe the housing conditions, use of open spaces, shopping, schools, types of transportation, human services, protective services, and other aspects of the overall daily life of a community.
Before you start, you need to identify the boundaries of the neighborhood or community you plan to observe. For the purposes of this course, you should keep the size of the area to no more than 2–3 square miles. The area should be large enough for you to gather relevant information, but small enough that your observation does not take you more than 1–2 hours. With this size, it is not necessary to use a car to complete the survey; you can also walk or bike. Whichever method you use, be mindful of your personal safety. It may be helpful to map out the route you will take ahead of time. It can also be helpful (and safer) to have another person do the driving while you observe and make notes.

Once you are on the route, start making observations right away. Stop frequently to write down notes. A template is provided in the Resources to help you document your observations.

The timing of your observation can be important in helping you focus on specific items. If possible, consider conducting your survey more than once at different times of the day. For example, if you make your observations too early in the morning, you may miss things that take place later in the day that provide a different perspective of the neighborhood. It is also important to be as objective as possible when making your observations.

Requirements

Conduct the windshield survey using the template, linked in Resources.
Use the template as a guide and write a report. If possible, look at other written documents used within your organization. How are they formatted? Follow that format as closely as possible, making sure you still use APA guidelines for your in-text references, citations, and reference page.
Based on your observations and notes, complete the following:

Describe, briefly, the neighborhood or community you observed (for example, overall condition, types of spaces and businesses, and evidence of services).
Describe a vulnerable or diverse population you observed living within the neighborhood or community.
Now you will need to do some research on the population you described:

Explain how the demographics for the population have changed over the past 5–10 years. (Tip: this information should be readily available through the United States Census Bureau Web site or state Web sites, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, or other professional sites. Please be sure your information is current.)
Describe the most prevalent health risks for the population. For example, if your population is senior citizens, then the health risks might be diabetes and loss of mobility. Include statistics on the health risks, such as frequency of occurrence in the population, and number of deaths per year in the population.
Identify the health disparities and social determinants of health that can affect the population. In other words, what will you need to overcome to develop a successful health promotion and disease prevention program for the population?
Additional Requirements

Length of paper: 2–3 double-spaced pages, not including the title page and reference page.
References: At least three current scholarly or professional resources.
Formatting: APA format for references and citations only.
Font: Times New Roman, 12 pt.
Note: Your instructor may also use the Writing Feedback Tool to provide feedback on your writing. In the tool, click the linked resources for helpful writing information.

Portfolio Prompt: You are required to save this learning activity to your ePortfolio.