how living a long and healthy life is not equally enjoyed by all New Yorkers
This report details how living a long and healthy life is not equally enjoyed by all New Yorkers. Different neighborhoods in New York City (NYC) have different mortality rates due to the denial of resources and opportunities that support good health and the differences in life expectancy. This, for instance, can be observed regarding how low life expectancy and poor health are observed in neighborhoods inhabited by people of color and where the individuals living are poor. An excellent example of this is how the life expectancy of people living in the Financial District is 11 years higher than that of Brownsville.
The life expectancy of individuals living in Washington Heights is 84 years, which is 2.5 years higher than the national average life expectancy and also that of NYC (81.2 years). Some of the leading causes of death in Washington Heights and NYC entail heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. Mortality rates due to diabetes and cancer have been linked to the lifestyle adopted by New Yorkers. For instance, New Yorkers rely on bodegas for food, which mainly sell unhealthy products. Type 2 diabetes, obesity, and heart disease have been linked to the consumption of sugary drinks. 26% of all the adults living in Washington Heights are obese, which is similar to the rest of NYC. Statistics also indicate that approximately 164,000 individuals are estimated to have diabetes, but they are unaware. 13% of adults in Washington Heights have been diagnosed with diabetes, while 28% have been told that they have hypertension.
The chosen planning model for implementing a health program in Washington Heights is the community readiness model. Multiple pieces of studies indicate that this model is built on the foundation that communities are motivated by the gap between the contemporary health situation or behavior and the desire to achieve a goal. Community readiness can be understood as to how the community is prepared to address a particular health issue. Published reports regarding the model indicate that community preparedness takes multiple stages, and the first entails a lack of awareness, which is whereby the community has not identified the health issue. The second stage is denial, which can be understood as where the community is has recognized the health issue, but there is limited will power to address the problem. The next step is the community being concerned regarding the health problem, but limited motivation exists to address the issue. Pre-planning is the next stage, and it can be understood as where the community has recognized the need to address the health problem, but there is no focus activity around the issue. The next step is the preparation phase, and it entails community leaders beginning to plan and also support the initiatives aimed at addressing the health problem. The community then begins the activities aimed at solving the issue, which will be supported by administrators. The next step is confirmation, whereby the measures have been put in place, and the community is comfortable addressing the issue. The last phase is the high level of community ownership, whereby data is collected that supports the measures put in place. The primary reason why this model was selected is that it is issue-specific and that it will be used to address the one problem at a time. This model was also chosen because it is useful in identifying approaches for addressing new health issues.