In the News assignment has been designed to give you the opportunity to review current news articles about one of the Healthy People assigned focus areas addressed by the Healthy People 2020 program’s Vision, Mission, & Overarching Goals: http://healthypeople.gov/2020/.
In the first few days of Week 1, your Instructor will assign one of the following Healthy People assigned focus area to you based on last name. For example, the Healthy People assigned focus area, “Access to Health Services” would be assigned to “Aaronson, Robert.”
- Access to Health Services
- Arthritis, Osteoporosis, and Chronic Back Conditions
- Cancer
- Chronic Kidney Disease
- Diabetes
- Disability and Secondary Conditions
- Environmental Health
- Heart Disease and Stroke
- HIV
- Immunization and Infectious Diseases
- Injury and Violence Prevention
- Maternal, Infant, and Child Health
- Mental Health and Mental Disorders
- Nutritionand Weight Studies
- Oral Health
- Respiratory Diseases
- Sexually Transmitted Diseases
- Substance Abuse
- Vision
To prepare for this assignment, keep your eyes open for an article in an online news publication that relates to your Healthy People assigned focus area. The news article should be intended for the general public. Examples of such sources follow:
· Magazines and newspapers (e.g., The New York Times)
· Health news websites (e.g., National Public Radio’s (NPR’s) “Health” section)
· News updates from government sites, such as “In the News” at the National Institutes of Health site (http://www.nih.gov/, upper right-hand corner of homepage) or “Science News” at the National Institute of Mental Health (http://www.nimh.nih.gov/science-news/index.shtml)
When you find an article:
- Consider how it relates to your Healthy People assigned focus area
- Review the current statistics stated in the article
In 1 to 2 paragraphs or ½ page, post a summary of the article, discussing the reason you choose this article for your assignment. Then, include a comprehensive response of 600–750 words to the following questions:
- Does the article address a biomedical perspective, a prevention perspective, or both? Please explain. If you feel it only addresses one perspective, in what ways can the second perspective be addressed (i.e. through an education or prevention program, clinical trials, etc).
- What levels (or level) of the social ecology of health model are addressed in the topic? See p. 15, Figure 1.1 of your text. How do these levels apply populations affected with your Healthy People 2020 assigned focus area?
