ASSIGNMENT- PHN 652- TOPIC 4- Community Health Needs Assessment Report

ASSIGNMENT- PHN 652- TOPIC 4- Community Health Needs Assessment Report

Description of Community or Population Researched

The population of focus is adolescents between 12 to 18 years old. Different studies that have been conducted by the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) have therefore indicated that the prevalence of alcohol and substance abuse is quite high among adolescents who are normally attending high school. The high prevalence of alcohol and substance abuse among high school students is also closely related to a rising prevalence of mental health issues among adolescents who are between 12 to 18 years (SAMHSA, 2019). The adolescence stage of a young person’s life is therefore characterized by peer pressure as an individual tries to create a personality and identity. The peer pressure that affects adolescents can therefore have significant negative impacts, especially if the peer group is involved in negative habits such as substance and alcohol abuse. Most people across the US are therefore introduced into drugs and substance abuse in the adolescent stage as they seek to blend into their peer group. Young people aged between 12 to 18 years are also more susceptible to mental health issues such as depression which can result from abusing substances or not fitting into a peer group (CDC, 2020).

Current Data Available

According to the CDC, marijuana, alcohol, and tobacco are some of the most abused substances by adolescents between 12 to 18 years of age in the US. According to the CDC, before reaching 12 grade, nearly two-thirds of all will have attempted taking alcohol (CDC, 2020). On the other hand, 50% of 9th to 12th-grade students reported having used marijuana while about four in every ten students between 9 to 12 grades reported smoking cigarettes. 2 in every ten 12th graders also reported using prescription medicine without having a prescription (CDC, 2020). According to the CDC, individuals between 12 to 20 years of age in the US consume about one-tenth of all the alcohol that is produced in the country. This is despite alcohol being illegal for people below 21 years of age (CDC, 2020).

The high prevalence of alcohol and substance abuse among adolescents between 12 to 18 years can therefore have numerous adverse health impacts on the populations, which includes affecting the development and growth of such teenagers, including their brain development (Oh et al., 2017). Alcohol substance abuse in adolescent years can also contribute to the development of problems such as high blood pressure, sleep disorders, and heart disease during adulthood. Substance and alcohol abuse among Adolescents also frequently occurs with other risky behaviors such as dangerous driving and having unprotected sex (Oh et al., 2017).

Summary of Health Needs

Considering the rising prevalence of substance and alcohol abuse among adolescents between 12 and 18 years in the US, several health needs can be deduced in the population. The health needs of adolescents, therefore, include sexual and reproductive health needs, mental health needs, and frequent examinations and assessments (Das et al., 2016). The provision of mental health services such as guidance counseling and other psychotherapeutic services such as cognitive behavioral therapy among adolescents can go a long way in helping to prevent alcohol and substance abuse in the population. On the other hand, regular examination and assessment of the general health of adolescents can help in the detection of alcohol and substance abuse behaviors early at the beginning of interventions to address such behaviors (Das et al., 2016). Adolescents between 12 to 18 years also require sexual and reproductive health services that can play a significant role in preventing them from being involved in risky sexual behaviors and contracting sexually transmitted diseases (Das et al., 2016).

Data Collection Method for Secondary Data

The data collection method that can be utilized to collect secondary data on the prevalence of substance and alcohol abuse among adolescents between 12 to 18 years and the various causes and explanations of such behavior is evaluating government publications and public records. Federal Government agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) normally conduct assessments of the prevalence of alcohol and substance abuse among adolescents and publish reports. The CDC also frequently publishes articles to explain the causes of alcohol substance abuse among adolescents between 12 to 18 years. The publications by government agencies such as the CDC and NIDA will therefore be utilized to obtain secondary data related to alcohol and substance abuse among adolescents between 12 to 18 years.

Key Health Issue from a Nursing Diagnosi