Introduction
The section “Guide for enhancing core functions and essential services for public health improvement” presents numerous resources to study this topic. Some of the issues discussed include the assessment of community problems, needs, and resources, the ways of collecting information about the problem, the development of strategies and plans, utilizing legal and regulatory actions, and more (Section 7). Particular attention should be paid to the part “strengthen, support, and mobilize communities.” Resources presented in this section are relevant to community engagement for public health improvement and could provide the reader with essential information regarding this question.
Resources
The resources emphasize that communities can influence the resolution of their problems if their participants merge (Section 5). However, initially, it is vital to assess the state of the community, its resources, and its needs to solve the problems. According to Section 5, “but, before discussing solutions, problems must be identified.” Therefore, it is essential to emphasize that a significant amount of resources is devoted to analyzing the community before implementing public health improvement actions (Section 8). Moreover, one of the methods that can be used to communicate with the community is digital storytelling. This approach allows you to quickly and efficiently share information with the target group using videos that combine audio, images, and video clips. It makes communication interesting and increases productivity in dealing with particular problems.
Community Engagement
While some resources in the section are dedicated to analyzing the community, others address community engagement in public health improvement. For example, sections 6, 10, and 12 of chapter 3, in which direct communication with community representatives to obtain important information, has been discussed. These include interviews, surveys with representatives of the community, and the creation of focus groups (Section 8). As stated in Section 6, “A focus group is a small-group discussion guided by a trained leader. It is used to learn about opinions on a designated topic and to guide future action.” It is worth emphasizing that these information-gathering methods imply full community engagement in the process of public health improvement.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is essential to highlight the importance of community engagement in the process of public health improvement. The data that can be received using the methods listed in the previous slide can create a coherent plan and strategy to address a particular problem. As a result, the resources presented in the chapters are relevant to questions regarding community engagement.
References
Section 6. Conducting Focus Groups. Community Tool Box. Web.
Section 7. Ten Essential Public Health Services. Community Tool Box. Web.
Section 8. Identifying Community Assets and Resources. Community Tool Box. Web.
Section 10. Conducting Concerns Surveys. Community Tool Box. Web.
Section 12. Conducting Interviews. Community Tool Box. Web.