Community Health Report
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Community Health Report
Introduction
The consideration of community health issues is an effective strategy by healthcare organizations following that it enables them to effectively addressing common health disparities. There are various factors within a community that influence the health of its residents. Thus, there is a need to ensure that substantial measures are put in place to cover and counterattack potential health challenges (Manning et al., 2017)). This study will focus on the substance use disorder in Dandenong, Victoria, by addressing the region’s characteristics, social risk factors, and how policies and culture influence health conditions.
Supporting Evidence
Dandenong is an outskirt of Melbourne city in the State of Victoria. According to the 2016 census, Dandenong has a population of approximately 166,094 individuals. Some of the ethnicities in this region include Indians, Albanians, Australians, Afghans, and English (2016 Census QuickStats, 2016). People from different religions also occupy the area. The 2016 census showed that 30% of the total population in this region was Islam, 13.8% were Catholics, and 11.6% belonged to no religion (2016 Census QuickStats, 2016). Greater Dandenong is full of various social amenities, including transport systems, schools, and healthcare centers. Reasonably enough, the religion is business-centered, and therefore, the entertainment industry has progressively grown in the region.
Substance use has been identified as a devastating issue of health concern in the Greater Dandenong. The increasing crime rate and mental rehabilitation rates have called an alarming situation following that the problem is significantly affecting the community’s productivity at large. The youths make up around 60% of the whole population in this region, and their engagement in alcohol consumption and drug abuse has become an issue of public concern (2016 Census QuickStats, 2016). Some of the identified social risk factors include cultural diversity, which has contributed to various values and morals. Lack of adequate job opportunities in the region has also been attributed to the increased substance use disorder cases in Dandenong, following that most unemployed youths engage in alcohol and substance use activities (Manning et al., 2017). Despite the implementation of various regulations like once restricting the sale of alcohol to persons under the age of eighteen and those that require certification for engagement in the alcohol sale industry, the issue has been significantly rising (Manning et al., 2017). Therefore, it is essential to establish public participation forums whereby the youths should air their perspectives and government initiatives; engagement programs can be promoted to curb idleness. This intervention will not only reduce the high prevalence of substance use disorder in the region but also minimize the crime rates.
Conclusion
Substance use disorder has been depicted as a prevalent health issue in Dandenong. In collaboration with the government, healthcare sectors are taking significant measures to ensure that they help combat the issue. Health disparities like socioeconomic factors, racism/ethnicity, and age have been depicted to be the main leading factors to the problem. Therefore, the government and healthcare organizations need to manage some of these community disparities to mitigate substance use disorder. The youths in Dandenong’s high population reflect the increased prevalence of substance abuse disorders following that the young adults are the most affected population. Therefore, while making healthcare plans in response to a health issue like the substance use disorder, there is a significant need for the healthcare organization to give critical concern to the youths following that they are the most affected. The government also needs to closely monitor its restrictions on the sale of alcohol and other drugs following that the data depicted that despite conditions against selling to persons under the legal age, reports have shown that substance use disorders are high among adolescents. The best solution to curb the problem is to engage the youths, parents, and healthcare providers in an open forum to discuss the issue. Each group should air their opinions to establish a collective and straightforward approach to help in the fight.
References
2016 Census QuickStats: Greater Dandenong (C). (2016). Quickstats.Censusdata.Abs.Gov.Au. https://quickstats.censusdata.abs.gov.au/census_services/getproduct/census/2016/quickstat/LGA22670
Manning, V., Garfield, J. B., Best, D., Berends, L., Room, R., Mugavin, J., … & Lubman, D. I. (2017). Substance use outcomes following treatment: findings from the Australian Patient Pathways Study. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 51(2), 177-189. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0004867415625815