Needs Assessment in Public Health

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xi

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2. The Context for Needs Assessment Past, Present, and Future

   Pages 1-13

3. The Process of Needs Assessment

   Pages 15-37

4. Data Sources for Public Health Needs Assessment

   Pages 39-60

5. Communicating Needs for Community Action

   Pages 61-74

6. The Selection and Use of Indicators

   Pages 75-90

7. Determining and Developing Solutions

   Pages 91-105

8. Effecting Program and Policy Solutions

   Pages 107-115

9. The Needs Assessment Team

   Pages 117-123

10. A Call for Leadership

    Pages 125-129

11. Back Matter

    Pages 131-139

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The assessment function of public health is essential in the development of appropriate policy and programmatic solutions to persistent and emergent public health concerns. However, few public health professionals are adequately trained in these activities.
This text follows the typical sequence of an actual needs assessment process. Case studies are used to illustrate conceptualization of the task through the application of needs-based data to effective public health solutions. Examples are drawn from myriad public health efforts, recognizing that not all public health sector agencies bear direct responsibility for all activities that could be considered part of public health.
This volume has been designed to serve both students and practitioners interested in improving their understanding and skills in the area of needs assessment.

• assessment
• health
• public health

"The book is practical and provides useful information for both the public health students and practitioners on a topic that is important to successful program development and advocacy."
(CHOICE, (2002)
"This book would also be an excellent resource for classroom teaching. The authors have provided though-provoking and challenging discussion questions at the end of each chapter that could be used to guide a class through the assessment process. In a class in which students are actually charged with completing a community assessment, this book would be an invaluable tool. I would recommend this book to public health professionals, and to teachers working with students of health education, public health, nursing and public policy. It is brief, to the point and full of useful tools for anyone planning a community needs assessment."
(Health Education Research (2002)
"Given the dual purpose of this book as a textbook for students and a handbook for professionals, the chapters follow the typical sequence of an actual needs-assessment process: Case studies are used to illustrate conceptualization of the task, followed by the application of needs-based data, which is followed by the creation of effective public health solutions."
(Administration and Policy in Mental Health, 30:6 (2003)

• School of Public Health University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham

  Donna J. Petersen, Greg R. Alexander

Policies and ethics