Doing a community assessment is like taking a photograph of a community, examining the photo to see what is there and what the strengths are, and then determining what is needed to complete the photograph. This tool kit will help you assess your community in terms of environmental risk factors that may be associated with breast cancer.

This tool kit is a rapid assessment to help you:

• identify potential target audiences for PA BCERF programming
• recognize your community strengths,
• identify locations for your PA BCERF programming efforts,
• determine community members’ perceptions and attitudes of breast cancer risk,
• identify environmental issues or concerns that may be related to breast cancer, and
• identify partners with whom you can work on your breast cancer and environmental risk factor project

For a more thorough community assessment tool, please access "Community-Based Health Assessment – a "How to" Guide", developed by the Northern Appalachia Leadership Initiative on Cancer (NALIC).

Many tools exist to assist in the assessment of a community. The tools in this kit are specific to environmental risk factors that may be related to breast cancer and include:

• Focus Group Outline (PDF document) The focus group tool provides information and questions for conducting a focus group with members of your target audience. It will aid in obtaining information regarding your target audience’s perceptions, concerns and knowledge of breast cancer and environmental risk factors.
• Survey on Pesticides (PDF document) This survey is given to individuals in your target audience to assist in your understanding of your target audience’s attitudes and practices regarding pesticides and pesticide safety.
• Survey on Diet and Other Lifestyle Factors (PDF document) This survey is given to individuals in your target audience to assist in your understanding of your target audience’s practices and perceived barriers regarding healthy eating and exercise.
• Key Informant Survey (PDF document) Program planners can use this tool to assist in the identification of a) information that is desired for planning and b) persons in the community who may be able to provide you with the information sought.

PDF files require Adobe Acrobat Reader (free download)

Definition of a Community

Communities can be stated geographically, but can also be described through a set of common beliefs, e.g. a church community. In the case of rural areas, the persons who use the goods and services of a town as well as the residents of a town, rather than the town limits may define a community. For example, residents of Ferguson Township and Patton Township would be considered part of the State College community, even though they live outside of the State College town limits.

The PA BCERF research design defines the communities in terms of county boundaries. However, your planning group may not consider your county as your community. Your community may be a section of a county, or if in a clinic setting, you might define your community as the clinic population for your site. It will be important when planning your breast cancer risk reduction program that you have defined your community.

For this project, most of your communities will likely be defined as geographic areas (for the community coalition participants) and clinic population (for the clinic participants).

References

Dignan, M.B., and Carr, P.A.: Program Planning for Health Education and Promotion (2^nd ed). Philadelphia, Lea & Febiger, 1992.

Wagner, L.: Focus Groups When and How to Use Them: A Practical Guide (2nd ed). How to Guides on Community Health Promotion Health Promotion Resource Center. Stanford Center for Research in Disease Prevention, 1992.

Making Health Communications Work: A Planner’s Guide. US Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, 1992.

Community Assessment How To Guide, Northern Appalachia Leadership Initiative on Cancer Local Leaders Handbook, 1992.

Potential Partners or Groups to Educate

Potential Intervention Opportunities

Potential Educational Opportunities