The community health nurse is responsible for the general health of the community on multiple levels. The nurse discovers an increase in the number of sick days used by children aged 7 to 11 years at the local elementary school in recent weeks

Question

Research indicates that the families of asthmatic children tend to be less educated and less likely to comply with current treatment plans. Using the epidemiologic approach, the next step in the care plan should be to:
A) Conduct a broad-based survey of all families with asthmatic children within several communities
B) Determine trends that interfere with family problem-solving techniques
C) Develop school-based education programs for both the children and their caregivers
D) Submit a proposal to the town for neighborhood asthma clinics

Answer 1

Ans: C
Feedback:
Principles of epidemiology are used throughout the development, planning, implementation, and evaluation phases of the community assessment process. Epidemiologic methods can help identify patterns of health and social inequity and determine trends in three ways: (1) by describing the disease or disability, (2) by determining relationships that can predict health or health disparities, and (3) by developing and testing interventions. By noting that families of asthmatic children tend to be less educated and less likely to comply with current treatment plans, you have already determined relationships that can predict the health disparity. Therefore, the next step would be to develop and test an intervention on the basis of these findings. The school-based education program is the only intervention listed that directly addresses the cause of the health disparity and that may be tested.