Community health utilizes the ties between members of varied communities to change behaviors that lead to premature morbidity or mortality. We can use populations to analyze risk factors for those with a certain set of characteristics, but the real goal is to employ the bonds of the community to produce healthier individuals.
I am a member of at least one population that I would never define as a community: I am the child of a smoker. My father has smoked cigarettes since age eleven and has attempted to quit upwards of thirty times. Children of smokers are notoriously more likely to smoke cigarettes through adolescence and adulthood, but I have since chosen never to be a part of that statistic.
One community I do consider myself a part of, however, is the dancing community. I have studied the performance art for fifteen years, and I feel a strong connection to dancers, choreographers, instructors, and other members of the community. It is a dynamic forum for creativity where individuals with a common interest can come together to better appreciate dancing. I learn from these individuals, create art with them, and pursue progress with them.
[...] Organizing the professionals who work with dancers on a daily basis is a crucial step in combating eating disorders. The most effective program in this case would involve a series of workshops to address prevention and intervention. Dance instructors must be taught to look for the early signs of eating disorders, and the necessity of seeking help for afflicted students must be impressed upon them. Teachers and choreographers often have suspicions that certain students aren't eating properly, but too frequently the problem is ignored until it progresses into dire situation. [...]
[...] Using the Socio-Ecological method to combat eating disorders Community health utilizes the ties between members of varied communities to change behaviors that lead to premature morbidity or mortality. We can use populations to analyze risk factors for those with a certain set of characteristics, but the real goal is to employ the bonds of the community to produce healthier individuals. I am a member of at least one population that I would never define as a community: I am the child of a smoker. [...]
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