Community Assessment of Randal County – Demographics, Environment, and Socioeconomic Factors

Must Include:

·         When the community was settled

·         By whom

·         First Business

·         Important information about the community

Must Include:

·         Birth rates

·         Death rates

·         Pertinent morbidity rates

·         Distribution of

Age

·         Sex

·         Race

·         Ancestry (i.e., German, Asian, Indian, etc.)

·         Marital status

·         Education status

·         Household types & size

l   Birth rate – 5.24%

l   The death rate of about 701 deaths per 100,000 persons. The death rate is higher among males.

l   Pertinent morbidity – Cardiovascular illnesses such as ischemic heart disease and cerebrovascular accidents are the largest contributors to morbidity, accounting for over 60% of all reported illnesses. Breast cancer and diabetes contribute to approximately 30 percent of all reported morbidity in the community.

l   Age Distribution: The median age in Randal County is 36.4. Persons under 18 account for 23% of the population, while persons over 65 account for 16.1% of all populations

l   Sex: Females account for 50.7 of the population.

l   Race: Non-Hispanic whites account for over 67.9%, Hispanic whites 12.2%, Blacks 2.8%, Asians 1.7%, American Indian and Alaska Native 0.23%, and multiracial groups 7.5%.

l   Ancestry: American 37% , Irish  4.7%, English 16%, African 2.8%, European 10%, Asian-7% and Latino- 10.3%

l   Marital status: 26.8% have never been married, 54.69% are married, 10% are divorced.

l   Educational status: 93.9% are high school graduates, and 32.7% hold at least a Bachelor’s degree or higher.

l   Household Size: Average size is 2.6, household types

l   Household Type: Married couples 71%, male householders 5%, female householders 10%, and non-family 14%

Must Include:

·         Community’s values, beliefs, and perceptions of the importance of religion

·         Degree of religious diversity in the community reflected in the faith groups

·         Cultural influences reflected in any significant ethnic or religious traditions

Religious diversity in Randal County is considerably reflected in the faith groups. The majority in the community ascribes to a form of religion. Christianity is the most followed faith, accounting for over 70%, followed by Islam at 15%. Other religions present in the community are Jews and Buddhists.  There is also a significant portion of the population who do not follow any religion.

A reflection of the general lifestyle of persons within the community reveals significant religious and cultural imprints. Christians in the community are regular churchgoers, with many institutions, such as shops and schools, closed on Sundays. Likewise, there is a heavy presence of Muslims and subsequent Islam practices, as evident in the presence of mosques and Islamic dress codes. Many people within the community verbalize the presence of an Almighty deity to whom they turn for spiritual nourishment and blessings. Their value for life is also skewed towards religion, as some state their commitment to their religious values and beliefs that their God has healing powers.

·         Information will come from the windshield survey.  You should state this in your own words.

·         Provide dates of your survey.

A reflection of the physical environment using the Windshield Survey conducted on 16th June at 1130 hrs revealed that the community is a mixture of low, middle, and high-income earners. I could see sections exuding affluence, as demonstrated by lush vegetation and gated neighborhoods.  Further down the street, the environment transitioned into rather rugged streets with bumpy roads. In these areas, there is evidence of homelessness, with many camping by the roadsides and open fields. There is significant evidence of substance use, with many people begging for food and money. This is a true depiction of the impoverished American neighborhood. In such neighborhoods, homelessness and substance abuse are rampant, with subsequent violence and crime (Morton, 2019). There was also evidence of water pipes, operational sewer systems, and some green spaces across the community (Data USA. n.d).

·         Financial status of people

o   Individuals

o   Households

·         Occupational categories in the community

·         Businesses/Industries

o   personal

o   public

·         Police protection

·         Crime statistics

·         Fire protection

·         Sanitation services

The Randal County Sheriff’s Office provides police protection to all residents of Randal County. However, police protection within the community is varied with low-income communities reporting higher rates of violence with relatively low police protection (Boehme et al., 2020).

Violent crime reports within the community are about 547/100,000. This can be broken down into a murder rate of about 2.9/1000 people, robberies of about 0.7/1000, assaults of about 129/100,000, motor vehicle theft of 64/100,000, theft of 485/100,000, and rape cases of 19.4/100,000. The informant noted that there are multiple reports of gun violence, thefts, drug use, and prostitution in the low-income neighborhood. This is also the case in other low-income areas. In these areas, gun violence, prostitution, and crime are common (Kravitz-Wirtz et al., 2022). This highlights the need to address their health concerns

Fire Protection: The Randal County Fire Department provides a 24-hour response to fire incidents within the state. There are three fire stations scattered within the county to ensure adequate fire protection. There are also 23 firefighters and 18 volunteers to ensure adequate fire responses within the community.

Sanitation: There is an effective septic system within the county. The Department of Public Health inspects the systems to ensure their efficiency. .

Key points from the interview with a key informant.

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