CUZZI 2
Project Mgmt: Community Health Issue Zip code 11373
The New York Community District 4 encompasses the communities of Corona, Corona Heights and Elmhurst. The community of Elmhurst, although a good place for small families and young people who are looking for something affordable and enjoy an ethically rich neighborhood, is an urban community that faces many health issues like other communities, but what stood out in my research, was how the top causes of death for Elmhurst residents, as for most New Yorkers, are heart disease, a killer of people in the prime of life, with more than half of all deaths occurring among women ranking first with 976, and cancer as second with 788 number of deaths per 10,000 population.1 Heart disease (HD) is the reduction of blood flow due to thickening and hardening of the arteries that supply the heart muscle. A complete cut off of the blood supply results in the death of heart cells, and a heart attack occurs. A common symptom of heart disease is chest pain or discomfort when an area of the heart muscle doesn't get enough oxygen. Heart failure occurs when the heart loses its ability to pump blood efficiently. Stroke occurs when a blood vessel in or leading to the brain bursts or is clogged by a blood clot. A leading cause of death (not only in my community but in New York2) that does not discriminate. Therefore, a significant health problem that is worth addressing, finding solutions to its risk factors, we can move toward preventing heart disease in the generations to come.
The individuals that are most affected by this health issue are women. Although men tend to develop heart disease earlier in life, after age 65 the risk of heart disease in women is almost the same as in men. Women have many of the same risk factors for heart disease as men, such as smoking, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.3 The majority of the affected individuals are those who lack an educational background (neither or only one parent went through college or graduated) leading to a low-income household, where malnutrition or obesity is present due to food insecurity, limited resources and lack of access to healthy, affordable foods and services. All of these factors together create stress due to monetary issues and health, gradually deteriorating the self-esteem. Socioeconomic deprivation has been identified as an independent risk factor for both admission and readmission to hospitals for heart failure.4 I have selected this population because it is the one that statistics mark as the highest.5
The Heart Project, is a community-based program that I am developing for members to stay active and healthy by providing them with services that will not only help them, but it will help them help themselves. I look to provide a wide variety of programs that will cover children, the youth, and adults. The activities, designed to h...
