GCU HLT 515 Week 7 Research Paper Assignment

GCU HLT 515 Week 7 Research Paper Assignment

 

HLT515 Social Behavior and Cultural Factor in Public Health

Week 7 Assignment

Research Paper

For this assignment, you are to select a target population with a specific health issue and research how social, cultural, and behavior factors of the target population contribute to health outcomes associated with the health issue. The 1,200-1,500 word Research Paper must including the following:

Introduction: Provide a concise synopsis of the purpose of the paper and a general introduction to the target population and the health issue.

Target Population: Provide a description about the target population that you have selected; provide demographic information about the population; and discuss relevant social, cultural, and behavior factors that affect this population.

 

Health Issue: Provide information discussing the health issue that you have selected; include a history of knowledge and public health understanding regarding the health issue; how it has evolved; biological and epidemiological information related to the disease; and major social, cultural, and behavior factors that affect or relate to the health issue.

Relationship Between Health Issue and Target Population: Analyze how social, cultural, and behavior factors in the target population contribute to the health issue; and identify what factors/characteristics are positive or negative and which behaviors/practices/beliefs serve as risk factors or protective factors.

Current Strategies/Interventions: Discuss existing programming to prevent or reduce the health issue within the target population and challenges to interventions and programming.

Recommendations/Conclusion: Make recommendations to resolve the health issue within the target population based on your review of current literature and what you have learned throughout the course.

Minimum of Five References: Use the GCU Library to locate at least five resources, including at least two peer-reviewed articles.

Refer to the “Academic Writing Guidelines Resource.”

Be prepared to present a rough draft of your Research Paper for peer review at the beginning of Topic 6.

Use the completed “Peer Review Guide” from Topic 6 in making revisions and modifications to the final draft of your Research Paper.

Prepare this assignment according to the APA guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required.

This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.

You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. Please refer to the directions in the Student Success Center.

Academic Writing Guidelines Resource

Description         Guidelines and Examples

Organization and

Structure             Organization is the internal structure of a piece of writing, the thread of central meaning that ties the piece together from beginning to ending.

A piece of solid academic writing:

• Begins with an introduction regarding the piece’s primary purpose or theme, which prepares the reader for what is to come (i.e., thesis statement).
• Ends with a conclusion that summarizes the key points of the piece, draws conclusions, and generally provides closure for the reader.

The body of a piece of academic writing can be organized around a variety of structures.

Examples of organizing structures:

• Main idea/thesis, with supporting details/evidence
• Comparison-contrast
• Deductive logic
• Point-by-point analysis
• Development of central theme
• Chronology or history (e.g., of an event, process, era)

Solid academic writing uses transitional words and phrases to provide logical connections and sequencing.                Examples of transitional words:

• Addition: also, again, as well as, besides
• Consequence: accordingly, as a result, consequently, for this reason.
• Generalizing: as a rule, as usual, generally
• Illustration: for example, for instance, for one thing.
• Emphasis: above all, chiefly, with attention to, especially, particularly
• Similarity: comparatively, coupled with, correspondingly
• Exception: aside from, barring, besides, except, excluding
• Restatement: in essence, in other words, namely
• Comparison: in contrast, by the same token, conversely, instead, likewise
• Summarizing: after all, all in all, briefly, in any case, in any event, in conclusion, in short, in summary, finally

Conventions and

Mechanics          Description         Guidelines and Examples

Solid academic writing is characterized by the proper use of conventions and mechanics, including: spelling, grammar, paragraphing, capitalization, and punctuation.

Examples of conventions and mechanics in academic writing:

• Proper use of capitalization, punctuation, and quotation marks.
• Subject/verb agreement.
• Proper use of pronouns.
• Technical abbreviations, acronyms, and units of measurement.
• Paragraphs that are indented; consisting of three or more sentences.
• Use of title page, headers, and footers.
• Avoid the use of: contractions, incomplete and run-on sentences.

Word Choice and Usage                In solid academic writing, the use of language is precise, with correct word usage and appropriate word choice.

Guidelines for language use:

• In good descriptive writing, strong word choice clarifies and expands ideas.
• In persuasive writing, careful word choice moves the reader to a new vision of possibilities.
• Effective word choice depends less on an exceptional vocabulary and more on the skill to use everyday words well.
• Use a thesaurus for new words with more specific meaning: For example, “pronounce” for “say,” or “embarkation” for “start.” In academic writing, “it” as the subject of a sentence is not acceptable. Make sure the reader knows what the subject of each sentence is.

Research and Resources               In solid academic writing, it is at times necessary to support your thesis or argument with outside research. Use of proper resources for accurate and thoughtful support of any argument or position is essential in academic writing.             Some strongly recommended sources for student use are:

GCU Library for search engines located at: http://library.gcu.edu

For instructions on how to use the GCU library, access and view our tutorials at:

http://my.gcu.edu/Academics/Library/Pages/Help.aspx

For good research techniques, view the tutorials in the Student Success Center.

Other Resources:

• Online Writing Lab at Purdue University:http://owl.english.purdue.edu/
• Google Scholar:http://scholar.google.com/schhp?hl=en&tab=ws
• ProQuest:http://www.proquest.com/en-US/
• Lexis/Nexis
• Northern Light Search:http://www.nlsearch.com/home.php
• INFOMINE Scholarly Internet Research Connections:http://infomine.ucr.edu/

Additional Resources:

1)            “Mechanics of Writing”:http://ptgmedia.pearsoncmg.com/images/0131428993/samplechapter/0131428993_ch01.pdf

2)            “Key Terms in Academic Writing”:http://www.esc.edu/esconline/across_esc/writerscomplex.nsf/0/388b46277676ac8b852569cf00615929?OpenDocument

3)            “Academic Writing Skills”:http://www.yourdictionary.com/dictionary-articles/Academic-Writing-Skills.html

 

 

MORE INFO 

The impact of social, cultural, and behavior factors on community health

Introduction

The impact of social, cultural, and behavioral factors on community health is significant. Communities with a high concentration of people with low education levels experience higher rates of obesity. The same is true for those who do not participate in any physical activity at all or engage in unhealthy behaviors such as smoking or drinking alcohol excessively. Community members living in neighborhoods with high crime rates also have higher levels of obesity than those who live elsewhere.

Social factors

Social factors are any characteristics of social life that influence health. They include income and employment, education (including literacy), housing conditions, transportation access and availability, crime rates, the environment in which people live (for example: pollution), etc. Social factors can also affect health by affecting your community’s culture and beliefs about health or illness.

For example:

• A low-income neighborhood may have higher rates of obesity compared to a middle-income neighborhood because people living there don’t have access to healthy food options like fruits or vegetables at supermarkets nearby; instead they must rely on fast food chains like McDonalds or Burger King for their meals every day—and these foods tend not only be high in calories but also fatty acids which cause inflammation throughout the body when consumed regularly over time!

Cultural factors

Cultural factors are the values, beliefs and behaviors of a group of people. They affect health in many ways:

• Language can be an important cultural factor that affects access to care. For example, if you speak only one language at home or work and don’t have a translator available when you visit the doctor’s office or hospital, it may be difficult for you to communicate effectively with health professionals.

• Religion can also play an important role in how people understand their own well-being and that of others around them. Religious beliefs influence what people do for spiritual purposes (such as prayer) as well as how they relate to others outside their families or communities; these actions often impact health outcomes for those who practice these religions regularly but do not have other resources available within their communities.”

Behavioral factors

Behavioral factors are the behaviors of individuals that can lead to poor health. These behavioral factors can be changed, but it may take some time and effort on behalf of the individual.

• Smoking: In order for someone not smoking is an excellent way to reduce their risk of heart disease and other diseases related to smoking, but if you’re already doing this then you need help changing your habits for good!

• Alcohol consumption: Drinking too much alcohol can lead to liver damage which could result in death if left untreated.

The impact of social, cultural, and behavioral factors on community health is significant.

The impact of social, cultural, and behavioral factors on community health is significant. Social and cultural factors can be used to improve community health by changing the way people interact with one another. This can be done through education about healthy lifestyles or by identifying ways for people to get involved in their community.

Behavioral factors are also critical because they influence a person’s decision-making process when it comes to engaging in activities that promote good health outcomes or reduce risk behaviors such as smoking cigarettes or alcohol use (Centers for Disease Control & Prevention).

Conclusion

Culture, social connections and behavior are all important factors in the health of communities. As we look at how to improve their health, it is important that we understand the role that these three factors play in influencing a community’s well-being.