In this learning activity, you will review secondary data sources for details about the health of Virginians. Target
1 Virginia county or community of interest in the following data sources; briefly scan the health assessment
information to get a more detailed picture about the health status of Virginians in that specific locale or region.
Then, look more closely at the health data concerning 1 of the 5 health ranking determinants you wrote about
in Learning Activity 1 ( The ranking determinant is FUNDING, see attached).
• Virginia Department of Health Data & Statistics (https://apps.vdh.virginia.gov/HealthStats/stats.htm)
• County Health Rankings (https://www.countyhealthrankings.org/)
• SMART: BRFSS Data (https://www.cdc.gov/brfss/smart/smart_data.htm)
Following the principles of epidemiologic inquiry, answer the following questions regarding the information you
uncovered about 1 health determinant in your selected county or community. Give your response in a post of
400–500 words.
• Person: Describe the population expressing the determinant
o How many (percentage of population or rate) are described by this determinant?
o How is the determinant expressed in the population (age, gender, education, socioeconomic status, or other
characteristics)?
o Compare segments of the population (who has the most/least, at greatest/least risk)?
• Place: Describe the location with regard to the determinant
o Is the determinant seen more in urban or rural regions?
o What other characteristics define the prevalence of the determinant in the region (housing, geography,
topography, etc.)?
o Compare other locations with the one you selected (how does prevalence compare in neighboring counties,
the state, or the nation)?
• Period: Describe the time trends of the determinant
o Over the past few years, has the prevalence rate decreased or increased or stayed about the same? (i.e., is
it getting better or worse?)
o Compare the time trends of the state and the nation with those of your location. Are they better, worse, or
similar?
• Conclusion: From the information you gathered about the health determinant, describe a priority population
within the locale you investigated in which to address the health determinant of focus. This will be the focus of
a public health intervention you will develop across the remaining learning activities.