KINE-3350 windshield survey
For your midterm assignment you will complete a windshield survey with one of these populations in mind. A windshield survey is an informal survey where the health professional drives around the community/area they are researching, and records his/her observations. For your windshield survey you can use any environment that you would like as long as you can relate it back to the course material. You should also include specific information relating the vulnerable population that you chose back to community determinants and mechanism of vulnerability i.e. how does the environment surrounding the vulnerable population that you chose impact its education, its income, its probability of remaining in the poverty cycle? I am providing a list of questions that can help guide your thinking, but you do not have to use all or any of the questions provided. Your final deliverable for this assignment should be written in essay form, 4-8 pages Times New Roman 12-point font. When completing your survey make sure you use APA format and relate your findings back to the course.
Example:
If I focused on the homeless population, I might do my windshield report on one of the local homeless shelters and talk about the conditions and how it relates to the homeless population being part of a vulnerable population group.
Windshield Survey Tool
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Boundaries Are the boundaries geographical, political, or economic? Do neighborhoods have names? Are there sub-communities? How are these identified? |
Notes (to make notes about the questions on the left) |
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Housing and Zoning What is the age of the buildings? Are the residences single family or multifamily dwellings? |
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Signs of Decay Is the area well maintained or in disrepair? Is there garbage strewn? Are there trashed/abandoned cars, places for rodents or other wildlife to hide, vacant lots? |
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Parks and Recreational Areas Are there play areas for children and adults? Are they safe and maintained? Is there a Community Center? Who uses them? |
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Common Areas Where do people collect for social gatherings; where do they “hang out”? Are they for particular groups or are they open to all? Are there signs posted? |
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Stores What stores (grocery, retail, drug, dry cleaning, etc.) are in the area? How do residents travel to them? |
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Transportation How do most people get around the area? Is there public transportation? If so what kind and does it appear to be used? Who uses it? What is the condition of the streets, roads, highways? |
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Communication Is there evidence of local and national newspapers to other media? Are there informational posters on streets, busses, billboards, etc.? |
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Service Centers What services are available in the community – health care, social services, schools, employment offices etc.? |
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People in the Community Who is in the area during the day? What evidence is thereof particular “classes” of people – upper, middle, working, lower? |
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Industries What are the major industries located in the area? What types of occupations are evident? |
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Protective Services Where are fire and police stations located? Is there evidence of police and fire protection in the area? |
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Ethnicity What is the predominant ethnic group? Are there residents from a variety of ethnic backgrounds or is the community mostly one group? Which one? Are there stores, restaurants, churches, schools, or languages that indicate a particular ethnic group(s)? |
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Religion What churches and church-run schools are in the area (denomination)? How many are there of each denomination? |
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Health and Morbity Is there evidence of any health problems such as drug/alcohol abuse, communicable or chronic diseases, mental illness (etc)? |
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Politics Is there evidence of political activity? Are there any signs that indicate a predominant political party (parties)or concern(s)? |