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Who are the voices of the community?
Who are the voices of the community?
In addition to quantitative survey data, Winnebago County Health Department (WCHD) used information from interviews and community conversations with community members and stakeholders.
Interviews
Interviews
Face to Face Interviews Community Members
Face to Face Interviews Community Members
Eighty-six community members were interviewed in 2019. These included participants in the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Program, Community Partnership Clinic clients, formerly incarcerated residents of Winnebago County and others.
Fact to Face Interviews Stakeholders
Fact to Face Interviews Stakeholders
In addition to reaching out to community members, WCHD also reached out to leaders of organizations that serve or work with community members. Fifty stakeholders from non-profit organizations, health care systems, service organizations and such were interviewed using the same tool for the community members. A standardized tool was used which included open and closed ended questions asking respondents to provide their perception of community health.
Open ended questions included:
"Thinking of your community, what are the greatest strengths or resources in your community that support being healthy? In other words: what is working well in your community?"
"Thinking of your community, what are some areas of improvement in your community that would support being healthy? In other words, what is not working well in your community?"
"In the next few years, the health of our community would be better if…"
Closed ended questions asked respondents to choose from a list of response options. This included selecting the top five strengths of their community and the top five greatest areas for improvement. These complemented the related open ended questions. Additionally, they chose the top three health conditions of concern to them in their community.
Results From Interviews
Results From Interviews
Responses
Responses
Although there were many similarities, there were slight variations in responses between the community members and stakeholders.
Farmers' markets, food pantries, the WIC program as well as the parks and opportunities for recreation available in the community were mentioned as assets; while transportation issues such as limited bus schedules, the absences of heated bus stops and benches were mentioned as lacking in the community. Health issues such as obesity, lack of physical activity and the prevalence of fast food and unhealthy foods were also mentioned as a deterrent to positive health outcomes by respondents.
"What is NOT working well in your community?"
"What is NOT working well in your community?"
The top three responses to "what is not working well in your community" (which areas of improvement are needed in the community that support being healthy) included:
Access to affordable housing
Levels of crime and community safety
Healthy behaviors and lifestyles
Top 3 Health Concerns
Top 3 Health Concerns
Community members and stakeholders alike mentioned the top three health conditions of concern in the community as:
Mental Health
Drug Use
Alcohol Misuse
"What is working well in your community?"
"What is working well in your community?"
The top three responses from community members and stakeholders to the question "what is working well in the community" (strengths in their community that supports being healthy) included:
Good schools
Good jobs/Strong Economy
Access to affordable healthy foods
Why have a conversation?
Why have a conversation?
In addition to the interviews, the Winnebago County Health Department (WCHD) in conjunction with Fit Oshkosh, a non-profit organization that provides race equity education and social justice advocacy, and Youth 2 Youth Advocates for Justice (Y2Y), a student organization at Oshkosh West High School, organized three community dialogues with youth in Winnebago County during the 2018-2019 school year. The purpose of these conversations was to hear from youth of color about the resources for, and obstacles to, living a healthy life in this community.
In order to create a safe space for these conversations to take place, the project involved youth of color as facilitators and participants in these conversations as well as in the analysis and final reporting of the data.
Another Perspective on Health
Another Perspective on Health
The conversations in these groups elicited very little on the traditional definition of “health,” health behaviors and outcomes related to physical activity, nutrition, and access to health services. The students in these groups were much more concerned about the social determinants of health including racism, community safety, and lack of social support.
Students felt that the community was “unsafe” particularly for the expression of their authentic selves. The students shared stories of having to manage being always noticed and often being tokenized as the sole youth of color in a classroom or community space.
Students felt that school and community leaders don’t listen to youth or consider their needs. Youth seek out support and safe spaces, but these are currently insufficient. This perception of the community led students to engage in frequent and exhausting self-monitoring of their own behavior as they tried to meet the unrealistic expectations from others.
Student Suggested Improvements:
Student Suggested Improvements:
Students expressed a strong desire for increased support from peers, community leaders, teachers, and other adults. They want a place where they can have “real” conversations and bring their authentic selves to school and in the community.
Students noted a need for increased racial literacy in the community and more multicultural events and support networks.
Students want to see more teachers and adult advocates of color in their schools.
These community conversations and overall engagement with community members are important to capture what is really happening in the community we serve and helps guide our interventions.
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