Evaluation of Community Health Assessment in Kansas

Abstract

This article evaluates the status of community health assessment in Kansas. It describes community characteristics associated with community health assessment completion, factors contributing to success, as well as barriers and limitations that prevented Kansas communities from initiating a community health assessment or completing the process. Survey findings show that certain community characteristics such as interagency cooperation, history of success at problem solving, and shared decision-making power are strongly associated with completion of a community health assessment. Results also indicate that factors such as lack of leadership, money, and time as well as poor functioning coalitions may hinder the completion of community health assessment.