Issues and Advocacy in Public Health

Overview

As a public health practitioner, you will choose methods to evaluate policies that address health disparities and advocate for policies and programs for diverse populations. Advocacy runs along a continuum. Some issues, such as the risks associated with tobacco use, have had advocates since tobacco was first identified as a health hazard, yet this issue persists and anti-tobacco advocacy continues around the world.

For this assignment, you will write a paper on your selected health issue. In Unit 2, you researched one of these topics:

• African American infant mortality.
• Use of e-cigarettes.
• Potable water safety.
• Immunizations.

Include in your paper the impacted populations, related policies, and an evaluation of the creation and implementation of these policies over the past five years. You will become well-informed of all dimensions of the health issue, including what has been done and what needs to be done.

Instructions

The following instructions correspond to the grading criteria in the assignment scoring guide, so be sure to address each point. You may also want to review the performance level-descriptions for each criterion to see how your work will be assessed.

By now you have chosen a health issue—African American infant mortality, e-cigarettes, drinking water safety, or immunization—to use in your course assignments. Conduct any further research that is necessary to find 5–10 references.

Using your selected health issue and a policy effort covered within the last five years, address the following in a 5–7 page paper:

• Describe the method used to evaluate the selected policy.
• Describe impacted populations and the geographic location for the selected health issue.
• Evaluate existing policy content.
  • Explain how existing policies relate to the selected health issue.
  • Assess whether the content clearly articulates the goals of the policy, its implementation, and the rationale for why the policy will produce intended change.
    • If you believe that the policy will succeed, explain why.
    • If you believe that the policy will have limited or no success, explain why.
• Evaluate the implementation of the existing policy.
  • Was the policy implemented as intended? Why or why not? 
• Evaluate the impact of the existing policy.
  • Did the policy produce the intended short-term, intermediate, and long-term outcomes? Why or why not? 
• Write with correct grammar, usage, and mechanics, using APA style and format for citations and references.

Additional Requirements

• Written communication: Your paper should be organized with headings and subheadings as needed and be free of errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
• Length: 5–7 pages of content with one-half inch margins (minimum), plus title and reference pages.
• Font and font size: Use a standard font, such as Times New Roman, 12 point. An optional APA style paper template is linked in Resources for your convenience.
• References: 5–10 scholarly and/or professional references.