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Plan for Healthier Living in the Community XXX, Chicago, Illinois
To combat some of the risks that are present in this community, a community health plan
needs to be devised. This particular community health plan focuses on the diagnosis of increased
risk for imbalanced nutrition, more than body requirements among children related to inactivity
as evidenced by an incidence rate of 22% in children 3 to 7 years old; an incidence rate of 28%
in children 10-13 years old, a prevalence rate of 21% in children of high school age; 3
playgrounds compared to 14 in Neighboring Community; a lack of open space and large parks;
lack of backyards as many buildings are multi-dwelling units attached to each other and
crammed onto city blocks; lack of attendance at Chicago Park District programs as compared to
neighboring community. The plan will specifically address obesity and inactivity in adolescents
at the high school level.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in Chicago with a rate of 192.4 per 100,000
(City of Chicago, 2014). Additionally, hypertension in Chicago has a prevalence rate of 30.4%
compared to that of Cook County at 28.4% (Illinois Department of Public Health, 2013).
Obesity has been linked to causing both in addition to strokes, type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol,
certain cancers, breathing problems such as asthma and sleep apnea, and even mental health
disorders such as depression (United States Department of Health and Human Services, 2002).
Children who are obese are not only at risk for being obese in adulthood, but they are at a much
greater risk for falling victim to these diseases later in life as well. In fact, by 2020, 44% of
American women and 37% of American men at age 35 will be obese and with that the
prevalence of heart disease will rise by 16% and heart disease deaths by 19% between the ages
of 35 and 50 years old (Sharples, 2007). It has been shown that the lack of physical exercise
increases the risk for obesity and developing or dying from its comorbidities which happen to be
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some of the leading causes of death in Chicago. Regular physical activity not only improves
health but it helps to maintain a healthy weight and reduces the risk for developing illnesses
associated with obesity and a sedentary lifestyle (USDHHS, 2002).
The CHN collaborating with this community health plan works with students at City
High School to help them make small lifestyle changes even if it does not result in huge weight
changes. She finds that students learn more and are willing to participate when it is on their
terms as opposed to being lectured on their weight at every visit. She provides them with
additional locations outside of the school-based health center with programs and resources but
finds that they are unable to visit these facilities due to busy schedules and not enough
independence to do so. She also believes they are more preoccupied with television and
computers than being active (J. Doe, personal communication, February 13, 2014).
Goal: Decrease the risk of obesity among adolescents at City High School by encouraging a
more active lifestyle through incorporating movement and exercise programs in everyday life.
Through primary prevention, this community health plan will provide the CHN and
school-based health center with additional resources and ways to reach out to and educate
students at City High School.
Objective 1: Educate the students on physical exercise in the form of walking and ways to take
more steps a day.
Strategy 1: Provide students with a pedometer to measure their steps per day and have them
record the number of steps in a log.

Investigate vendors and potential partnerships for supplying pedometers to the student
body.
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Strategy 2: Start a contest between the students and staff to compete and achieve 100,000 steps

The student or staff member to record 100,000 steps first wins

Prizes can be healthy eating cookbooks and workout DVDs
Objective 2: Educate the students on ways to move and be active when at home.
Strategy 1: Provide a brochure or pamphlet that illustrates workouts that can be done in a living
room or bedroom while watching TV or in front of a computer.

Workouts will be simple enough to perform with a couch, floor or chair and won’t
require extra equipment

Workouts will utilize body weight instead of free weights or resistance bands
Strategy 2: Provide a brochure or pamphlet that illustrates workouts that can be done at home
with a friend or family member.

Encouraging students to work out together will increase motivation and the likelihood
they’ll stick to working out and reach their fitness goals (FitDay, 2013).

Workouts will include a routine that requires a partner and also include modifications
to perform the routine individually.
This plan will assist the CHN and the school-based health center in the core function of
assurance by educating the students on ways to become more physically active that will lead to
healthier lifestyles.
Summary
There is currently a problem with obesity in Chicago’s children in addition to a risk that it
will become an even worse epidemic. By incorporating a community health plan in
collaboration with a community health nurse and school-based health center, the students of City
School can begin to lower their risk for obesity and its associated health problems.
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