Health Issues Affecting the Youth of Jeff Davis County

Presentation given at the Eagle Showcase: Excellence in Service-Learning, Georgia Southern University.

A community health assessment was conducted in Jeff Davis County between September and December 2020 in collaboration with Share Health Southeast Georgia. The assessment gathered information to understand the current health status and needs of children in Jeff Davis County. Community asset mapping, informant interviews, community coalition observations, and secondary data from Georgia Department of Public Health’s Online Analytical Statistical Information System (OASIS) were used to gather information. The data highlighted children's mental health shortages, childhood obesity, and access to primary care providers as major disparities within the community. Project challenges included the inability to gather in-person data and gaps in secondary data for childhood morbidity in Jeff Davis County. Nevertheless, having the opportunity to conduct this project remotely was beneficial to engage stakeholders and community partners. Results from the community health assessment highlighted mental health services for children, childhood obesity, and transportation as areas for improvement.