Windshield Survey and Community Assessment
Description of the Community
The Stanton Park neighborhood of Washington D.C. sits next to the Capitol Hill neighborhood where some of the important buildings that house the federal government of the United States are located. Stanton Park is an upper middle class community, but there are pockets of poverty within it also. In a city that is predominantly populated by African Americans. Stanton Park is predominantly white, middle class and educated. The homes are fairly new constructions including many townhomes and row houses. There are green spaces throughout, and Lincoln Park sits on one side of the Stanton Park area. The main health concerns in the area are heart disease, cancer and other chronic illnesses that are the same for the entire region and the entire of the United States. Health disparities exist to a degree in the Washington D.C. area as a whole, and probably in the Stanton Park area as well. However, the city of Washington D.C. and the District of Columbia are working to eliminate health disparities and other issues with 2020 as their goal.
Population Statistics
The Stanton Park neighborhood of Washington D.C. is near the Library of Congress and the Supreme Court. It is also not far from Capitol Hill. Population is 18,252 and the website, Niche.com (2019) gives it a B+ for diversity. This is because there is about 69% white, 18% black, 6% Hispanic, Asian population is at 4% , and the mixed race population is 3% (Niche, 2019). Eighty percent of those residents have attended some college, 34% have a Bachelor’s degree, and 46% have a Master’s degree. Females outnumber males 54% to 46%, The median household income is $128,355 and 41% of the residents in the neighborhood make over $150,000. Only 8% make less than $25,000 (Niche, 2019). For the entire city of Washington D.C., the largest age demographic is 18 to 64. The two groups, 18 to 34 and 35 to 64 make up 35% and 36% of the population respectively. Older residents number 11% and young people are 17% of the population (Plan DC, 2014). According to Love (2019) of Redfin Realty, home prices in the Stanton Hill neighborhood of Washington D.C. range from the high $300,000 to the mid $700,000 (Love, 2019). Love (2019) says it is a competitive market too.
Health Data and Resources
The District of Columbia is unusual in many ways. There is the whole network of federal buildings and many of the residents of the city are employed by the federal government. Another unusual fact about Washington D.C. is that the largest racial demographic is African American according to the District of Columbia Department of Health (2014). “In highly diverse populations like the District of Columbia, constantly changing demographic characteristics have important implications for the health of residents. Health disparities—inequalities in determinants of health or health outcomes between groups of people—are essential considerations when promoting healthy behaviors and safe communities, implementing efforts to prevent disease and disability, and distributing healthcare services” (District of Columbia Department of Health, 2014, p. 10).
Other indicators of health include life expectancy and mortality rates. “In the District of Columbia, average life expectancy has climbed to a historic high of 77.5 years in 2010, a 10-year gain from the life expectancy in the early 1990’s. District residents are expected to live 1 year shorter than the average United States resident” (District of Columbia Department of Health, 2014, p. 18). Causes of mortality include heart disease as the number one cause of death at 28%, cancer causes 22% of all deaths, and other causes are accountable for 26%. HIV/AIDS, homicides, accidents, cerebrovascular issues, chronic lower respiratory issues, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and septicemia all caused less than 5% of deaths each (District of Columbia Department of Health, 2014). Deaths from heart disease and cancer have decreased, but the other causes have all remained steady since 2010.
The Department of Health (2016) says that mortality rates declined overall in 2015. Cancer is a concern though. Like everywhere, lung and breast cancers affect District of Columbia residents at a higher rate than the rest of the country. All cancers affect the African American population disproportionately, and more African American residents of the District die from cancer. “A range of hard-to-reach demographic groups have unmet needs relating to information, support and cancer services. There is evidence of inequities at each stage of the patient pathway, from information provision through palliative care” (Government of the District of Columbia Department of Health, 2016, p. 27). Another disease the disproportionally affects African Americans is diabetes. The rates of cancer and diabetes are two strong health indicators of the Stanton Park area.
Social and Economic Conditions
In the nation’s capital, despite the lawmakers being right there to witness it, poverty is high. The poverty rate in the District of Columbia is listed at 22.5 percent for 2010, up from 20 percent in 2000 (District of Columbia Department of Health, 2014, p. 13). The population of African Americans is concentrated in the eastern portion of the city and poverty rates are highest in this area. However, there are areas of poverty throughout the city. Unemployment is high in these areas of poverty too. During the Recession, unemployment rates reached as high as 19 percent in some wards. (District of Columbia Department of Health, 2014, p. 14). Unemployment is not good for health because it causes stress, poor nutrition and living conditions and other stressors on a person’s well-being. As of 2019, there are 18,689 families living below the poverty line in the District of Columbia. Of those, 13,910 families have children (DC Health Matters, 2019). Compared to the wealth of some of this nation’s political leaders, the contrast is stark.
Health Data and Resources
Having access to healthcare services is important to people with chronic illnesses and it is important to many D.C. residents too including those who live in the Stanton Park area. The leading causes of death in the city is chronic disease, which can be addressed with a health maintenance plan of prevention, early diagnosis and treatment. This is especially true for cancer which occurs at greater frequency in the area than in other areas of the country. Some of the barriers to accessing healthcare services are lack of health insurance, age, sex, race, ethnicity, residence, background, location of the healthcare facility, and the time and manner in which the healthcare services are provided. One of the goals of DC Healthy People 2020 (2016) is to reduce these barriers to access. “Ensuring that all residents have access to equitable care and to reduce differences in health outcomes among various racial, ethnic, gender and socio-economic groups will promote healthy and productive lives for DC residents” (Government of the District of Columbia Department of Health, 2016, p. 19). By ensuring access to health care, the disparities between the wealthy white people in Washington D.C. and the poor black people will decrease.
Environmental Conditions
Millions of tourist visit the nation’s capital every year. They often note that the city is full of parks and greenspace. DeMargo (2014) of NBC Washington says that the trees in Washington D.C. help to remove 90 metric tons of air pollution from the city every year. Thirty-five percent of the city is covered with a tree canopy, and the city is trying to increase that to 40% by 2032 by planting trees. However, the air within D.C. still does not meet federal air quality standards for ground level ozone and particulate matter (DeMargo, 2014). Rather than relying on the trees to clean the air, D.C. residents should stop driving as much and find other ways to reduce emissions. A good number of D.C. residents do not own cars. DeMargo (2014) puts that number at about 38%; however, the lack of car ownership may be due to poverty more than an attempt to lower the carbon footprint. Sixty-one percent of D.C. residents drive to work alone in their cars. Another 4% commute by bike or foot. There are 374 miles of bike trails around the region; one of the extends to Pittsburgh (DeMargo, 2014)
The water quality in the District of Columbia is also not as good as it could be. Some 135,000 gallons of water per second flow down the Potomac River every day. When people use fertilizers in the area, it goes directly into the watershed and into the Potomac. The Potomac flows to the Chesapeake Bay were the fertilizer created conditions favorable to algae growth (DeMargo, 2014). Beyond the fertilizer issues, Washington D.C. is a big city and prone to water pollution like most big cities are.
Social Functioning
Aside from the ability of some of the politicians and leaders of the United States who make their homes in Washington D.C., at least temporarily, the social functioning levels are comparable in the city to other areas of the country. About 4,000 adolescents reported using illicit drugs in 2014. One thousand D.C. adolescents reported smoking cigarettes (SAMHSA, 2015, pp. 1-2). In the age demographic from 12 to 20 years old, about 9,000 people reported binge drinking alcohol within the month prior to the survey (SAMHSA, 2015, p. 3). Close to 55,000 people age 12 and older were dependent on or abused alcohol within the year prior to the survey (SAMHSA, 2015, p. 13). Some 20,000 people were dependent on or abused illicit drugs within the year prior to the survey (SAMHSA, 2015, p. 14). About 54,000 adults over the age of 21 years old reported heavy alcohol use and about 4,000 of them received treatment for their alcohol problems during the year before the survey. Another 6,000 sought treatment for dependence or abuse of illicit drugs (SAMHSA, 2015, pp. 15-17). Not surprisingly, the District of Columbia has an alcohol and substance abuse problem.
There are also mental health issues apparent in the District of Columbia, but these are not the ones we see played out everyday in the media caused by political wrangling. Some 3,000 adolescents in D.C. and at least one major depressive episode and 21,000 adults had serious thoughts about suicide in the year prior to the survey (SAMHSA, 2015, pp. 7,9). The same number of adults had a serious mental illness and another 43,000 adults in D.C. were diagnosed and received treatment for any mental illness in the year prior to the survey (SAMHSA, 2015, pp. 10-11). While the incidence of mental illness seems high, it is not surprising given the strain on a person working in the nation’s capital at this stressful time in history.
Conclusion
Stanton Park is an upper middle class community in a city that is plagued by poverty, unemployment and lack of access to healthcare in some areas. The health issues that are the most troublesome are chronic illnesses such as diabetes, and cancer. Mental illness and alcohol and substance abuse issues seem to be prevalent also.
References
DC Health Matters. (2019). 2019 Statistics. Retrieved from DC Health Matters: http://www.dchealthmatters.org...
DeMargo, C. (2014, April 22). Happy Earth Day! 18 Facts About the D.C. Area's Environment. Retrieved from NBC Washington: https://www.nbcwashington.com/...
District of Columbia Department of Health. (2014). District of Columbia Community Health Needs Assessment. Washington D.C.: District of Columbia Department of Health. Retrieved from https://dchealth.dc.gov/sites/...
Government of the District of Columbia Department of Health. (2016). DC Healthy People 2020 Framework. Washington D.C.: Government of the District of Columbia Department of Health. Retrieved from https://dchealth.dc.gov/sites/...
Love, R. (2019). Stanton Park Housing Market. Retrieved from Redfin: https://www.redfin.com/neighbo...
Niche. (2019). Capitol Hill Demographics. Retrieved from Niche.com: https://www.niche.com/places-t...
Plan DC. (2014). Area Element: Capitol Hill. Retrieved from Plan DC: https://plandc.dc.gov/sites/de...
SAMHSA. (2015). Behavioral Health Barometer Washington D.C. 2015. Retrieved from Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration: https://www.samhsa.gov/data/si...
