title: An asset-focused health needs assessment in a rural community in North India.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Health needs assessment (HNA) targets health resources to needs yet is rarely used in low-resource contexts such as the Indian villages.
  
  
  METHODS
  The authors combined rapid participatory appraisal (RPA) and HNA tools into 4 steps: (a) define HNA parameters, objectives, and community; (b) describe community demographics, health status, felt needs, assets, and health services; (c) analysis; and (d) design interventions considering felt needs, assets, impact potential, and organizational resources.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Community felt needs focused on lack of access to personal health services. Major morbidities included respiratory and diarrheal disease and maternal/child health problems. Formal anthropometry revealed high prevalence of underweight and stunting. Community assets included high land ownership, educated unmarried women, and operational government services.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In low-resource developing country contexts with poor information systems, HNA is possible and useful. Including RPA and community participation to also assess assets resulted in programs responding to communities' needs using existing resources.
authors.affiliation: Emmanuel Hospital Association, Mussoorie, Uttarakhand, India kaarenmathias@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Kaaren R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Mathias
authors.affiliation: Emmanuel Hospital Association, Mussoorie, Uttarakhand, India.
authors.forename: Joseph M P
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Mathias
authors.affiliation: University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Philip C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Hill
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D020380:Needs Assessment / Q000458:organization & administration*; D019035:Rural Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors