title: Community views and public health priority setting: how do health department priorities, community views, and health indicator data compare?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  New York, like many other states, provides county-level health statistics for use in local priority settings but does not provide any data on public views about priority health issues. This study assessed whether health department priorities are notably different from community concerns about health, and how both groups' priorities compare with local health statistics.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data from a 2009 rural survey on community health concerns were compared to priorities named by the seven area county health departments, and to local health indicator data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Health care/insurance cost (60%), obesity (53%), and prescription cost (41%) were leading community concerns, regardless of age, education, sex, or Internet in the home. Six of seven county health departments selected access to quality health care (which includes health care/insurance cost) as a leading public health priority, but only three identified obesity. The following leading local health issues were suggested by health indicators: Physical activity and nutrition, Smoking, and Unintentional injury.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Health departments diverged from community priorities, from health indicator data, and from one another in choosing priorities. Adding a question about community health priorities to existing state telephone surveys on health behavior and lifestyle would provide an important tool to local health departments.
authors.affiliation: Bassett Medical Center, Cooperstown, NY, USA GERglobal2014@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Giulia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Earle-Richardson
authors.affiliation: Bassett Medical Center, Cooperstown, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Melissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Scribani
authors.affiliation: Bassett Medical Center, Cooperstown, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Lynae
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wyckoff
authors.affiliation: Bassett Medical Center, Cooperstown, NY, USA.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Strogatz
authors.affiliation: Bassett Medical Center, Cooperstown, NY, USA.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: May
authors.affiliation: Bassett Medical Center, Cooperstown, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jenkins
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006292:Health Priorities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D009111:Local Government; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009518:New York; D011635:Public Health Administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011639:Public Opinion; D012111:Residence Characteristics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012424:Rural Population; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
keywords: community assessment; program planning and evaluation; rural health, needs/assets assessment; surveys