Needs Assessment Steps

HS 390 Program Planning & Implementation

Directions: A Needs Assessment is the “process of identifying, analyzing, and prioritizing the needs of a
priority population” [CITATION McK13 \p 72 \l 1033 ]. Complete each step by answering
the questions with primary and secondary data where applicable. Use this document as a
template and include the questions with your answers below them.

Step 1: Concept/Mind Mapping

PRECEDE-PROCEED Phase 1: Social Assessment
Subjectively define social problems related to poor quality of life of those in a target population
using social indicators like achievement, alienation, comfort, crime, discrimination, happiness, self-
esteem, unemployment, and welfare [CITATION McK13 \l 1033 ] [CITATION Fer10 \l 1033 ].

1. Brainstorm and establish a target population or setting (community, school, healthcare,

worksite, or college/university) to focus on for the needs assessment.

2. Develop a mind map by placing a desired target population or setting in the middle and
then map specific health issues and related variables.

3. Those specific variables need to be broken down into actual causes instead of leading
causes (i.e. Tobacco vs Heart Disease).

4. Show your work. You will likely make multiple mind maps. Make sure you keep each one
and place in this step of the needs assessment.

WARNING: Do not discuss solutions as this will skew how you collect your data and the need.
(Example: The problem with elementary school age kids in West Virginia’s school system is with
nutrition that leads to obesity issues—therefore we are going to develop a nutrition program)
(Nutrition is a solution compared to lack of proper access to healthy foods is the health issue)

maps/
Step 1: Concept/Mind Mapping

1. Our target population and setting will be young adults ages 17-25 in universities in the
Philippines.

2. Develop a mind map by placing a desired target population or setting in the middle and
then map specific health issues and related variables.

3. Those specific variables need to be broken down into actual causes instead of leading
causes (i.e. Tobacco vs Heart Disease).

4. Show your work. You will likely make multiple mind maps. Make sure you keep each one
and place in this step of the needs assessment.
Step 2: Purpose and Scope of the Needs Assessment
This step is for you to establish a goal or purpose of your needs assessment and what you hope to
gain from it? Answer the following questions to establish a focus for your research and not just
collect data on vague topics. This step will help you to narrow your research topics down to specific
questions.

1. What is the purpose of your needs assessment (not the program) and what do you
want to accomplish by doing it?

a. The purpose of this Needs Assessment is to determine the specific needs and
develop strategies to prevent depression brought by the pandemic to the
university students in the Philippines ages 17-25 old.

Hint: The purpose should be on finding specific needs in a setting with a target population.

2. List what you specifically want to find out through this needs assessment from
your mind maps?
a. Develop a list of specific research questions. (This should include questions
about the target population, setting, and health issues)
i. Focus your research on answering questions and not just random
searching on vague topics.
ii. Example: Is youth suicide a changeable problem in the Seattle WA
area or what is causing the infant mortality rates to rise in Peru?

1) How can mental wellness be promoted in university classes?

2) What coping mechanisms may be used to lessen depression?
3) Are online classes a contributing factor to the declined well-being of young adults?
4) What interventions may be most effective in the prevention of mental disorders?

3. What level (Primary, Secondary, or Tertiary) of prevention are you going to focus
on with your research?

We decided to use Primary Prevention because we aim to lessen the onset of depression
before it occurs through the use of preventive measures such as the combination of
psychotherapeutic, lifestyle, nutritional and educational intervention about healthy and safe habits
[ CITATION Gon21 \l 1033 ]. Psychotherapeutic management may include Cognitive Behavioral
Therapy which targets thoughts and behaviors that need to be changed like being pessimistic and
excessive self-criticism. Lifestyle modifications like exercising regularly, reducing stress, get plenty
of sleep and building strong relationships are some ways to prevent depression [ CITATION
Ana17 \l 1033 ]. Regular consuming high-fat diet, high-sugar and processed foods can have similar
effects in terms of causing depression. Eat balanced meals with lean protein, vegetables, fruits and
incorporate more omega-3s into the diet can provide vital nutrients to body to maintain physical
and mental health. Last, positive educational intervention includes understanding emotions,
fostering positive emotions, managing negative emotions, gratitude and how to manage anxiety
generate positive emotions and practical skills to equip students in their daily lives [ CITATION
Yuk19 \l 1033 ].
Step 3: Gather Data
Take the questions from Step 2 and start collecting secondary data to establish a target population,
setting, and health issues. Make sure your research is supporting needs assessment purpose. Start
collecting data generally (Globally/nationally) and then narrow it down to the specific setting. Try to
stick with current data—within the last 5 years.

Secondary Data Collection

1. BYU-Idaho Library (Public Health: Health Promotion & Education Research Page--
http://libguides.byui.edu/healthPromo
a. Journal Articles (Peer Reviewed Journals)
i. EBSCO (ERIC), ProQuest, JSTOR, PsychINFO, MEDLINE, Sage E-Journals, etc.
2. Government/Nongovernment Agencies and Organizations
a. (Table 4.3) [CITATION McK13 \p 89 \l 1033 ]
3. State and Local Web Pages
a. Local Health Districts
b. Police & Hospital Records
4. Research Universities
5. News Articles (Credible)

 Format/Citations:
o Both cut and paste the parts of the articles with an in-text citation OR print off the
articles and place them in this section.
o Make sure you cite all of your work using APA—this will save you a lot of time when
you have to do your Works Cited page.
o You need to have at least 10 different credible sources.

1. Hunt, J., Eisenburg, D. (2010). Mental health problems and help-seeking behavior among college
students. Journal of Adolescent Health, 46(1), 3-10.

2. McAlpine, K. J. (2021, February 17). Depression, Anxiety, Loneliness Are Peaking in College Students
| The Brink. Boston University. Retrieved October 22, 2021, from
https://www.bu.edu/articles/2021/depression-anxiety-loneliness-are-peaking-in-college-students/

3. Buenaventura, R. D., Ho, J. B., & Lapid, M. I. (2020). COVID-19 and mental health of older adults in
the Philippines: a perspective from a developing country. International psychogeriatrics, 32(10),
1129–1133. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1041610220000757

4. Colizzi, M., Lasalvia, A. & Ruggeri, M. Prevention and early intervention in youth mental health: is it
time for a multidisciplinary and trans-diagnostic model for care?. Int J Ment Health Syst 14, 23
(2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13033-020-00356-9

5. Martson, A. (2020, June 21). Substance Use Disorders in College Students and COVID-19. Retrieved
from https://mhav.org/: https://mhav.org/substance-use-disorders-in-college-students-and-covid-
19/
 6. Ames, M. (2021, July 14). Patterns During the Pandemic: How Eating Disorders Have Affected College
Students During COVID-19. Retrieved from https://marychristieinstitute.org/:
https://marychristieinstitute.org/mary-christie-quarterly/patterns-during-the-pandemic-how-eating-
disorders-have-affected-college-students-during-covid-19/

7. Mingli Yu, Fangqiong Tian, Qi Cui and Hui Wu. (2021, January 29). Prevalence and its associated
factors of. Retrieved from BMC Psychiatry: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-021-03066-9

8. Reginald Paul R. Centeno, Karina Therese G. Fernandez. (2020, March 1). Effect of Mindfulness on
Empathy and Self-Compassion: An Adapted MBCT Program on Filipino College Students. Retrieved
from Behavioral Sciences (2076-328X), 10(3): https://doi.org/10.3390/bs10030061

9. Dennon, A. (2021, July 27). Over 9 in 10 College Students Report Mental Health Impacts From
COVID-19. BestColleges.Com. Retrieved October 22, 2021, from
https://www.bestcolleges.com/research/college-mental-health-impacts-from-covid-19/

10. Robinson, L., & Smith, M. (2021, October 13). Dealing with Depression During Coronavirus.
HelpGuide.Org. Retrieved from: https://www.helpguide.org/articles/depression/dealing-with-
depression-during-coronavirus.htm

Primary Data Collection

After you have collected your secondary data use primary data to fill in the gaps or answer any
questions that arise.

NOTE: Conducting primary data can be very time consuming…I am encouraging you to try but it is
optional due to the amount of time we have in this course. If you choose any of the following
primary data collection parts use your text and cite your data with answers, statistics, graphs, etc.
and
1. Nominal Group Process
2. Focus Groups
3. Survey/Questionnaire (Need to check with your instructor for permission first)
4. Interviews (Face-to-face/Telephone/Electronic)
a. Before: What is the purpose or what is it that you want to find out?
i. Research before to find answers either on the website or from someone else.
(Be careful to not waste people’s time)
ii. Develop a list of questions. (Make sure you are asking questions that will
help to find a need or about the target population).
b. Results: Who, where, and when was the interview done
i. List the questions asked and answers.
5. Observations
a. Establish a purpose first and then gain permission to observe.
b. Record what was observed and how it will be used.
Step 4: Analyze Data & Identify the Risk Factors
Take all of the data collected from Step 3 and analyze it using the PRECEDE-PROCEED Steps and the
Prioritization Matrix.

PRECEDE-PROCEED Phase 2: Epidemiological Assessment

Identify and rank the health goals or problems/health issues that may contribute to or interact with
the problems identified in the research. Analyze the problems according to two factors:
“importance in terms of how related the health problems are to the social indicator identified in
the social assessment and how amenable to change the health problems are” [CITATION Fer10 \p
73 \l 1033 \m Gre05 \m McK13]. The next step is to look at the underlying causes of these
problems, such as environmental, behavioral, and genetic factors [ CITATION Fer10 \l 1033 ].

1. List and prioritize the health issues identified with the target population and or specific
setting according to need and most important to change.

The health issues that we listed and prioritized identified with the target population are:
 Eating disorder
 Depression
 Anxiety
 Alcohol/substance abuse

2. Take each health issue(s) and identify the underlying causes [CITATION McK13 \p 102 \l
1033 ]:

a. Environmental Factors— (i.e. stressful working conditions, no control over working

conditions, toxins, etc.)

The environmental factors are prolonged stress at home or school, the

COVID-19 pandemic, coping with the loss of a loved one, social network and
peer pressure.

b. Behavioral Factors— (i.e. poor diet, lack of physical activity, smoking, alcohol use,
etc.)

The behavioral factors are limited physical movement, unhealthy diet,

substance/alcohol abuse, stress perception and satisfaction with online
education, detachment from peers, self-esteem & lack of empirical support.

c. Genetic Factors— (i.e. family history, etc.)

The genetic factors are depression inherited in family, low or high levels of
hormones, cortisol, serotonin, and melatonin, and gender.
 3. Identify which problem(s)/health issue(s) with their underlying causes (factors) are most
important and changeable using the Prioritizing Matrix.

More important Less important

More Changeable  Depression  Eating Disorder

Less Changeable  Alcohol/Substance  Anxiety

Abuse

4. Identify the following from Steps 1-4:

Target Population- University students ages 17-25
Setting- Philippines
Health Issue(s)- Depression

Step 5: Assess the Target Population (Ecological Assessment)

After the health issue(s) have been identified you need to understand the target population better
and classify factors that influence behavior change.

PRECEDE-PROCEED Phase 3: Educational & Ecological Assessment

This phase identifies and classifies factors that can influence a given behavior by looking at the
following categories: Predisposing, Enabling, and Reinforcing Factors. This phase is important for
planners to be able to “identify the antecedent and reinforcing factors that should be in place to
initiate and sustain the change process” [CITATION Gla08 \p 415 \l 1033 ].

 Predisposing Factors—detract or promote from motivation to change

 o Knowledge, attitude, values, beliefs, personal preferences, existing skills, and
perceptions.
 Enabling Factors—societal factors that can act as a barrier or facilitator to detract or
promote change
o Resources, skills, availability of resources, referrals to appropriate providers,
transportations, negotiation, and problem-solving skills.
 Reinforcing Factors—rewards or feedback that the target population receives which
encourage or discourage the continuation of the behavior.
o Programs, services, resources; “Social benefits—such as recognition, appreciation, or
admiration; physical benefits such as convenience, comfort, relief from discomfort,
or pain; tangible rewards such as economic benefits or avoidance of cost; and self-
actualizing, imagined, or vicarious rewards such as improved appearance, self-
respect, or association with an admired person who demonstrates the behavior—all
reinforce behavior” [CITATION Gre05 \p 15 \l 1033 \m McK13].
[ CITATION Gre05 \l 1033 \m Fer10 \m McK13]

Ecological Model
An ecological perspective on health promotion is to look at the interaction between the target
population and their environment. Health Educators need to look at behavior as not just within the
person but what around them, environmentally, effects them both positively and negatively. These
different factors are categorized as levels of influence: intrapersonal, interpersonal, institutional,
community, and public policy (McLeroy, Bibeau, Steckler, & Glanz, 1988).

SMART Model: Market Analysis – Competition

A critical part of understanding populations is identifying alternative choices or the competition.
“Knowing what the priority population perceives is the competition and the benefits that they get
from choosing that option can help planners make strategic decisions about products to offer that
will provide a greater benefit at a lower cost than the competitive option” (McKenzie, Neiger, &
Thackeray, 2013, p. 315).

Address each of the following factors through either secondary or primary data—remember to
cite all of your sources and place the information within this step.
This information can be collected generally and does not have to be specific to the setting.

Identify the Target Population: ______________________________________________________

1. Predisposing Factors
a. List all of the factors that promote and detract from motivation to change-
i. Intrapersonal—
ii. Interpersonal—

2. Competition
a. Identify all competition variables in relation to the health issue(s) and underlying
causes.

3. Enabling Factors
a. Identify all of the societal factors that can act as a barrier or facilitator to detract or
promote change
i. Institutional—
ii. Community—
 iii. Public Policy—

4. Reinforcing Factors
a. Identify all of the rewards or feedback the target population receives which
encourage or discourage the continuation of the behavior.
i. Take a look at the interpersonal factors that influence the target population.
b. Identify specific people around the target population who support/hinder their
efforts both positively and negatively? (What influences them both positively and
negatively?)

5. Ecological Perspective
a. From the data you have collected on the target population, identify which levels of
influence are of most benefit for developing interventions in the Scope & Sequence.
Use data to back up your rationale for those levels.

Step 6: Assess the Settings & Resources

The primary settings that health educators work in is not sufficient for the purposes of this project.
You need to narrow down your setting to a specific place. This can be a province, city, county,
town, or neighborhood.

After you have narrowed your setting down you need to do formative research to determine
demographics, resources and programs both inside and outside of the setting whether the target
population accesses them or not.

PRECEDE-PROCEED Phase 4: Administrative & Policy Assessment

Health Educators during this phase “determine if the capabilities and resources are available to
develop and implement the program” (McKenzie, Neiger, & Thackeray, 2013, p. 55). This is an
important step to develop interventions from. Green and Kreuter (2005) offer recommendations
for “intervention matching, mapping, pooling, and patching. Specifically, building a comprehensive
program requires (1) matching the ecological levels to broad program components; (2) mapping
specific interventions based on theory and prior research and practice to specific predisposing,
enabling, reinforcing factors, and (3) pooling prior interventions and community-preferred
interventions that might have less evidence to support them, and if necessary, (4) patching those
interventions to fill gaps in the evidence-based best practices” (Glanz, Rimer, & Viswanath, 2008, p.
416).

Identify the Specific Setting: ______________________________________________________________

Setting Assessment:

1. Identify the demographics of the setting

a. Population, geography (parks, stores, health care, schools, etc.), nationality,
ethnicity, socioeconomic statistics, religion, etc.
b. Identify any public policies in place that influence the target population.
2. Identify all of the resources in the setting the target population either accesses or can
access.
a. This includes the availability, accessibility, and affordability of personal and
community resources which facilitate the performance of an action.
 b. What is available, accessible and affordable to the target population?
i. Are they using them why or why not?

3. Identify all of the health promotion programs presently available to the priority
population in that setting.

Since we are prioritizing college students, a perfect example of a program for this is the
project of Boston University that focuses on improving the mental health of the students.
This was also made to help the students recover from their bad mental health. It is
divided into three programs; Niteo, wherein this focuses on college students that are on
leave and provide them advices to help them get back on their feet. College Coaching,
wherein they focus on a one on one skill building support that focuses on giving advices
on how to balance academic works and the wellness of health. Lastly, Lead BU, which
focuses on students who are struggling academically, this is not only applicable for
students present in the school but also available online.

4. What effective intervention strategies (activities) are available to address the issue(s)?

5. From all of the information collected about the setting explain your rationale as to if the
setting has the capabilities and resources available to develop and implement a
comprehensive health promotion program.
a. If you feel it does not, identify what resources it does need and why those new
resources will be sustained and institutionalized into the setting?

Identify other programs in other setting that are related to the health issue(s) and underlying
causes. Other programs can also be associated with the target population or similar settings.

Programs Outside of the Setting:

1. Research and identify any programs in other settings similar to either the health issue(s),
target population, or setting.
a. For each individual program you found answer as many of the following questions
below (Cite your sources).
i. Program Title
College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences: Sargent College:
Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation
ii. Where is located and offered?
Located in Boston and is offering both online and face to face consultations.
iii. What was the need that drove this program?
The program was made to help students who are struggling with their
academics and to help them with their mental health. They focus on helping
the students get back on their feet.
iv. Brief description of the program and its purpose.
The purpose is to help students with bad mental health while struggling
academically. They made different programs to cater to a student’s needs, it
can happen in groups, individually or through online.
v. How effective is the program (results)?
 The program is very helpful to the students, according to the website, this
program improved a lot of students’ mental health. This program was also
featured in different magazines and articles that show their capabilities.
vi. What specifically made this program work and function?
This program worked because this really focuses on the students’ mental
health while helping them academically. This program is important since we
can understand that school can break our mental health if we get pressured
and such.

Step 7: Identify the Program Focus & Validating the Need

Assess all of the data from Steps 1-6 and determine the program focus by establishing the need for
a comprehensive health promotion program in the setting with the target population.
NOTE: The rationale for a comprehensive health promotion program is based on the need from the
perspective of the target population, setting, health issue(s), or stakeholders. The data collected in
the preceding steps, if answered honestly and backed with data will determine if there is a need.
The health issue(s) or program should not be pushed on a target population, community, or
stakeholders. Successful programs are based on a need and careful consideration of the
predisposing, enabling, and reinforcing factors.

You need to answer the following questions honestly and with confidence. If you cannot then you
may want to reevaluate your topic, target population, and setting or start over—this is the time to
do this and not when it is due.

1. Identify the following:

Target Population: _________________________________________

Setting: __________________________________________________

Health Issue(s):

Level(s) of Prevention:

2. Is there a need for a comprehensive health promotion program in the setting with the
target population?
a. Explain the specific need from different levels of influence.

3. Is the health issue(s) something that can be solved in a reasonable amount of time?
(Explain your answer)

4. Can the health issue(s) be best solved through a health promotion intervention, or a
comprehensive health promotion program? (Explain your answer)
NOTE: Each group must have their Needs Assessment passed off by the instructor before they
move on to the next part of the project. Points are tied to this and reduced for every day past the
due date it is not passed off.

Bibliography
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Reginald Paul R. Centeno, Karina Therese G. Fernandez. (2020, March 1). Effect of Mindfulness on
Empathy and Self-Compassion: An Adapted MBCT Program on Filipino College Students.
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Works Cited
Fertman, C. I., & Allensworth, D. D. (2010). Health promotion programs: From theory to practice.
San Francisco, CA: Josey-bass.
Glanz, K., Rimer, B. K., & Viswanath, K. (2008). Health behavior and health education: Theory,
research, and practice (4th ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Green, L. W., & Kreuter, M. W. (2005). Health program planning: An educational and ecological
approach (4th ed.). Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill.
McKenzie, J. F., Neiger, B. L., & Thackeray, R. (2013). Planning, implementing, & evaluating health
promotion programs; A primer (6th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.
McLeroy, K. R., Bibeau, D., Steckler, A., & Glanz, K. (1988, Winter). An ecological perspective on
health promotion programs. Health Education Quarterly, 15(4), 351-377. doi:0195-
8402/88/040351