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Assessment Process <br />The CHA report is based on both primary and secondary data sources; and the participation of hundreds of <br />individuals in various roles from November 2010 to December 2011. Secondary data was gathered from a wide <br />range of sources that are cited throughout the full document. To ensure that the true needs of the community <br />were identified and addressed, the assessment process involved the community at every phase, including <br />planning, data collection, evaluation, identification of health issues and community strengths, and the <br />development of strategies to address identified problems. <br />A Community Health Opinion Survey was used to collect primary quantitative data. Since one of the main goals <br />of the Healthy Carolinians of Orange County task force is to address health disparities and to identify needs of <br />populations who are most disadvantaged, survey households were sampled from census blocks with the <br />highest poverty percentage. Out of 700 households attempted, 160 individuals completed the 110-question <br />survey. The survey, carried out by a team of 90 volunteers and administered in multiple languages, covered <br />various health topics, including quality of life in Orange County, community improvement, health information, <br />personal health, family health, access to care, environmental health, emergency preparedness, and <br />demographics. <br />In addition, nine focus groups were conducted with 69 individuals, to give traditionally hard-to-reach <br />populations an opportunity to share, and to gain a more well-rounded understanding of residents’ health <br />concerns in Orange County. Questions included in the focus group guide were intentionally broad, and explored <br />definitions of health, community strengths, barriers to accessing care and information. After this, five open <br />community forums were held at different locations in Orange County, and nearly 200 individuals participated. <br />Attendees were presented with the main findings from the survey and focus groups. <br />Community Opinion Survey <br />Location Map <br />Blue dots indicate <br />attempted households <br />Orange County Community Health Assessment - Executive Summary | 3