The Basics
What are data?
Data help us to see the world around us. At the neighborhood or community level, local data tell a story of place– shedding light on local conditions, community assets, and needs. Having data and knowledge about local conditions can be essential, as it reflects local conditions in communities and can be used to inform interventions that promote health and well-being. Local data support stakeholders, community organizations, and decision-makers by helping them to understand where to allocate resources (e.g., demonstrating where there is greatest need) and how to improve health and well-being (e.g., what interventions are most needed).
A data source refers to the origin from which data are collected. Data collection refers to the systematic process of gathering, acquiring, or recording information. Common data sources used in community health include surveys, administrative records (like SNAP participant records provided by departments of human services), environmental monitoring systems and others that are described below. Each data source is uniquely suited to capture certain kinds of information. Using multiple sources of data to triangulate, or examine, an issue or question is a common practice.
Reflection Questions
- What is public health authority? What do public health agencies use their authority to accomplish?
- Where does the inherent authority of state governments and public health to pass and enforce regulations in the interest of the public good originate?
- In what ways does public health authority shift when the federal government or a state government declares an emergency?
The next module discusses moving from data to action >