IDA 1: Needs Assessment

IDA 1: Needs Assessment

Class demonstration

1a. Context; system of interest

·  Athens YMCA

1b. Relationship to greater context

·  YMCA of the USA (National Office)

·  Athens YMCA

·  Facilities

·  Staff

·  Adult program

·  Aquatics program

·  Youth program

·  Physical education, sports-related activities

·  Dynamic Day (special program when kids have day off from school)

·  Y-Quest (fun activity sessions focusing on team work)

·  Athens Community

·  Local and state government

·  Family & children services

·  Schools

·  Churches

·  Boys & Girls clubs

·  Economic development

2a. Symptoms

·  Fewer number of registrations for physical activities

·  Health/nutrition related reports in the media

·  YMCA coaches comment that boys and girls can’t run fast, nor have much stamina

·  Boys & girls come to after school activities with fast food

·  Informal conversations with boys & girls that indicate they are eating lots of junk food for dinner.

2b. Why do these symptoms indicate a problem

·  YMCA members are a cross-section of the community

·  If area youth are not eating properly and exercising regularly, they may develop health problems

3. Preliminary problem statement

·  The Athens YMCA is doing a poor job teaching its youth membership about proper nutrition and exercise.

4. Verify the problem and determine specific needs

Data sources / Information gathered / What did you find? (Needs)
a. Government reports
a. Reports of respected health institutes
b. National & state surveys of eating habits
c. Telephone survey of other YMCAs in the region
d. Athens YMCA survey of members
e. Focus group meetings with YMCA youth / a. Scientific evidence that obesity is second leading cause of disease and death
a. Varying expert opinions about the right diet
a. Health classes at most schools have been dropped or curtailed
b & d. People are confused about dietary guidelines
b & d. People don’t know how to fix well-balanced meals
b & d. People eat too much junk food because they don’t have enough time
c. Many other YMCAs have begun health classes for its members.
e. 8-14 year old members report their parents feed them fast food 3-4 times a week for dinner; youth like fast food and wish they could eat it more often for dinner. / a, b, c, d, e. People’s diets are not nutritious and they don’t exercise enough or properly (normative)
a. People need to change their diets (expressed)
a. Schools lack resources to teach about health (comparative)
b. People need clear information about nutrition & exercise (felt)
c. Other YMCAs offer health classes, but we don’t (comparative)
d & e. Parents need more time to fix proper dinners (expressed)
a & d. Area youth are overweight (normative)
d & e. Area youth make poor choices when it comes to nutrition (comparative)

5. Prioritized needs:

Prioritized needs / Reasons/evidence
1. People’s diets are not nutritious and they don’t exercise enough or properly (normative)
1. People need to change their diets (expressed)
2. People need clear information about nutrition & exercise (felt)
2. Other YMCAs offer health classes, but we don’t (comparative)
3. Schools lack resources to teach about health (comparative)
4. Parents need more time to fix proper dinners (expressed)
5. Area youth make poor choices when it comes to nutrition (comparative)
6. Area youth are overweight (normative) / 1 and 2 relate to the mission of the YMCA, whereas the YMCA is not in a position to provide schools with the resources it needs to teach about health. Similarly, the YMCA cannot “give” parents more time. Based on the focus group meetings, it is unlikely youth will choose to attend seminars aimed at changing their eating and exercise habits. A better approach would be to target parents (especially those of low-income families). While the desired outcome is fit and healthy youth, the YMCA is not a medical facility, so it cannot promise that its members will lose weight, nor can it properly supervise those members who begin diets and exercise programs (members will be referred to area medical personnel and organizations).

6. Rewrite your problem statement.

·  The Athens YMCA community seminar series does not adequate educate members who are parents of area youth about proper nutrition and exercise.

7. Identify the instructional goals.

Instructional goals by priority / Reasons for priority
Construct health information kiosk near entrance of YMCA focusing on nutrition
Add nutrition section to quarterly newsletter focusing on helping parents prepare nutritious meals and offering alternatives to junk food when time is short at dinner time
Adult YMCA members will demonstrate increased understanding of the role of proper diet and exercise in the lives of all family members.
Adult YMCA members will choose to follow proper dietary guidelines and choose to exercise regularly as a family.
Add health section to the web site
The Athens YMCA will begin offering a new health seminar about how families “on the go” can get proper nutrition and exercise / All YMCAs are autonomous and the Athens Y programs are all focused on sports and exercise; there is not a workshop/seminar curriculum. More resources than presently available are needed to begin such a seminar series, and it is unlikely many members would join. It makes more sense to provide this information to its members in ancillary ways. An information kiosk would be seen by all members. It would take few extra resources to include nutrition section to newsletter, especially if help is solicited from UGA’s department of health and nutrition.
This particular YMCA does not offer The first step is to allocate resources to begin the course. Although the desired outcome are healthy and fit members, the most this course can hope to accomplish is greater knowledge of nutrition and exercise and its benefits.
Few members currently access the web site.