Description of the Community

• cardiovascular risk due to overweight (62%), sedentary lifestyle (30%), hypertension (33%), and smoking (PRC, 2013);
• split from St. Johns County in 1836;
• linked to the arrival of railroads in the 1890s, the construction of canals, and unrest in Latin America;
• highly heterogeneous, including urban, suburban, and rural communities;
• comprises over 35 cities, including the City of Miami;
• over one million residents living in suburban regions;
• having agricultural areas in the South (Cedar Lake Ventures, 2015).

General Identifying Data

• lying in the Southeastern part of the Floridian peninsula;
• having a maximum elevation of 10 ft above mean sea level (msl);
• areas having a flat, low-lying topography; marshlands in the east and west;
• a semi-tropical marine climate;
• summer humidity – 89%, average rainfall – 1570 mm, diurnal temperature range -10^oF.
• a total landmass of over 2,000 square miles;
• borders with the Atlantic Ocean, the Everglades National Park, Florida Keys, and Broward County (Cedar Lake Ventures, 2015).

Environment

• drinking water supplied by the Water and Sewer Department;
• methane, particulate matter, CO, and NO polluting air;
• diverse fauna and flora, including prairie plant communities and scrubs;
• moderate-to-good air quality index of up to 99%;
• a vibrant agricultural sector, Cuban and Spanish cuisines;
• prone to hurricanes, tropical storms, and the rising sea level;
• residents are moving to evacuation centers during disasters (Grebmeier, 2014).

Housing, Industries, and Occupations

• private houses and condominiums (built between1970 and 1979) ;
• an adequate supply of multifamily homes, single-family houses, and mobile structures;
• occupancy rate – 86%; owner-occupied – 60%, renter-occupied – 40%;
• rental support to near-homeless residents; permanent structures for the homeless;
• trade, transportation, and utilities, leisure, business services, and financial activities;
• accountants, auditors, nurses, cargo agents, travel agents, construction workers (Cedar Lake Ventures, 2015).

People of the Community

• a total population of 2,496,457 people;
• 1,371 individuals per square mile;
• growth by 8.2% since 2010;
• over 87.6% living in the same house for over a year;
• married (44.1%), single female (18.1%), single male (6%), one-person households (25.9%) (Florida Legislature, 2017).

Vital and Demographic Population Characteristics

• 21.9% children and teens; 14.4% seniors; 5.6% college-aged, 58.5 % adults;
• 68% Hispanic, 16% African American, 14% Caucasian, 2% Asian American;
• annual birth rate of 11.76 per 1000 persons; death rate – 7.92;
• 20.6 – diabetes mortality; 4.6 – infant mortality; 9.7 – maternal mortality;
• heart disease – 5.5%, cancer – 5.3%, diabetes – 3% (PRC, 2013).

Psychological Considerations

• the arrival of railroads (1896), Cuban immigration (the 1960s), Hurricane Andrew (1992);
• future job growth of 37.9% in real estate and tourism industries;
• 62% of adolescent suicides;
• adequate government efforts to combat depression, domestic violence, and drug abuse;
• unemployment, unaffordable housing, and legal problems as sources of stress (PRC, 2013).

Sociocultural and Political Considerations

• residents speaking English, Spanish (72%), and Haitian Creole;
• average income of $49,264 +/- $569 p.a.
• the major occupations being accountants, auditors, nurses, and cargo agents;
• employment rate – 5.4%, retired people – 14.4%, citizens in poverty – 20%;
• 40.9% being religious: 22.5% Catholic, 1.15% Jewish, 5.95% other religions;
• marriage and divorce rates – 7.4 and 4.3 per 1,000 people;
• government including a mayor and board commissioners (PRC, 2013).

Education and Behavior Considerations

• elementary (474), middle (215), senior high (105) schools, and a college;
• the Teenage Parent program for pregnant teenagers to continue schooling;
• mental health services and affordable homes for seniors;
• Leisure Access Centers and Medicaid waiver for the disabled;
• Blind Babies Program for toddlers and Miami Lighthouse for the elderly;
• city recreational parks, libraries, and resorts (PRC, 2013).

Health System Considerations

• many hospitals, community health centers, and mental facilities;
• CHF, high blood pressure, and T2DM; uninsured population (18.3%);
• essential healthcare, mental healthcare services, and maternal care available in hospitals;
• lacking adequate culturally sensitive services in behavioral and mental health;
• a large number of the uninsured;
• Medicaid and Medicare programs for eligible persons.

References

Cedar Lake Ventures. (2015). Overview of Miami-Dade county, Florida. Web.

Florida Legislature. (2017). Miami-Dade county. Web.

Grebmeier, J. M., & Maslowski, W. (2014). The Pacific Arctic Region: ecosystem status and trends in a rapidly changing environment. Berlin, Germany: Springer.

Professional Research Consultants [PRC]. (2013). 2013 PRC Miami-Dade County community health needs assessment household survey report. Omaha, NE: PRC.