Personal health is something that we should all be mindful of. Many strive daily to maintain good personal health. Often we see personal care as the way to achieve personal health, but that is only one aspect. In this article, the influence of community on personal health will be discussed.

We hope to shine some light on the topic “Importance of community in personal health” as we attempt to understand how community can affect a person’s health.

Before we get into the topic of what is the importance of community on personal health, let’s acknowledge exactly what community health is and its affects.

What is Community and the Affect of Community Health?

Basically, communities are social groups where community members have something in common. This can be shared physical location, public interests, hobbies, culture and heritage, etc.

It is all about the involvement of people with one another, social interactions with family, friends and neighbors and feelings of togetherness. These types of social connections give you a sense of belonging and purpose, which in turn have a positive effect on your overall physical wellbeing.

Healthy Individuals Promote a Healthy Community and Vice Versa

Community health involves the general physical and psychological health and wellbeing of individuals in a community. An effective healthcare system will set up frontline services needed to achieve the ultimate goal of healthy communities.

Public health professionals will focus on population health and work to reduce health gaps caused by socioeconomic status in order to provide essential and preventative services to the local community. The purpose of community health is to achieve a healthy community and to make healthy living accessible.

For instance, in the behavioral health arena, local government, along with health care providers at the community level, will provide community members of vulnerable populations mental health assistance. Behavioral health and mental health are vital to the wellbeing of public health in the community.

Those working in the behavioral health arena will require community health programs and community health centers to assist with all manner of health care services.

Local Government and Community responsibilities

Community health should be a priority to achieve the greatest health benefits for all members of the community. Those in community leadership should promote healthy behaviors through community events addressing such issues as injury prevention and disease prevention, along with encouraging healthy living and a healthy lifestyle.

Local government can provide mobile clinics to assist those with limited access to medical care. They can also provide transportation services for those who cannot drive or have no vehicle to travel to community health centers.

Clinics should be built in areas of vulnerable populations to provide essential services to the community. These clinics should address infectious diseases and disease prevention, identify risk factors and provide health education for its members.

Community health benefits community people. Frontline services benefit the community by ensuring easy access to health care, healthy food and preventing the spread of contagious diseases.

Now, the question is, What Is The Importance of Community in Personal Health? Does community help to improve personal health? Well, let’s find out!

What role does a community play in personal health?

Now, let’s get down to our main discussion—does community health affect health of individual community members or is this just a presumption, but not reality?

Individual health is connected to community health

Individual health is directly or indirectly related to a community’s health. But, how? The concept of community health focuses on keeping all members, from the very youngest to the most elderly, healthy both physically and mentally.

Each health professional, including community health workers, public health workers and anyone involved in the medical care field can provide essential services, along with preventive services, to evaluate and address needs of the community.

One purpose of community health programs is to address the serious needs of its community members. For instance, in the event of natural disasters or a community-wide emergency event, there will be health services available that enable the health care community to reach out at the community level. Community workers, along with public health professionals, will provide assistance in both physical health and mental health situations.

In the case of disease prevention within the community, a well-operating community health program will have resources provide health education on contagious diseases and steps to keep them from spreading, notify the local population of infectious diseases being noted in the community, inform community members of risk factors in their area and work for the good of the overall population health, on both personal and community levels.

A contagious disease can quickly spread across a community, affecting many individuals and entire families, as seen in the Pandemic of 2020 and 2021. The seriousness of the situation cannot be overstated.

How will communities be prepared for such threats to the health and wellbeing of their members? Will the local government and healthcare services at the community level allow the situation to get out of the hand, or is there a program in place to address disease control?

No doubt the health status of any community is based on its community health programs. That’s why communities must arrange community health programs that will be prepared for all public health issues.

Public Education

A properly functioning community health program is essential for the safety and wellbeing of each of its community members, A community health program should be in the business of educating its people at the community level.

Public education covering such issues as preventive care, promoting healthy behaviors, teaching injury prevention and encouraging cardiovascular health, to name a few, will produce the greatest health benefits to community members.

If an individual remains healthy by following guidelines, the spread of communicable diseases in the community will dissipate, and the community will remain healthy.

This is what a community does to keep the community healthy, and personal health is at the very core of community health.

The community will create a sense of togetherness

Having a sense of togetherness is important for your health. Even if you are only concerned about your health and wellbeing. After all, health is an individual responsibility and, and yet should be a collective goal.

All for One and One for All

Your neighbors and friends should be able to depend on you to not only consider your own health, but the health and wellbeing of others. This communal way of thinking will help you feel an important part of a community and share in the wellbeing of those you come in contact with.

Being among those who value healthy lifestyle choices is a wonderful advantage for any community’s health. From gyms in your area offering exercise programs, to community health events provided at the community level, participation is good for you and your community.

Healthy Relationships Result in Healthy Communities

Community encourages a sense of belonging. Social support is critical in the mental and physical health of an individual.

Relationships with people in your own community can have many positive affects on your own health. Some good outcomes are improved life expectancy, shared healthy behaviors, positive mental outlook, reduced stress and general sense of happiness. You can achieve harmony with those around you, leading to a more fulfilled life.

Lack of community will negatively affect your health

We have discussed earlier how individual health is related to community health. Now the real question is, what will happen to your wellbeing if there is a lack of community?

Research tells us that lack of social relationships and support can cause severe loneliness, which in turn can do long-term damage to a person’s physiological health.

Loneliness creates a barrier to building resilience and willpower which leads to unhealthy behavior. These unhealthy behavioral, psychological and physiological may have a negative impact on overall public health and wellbeing.

Neglecting community health may lead to severe consequences

If the community is neglecting community health, the community will face a range of complex issues that are very difficult to correct.

Neglected community health can expose people to diseases and chronic illnesses. These health problems can impact healthy communities as a whole, and of course, have a negative affect on individual health.

Technology is a great way to access health information

In our technological world, health education is available to anyone. Health resources are unlimited for gaining knowledge regarding healthy food, healthy living, disease prevention, risk factors and proper care for ourselves as well as those we know and love. A healthy community is available to those who take their own health seriously.

If you lack information regarding health, technology will help you gather that information. Many websites offer pertinent medical information. Also, your local community health department should provide access to services in your area.

If you not have immediate access to a family practice, if you have health-related questions or are in need of emergency medical help, you have local government services available to help. Familiarize yourself and your loved ones with pertinent information,

There are numerous websites available on the internet where you will get up-to-date medical information.

Are you new in the area, or are you not acquainted with a medical practice in your area. Perhaps you can look into booking a virtual appointment with a doctor or medical care professional.

Check with friends and family, or co-workers for leads or check online for medical services that provide virtual appointments. Read reviews before making your appointment and be aware of the cost and if medical insurance is accepted.

If you are healthy, your community will benefit as a whole.

How can we improve Community Health?

To be frank, community and community health plays a great role in our personal health. If we can improve the community’s health, there is no doubt that our personal wellbeing and health also improve.

So, how can we improve community health? We will list several actions that can be taken, but these are by no means the only steps available to any community:

1. Community health is a collective responsibility, and one can’t do it alone. Participation of others is required. This social bonding and awareness will improve mental health at a personal level and also create a sense of wellbeing throughout the community.

2. Health promotion and disease prevention are very important to maintain a healthy lifestyle in a community. Educate people about their personal health and understand what to do to prevent the spread of disease, and you educate a community.

3. Improving behavioral health is necessary to improve community health. Behavioral health services can be introduced to serve vulnerable populations. Making counseling and therapy available in certain areas of the community will go a long way to developing positive behavioral health.

4. A dedicated community health worker or a community health center can be introduced to help people to get easy access to health resources. With the goal being to improve health for each member of the community, no one can be overlooked.

5. Focusing on certain health issues throughout the community will bring awareness to areas of need. For instance, providing information on how to develop a healthy lifestyle can be addressed.

Local health care providers can sponsor group meetings at libraries for the purpose of educating and encouraging those who desire information on healthy eating, diet programs that work, nutrition and other factors in developing a healthy lifestyle.

Local gyms can offer discounts and free classes to encourage prospective clients to join and begin an exercise program. Clients gain health and meet new friends.

These are examples of how a community will aid us in our personal health and how we can improve community health. By providing resources and opportunities for education, communities can grow together and enrich one another’s lives.

From your local government down to the single individual, everyone’s involvement and ongoing efforts will produce a healthy community and a healthy individual. Our personal health and the health of our community go hand in hand. We all win!