BHE 418 Case 1

Utilize the required readings for this module and access http://www.countyhealthrankings.org/ to write a short paper (2-3 pages) addressing the following items in particular:

1. Describe the County Health Rankings.
2. At the County Health Ranking's Web page, click on the “search by county, state, or topic” area.
   1. Search for “Orange, CA” information.
   2. Identify Orange County, California’s ranking under “Health Behaviors”.
   3. Identify percentages of 4 health behaviors listed under Orange County.
   4. Search for your Local County and State where you currently live.
   5. Briefly summarize findings about your local county and state’s health outcomes (example: to length of life, quality of life, and health behaviors).
3. In your own words, define "risk factors" and provide examples of risk factors for health behaviors you identified in #2 above. Be sure to cite a reference even though you used your own words.
4. Research and identify another source of data for health behaviors (e.g., national database or tracking system).

Assignment Expectations

Assessment and Grading: Your paper will be assessed based on the performance assessment rubric that is linked within the course. Review it before you begin working on the assignment.

The following guidance appears only in Module 1, but it applies to the assignments throughout the course:

File format: Your work should be prepared using Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, or Excel depending upon the assignment instructions. For assignments requiring video or voice recordings, use media formats that are supported by MyTLC Courses as noted in our Trident Support page.

In-text citations and references: Be sure that all information and ideas in your papers are supported by in-text citations and corresponding references at the end of the paper.

Scholarly sources: Online sources must be limited to credible professional and scholarly publications such as peer-reviewed journal articles, e-books, or specific webpages on websites from a university, government, or nonprofit organization (these have extensions .edu, .gov, or .org). Presenting consumer sources such as e-magazines, newspapers, Wikipedia, WebMD, or other commercial websites (these have extensions .com) as references is not appropriate.

Scholarly writing: Use an academic paper format, not an essay based on your opinions or experience. Avoid using the first person in writing. Synthesize what you learned from the sources you read; write papers in your own words; and cite sources within the text, as well as include a properly formatted reference list.

Use of direct quotes: Use of direct quotes should be avoided. Only use direct quotes when preserving the exact words of an author is necessary. In the rare instance that directly quoted material is used, it must be properly cited (with quotation marks and page numbers in the in-text citation); quotes should not exceed 5-10% of the total paper content.

The Writing Style Guide that is linked on the TLC Portal homepage under My Resources will help clarify expectations.