commun ity health diagnosis in nursing consists of two important parts (Muecke 1989). The nurse collects data about the community in order to identify the different factors tbat may directly or indircdly influence lhe health of the population. Then, she proceeds to analyze and seek explanations for the occurrence of hcaltl1 needs and problems of the community. This is the first part of the community diagnostic process culled the comn1unit y assessment and is considered to be the "keystone-of community heallh nursing process. (Freeman and Heinrich 1981; Muecke J989) TI1e nurse utilizes these c1ssessmcnt data to derive the community health nursing diagnoses and become the bases for developing and implementing community health nursing intervent ions and strategies. TI1is process completes the community diagnosis. Ecologic Approach to Community Diagnosis The ecologic approach to community health diagnosis (Payne, 1965) recognizes the fact that the healtl1 status of the community is a product of the various interacting elements such as population, the physical and topographical characteristics, socio­ economic and cultu_ral factors, health and basic social services and the power stn1cture within the community. The interrelationship of these elements will e. xplain the health and illness patterns in lbe community. Fayne (1965) attributes much of the failure lo address the health problems of the community to this lack of ecologic approach. Communityhealtl, problems are often viewed as technical problems that need technical solutions without regard to the interrelatedness of all factors and forces that are bearing down oa comrnw:ti tyheallh. According to Freeman and Heinrich (1981), commun ity health diagnosis is based on three interdependent, interacting and constantly changing conditions: 1. The health status of the community, includin g the population 's level of vulnerability An estimate of the health status relates the characteristics of two factors, namely: the people and. the environment. This is consistent with the epidemiologic approach that Finnegan and Ervin (1989) described as a model for community assessment in which measurable variables to describe the person, place and time support the presence of an actual or potential cmnmunil y health probh::m. Person variables include demogra phic characteristics as age, sex, ethnic group, occupation, income or educational attainment may explain population grov..1:h trends, death and illness experiences as well as identificat ion of vulnerab le or special risk groups in the population. Environmental factors include not only the physical environment (e. g. air, water, housing, and climate) but those of biologic environment (j. e. plant and animal life) and social environm. ent (e. g. presence of war or armed conflict, poverty) associated with disease development. · · 2. Community health capability or the ability of the community to deal with its health problems The commun. i"ty's capacity to pt·omote or sustain health depends on ilie extent of its economic, institutional and human resources. The mere presence or availability of sucl1 resources does not necessarily guarantee people's health. People need to make out bow the_se resources can be optimally used to ilieir advantage. 151 