A community health nurse is working in a rural area where there are many homes built before the 1970s. To promote good health, which of the following actions should the nurse take?

Choice A: Prevalence Rate
The prevalence rate measures the total number of cases of a disease or health condition in a population at a specific point in time or over a specified period. It is expressed as a proportion of the population. While useful for understanding the burden of disease, the prevalence rate does not provide information on the number of deaths, making it unsuitable for calculating mortality data.

Choice B: Case Fatality Rate
The case fatality rate (CFR) is the proportion of individuals diagnosed with a particular disease who die from that disease within a specified period. It is expressed as a percentage. While CFR provides insight into the severity of a disease, it does not give the overall number of deaths in a population, nor does it specify the age group affected.

Choice C: Age-Specific Mortality Rate
The age-specific mortality rate is the number of deaths in a specific age group per 100,000 population in that age group over a given period. This measure is ideal for calculating the number of deaths among school-age children, as it provides detailed mortality data specific to that age group. By using this rate, the nurse can accurately determine the mortality rate for school-age children in the county.

Choice D: Cause-Specific Mortality Rate
The cause-specific mortality rate is the number of deaths from a specific cause per 100,000 population in a given year. While this measure is useful for understanding the impact of specific diseases or conditions, it does not provide a comprehensive view of mortality across different age groups. Therefore, it is not the best choice for calculating the overall number of deaths among school-age children.

Choice A: Impaired Transferability
Impaired transferability typically refers to an individual's difficulty in moving from one place to another, often due to physical limitations. This is a personal health diagnosis rather than a community diagnosis. Community diagnoses focus on broader issues that affect the health of the entire community rather than individual health problems.

Choice B: Disturbed Sleep Pattern
A disturbed sleep pattern is an individual health issue that affects a person's sleep quality and duration. While sleep issues can be prevalent in a community, this term is more commonly used in individual health assessments. Community diagnoses address collective health concerns that impact the community as a whole.

Choice C: Risk for Infection
Risk for infection is a term used to describe the potential for an individual to develop an infection. Although infection control can be a community health concern, this term is generally used in the context of individual health assessments. Community diagnoses would focus on factors contributing to the spread of infections within the community.

Choice D: Alteration in Family Health Management
This is the correct choice. Alteration in family health management refers to changes or challenges in how families manage their health and well-being. This can include issues such as access to healthcare, health education, and support systems. As a community diagnosis, it addresses the collective health management practices of families within the community, making it a broader public health concern.