Table 1.

Dimensions of community capacity relevant to environmental health action

Dimension	Definition
Leadership	Presence of experienced, skilled leaders willing to address environmental   health issues
Participation	Extent to which broad cross section of citizens participate actively in   addressing environmental health concerns
Skills	Level of relevant organizational, scientific, political, and information-   seeking skills among range of participants
Resources	Financial, human, and social resources available for addressing   environmental health concerns
Social and organizational   networks	Horizontal and vertical linkages among participants and their organizations   and other relevant local, regional, and national groups
Sense of community	Extent to which participants have shared identity related to community as a   physical and social environment and a willingness to take action based on   that identity
Understanding of   community history	Awareness of previous efforts by a community to address related problems   and understanding of how the community fares relative to others
Community power	Ability to act to make or resist change that affects the community’s   environment
Community values	Shared norms and standards related to environment, social justice, and   democracy
Critical reflection	Ability to analyze successes and failures, to reflect on one’s experience, and   to assess the arguments and motivation of other stakeholders

Adapted from “Community Capacity for Environmental Health Promotion: Determinants and Implications for Practice,” by Freudenberg 2004, Health Education & Behavior, 31, p. 4474. Copyright 2004 by Sage Publications Company