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Steps to a HealthierAZ

Mission :

To help Americans lead safer, healthier and longer lives.

Goal

To reduce the burden of diabetes , overweight , obesity and asthma and address three related risk factors; physical inactivity, poor nutrition, and tobacco use.

Prevalence Data:

Asthma: Over 15 million people live with asthma. In Arizona there are 316,200 detected cases.

Obesity: 25% of adults in the United States , and about 14% of children and adolescents.

Diabetes: There are 18.5 million people in the US diagnosed with diabetes and it is estimated that about 5 million people are unaware that they have the disease.

Funding:

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Appropriations through the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to the Arizona Department of Health Services as the lead agency. This is a 5 year Cooperative Agreement that began in the Fall of 2003.

Evaluator:

University of Arizona Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health.

Yuma Partners:

The University of Arizona Cooperative Extension, Campesinos Sin Fronteras, Regional Center for Border Health, Inc. and Yuma County Public Health Services District. Together these agencies provide the following programs in the integral approach of Steps to a HealthierAZ project:

Interventions:

Community Outreach and Health Fairs – Brief one-on-one educational information, screenings and referrals are provided to participants. These events connect people to local health resources, serving populations that have little or no access to health care services.

Sugarless Youth Group – Ongoing educational and support group for children and families of children who either have diabetes or have been identified as being at risk. Participants interact with other children who have similar health concerns, and they participate in physical activities such as volleyball, walking, and basketball, and learn about nutrition and healthy eating.

Healthy Lifestyles – Ten session Health program for high school students including topics on stress management, body image, physical activity, asthma, and tobacco cessation.

NAP SACC ( Nutrition and Physical Activity Self Assessment for Child Care) – Designed to help prevent childhood overweight. Tool helps child care centers identify strengths and challenges to healthy eating and physical activity. Tool addresses 9 best practices in nutrition and 6 best practices in physical activity.

SHI (School Health Index) – Developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to assist schools in creating an environment conducive to student health. The SHI is a self-assessment and planning tool for elementary, middle and high schools aimed at improving student health, nutrition and physical activity. Promoting healthy behaviors can increase student capacity to learn, reduce absenteeism, and improve physical fitness and mental alertness.

Special Action Groups - Key community decision makers focusing on policy changes that will improve health opportunities in the community.

Grocery Store Promotions – Promotion of healthy foods aimed to raise community awareness of health choices by offering demonstrations at local grocery stores, as well as providing recipes, and additional nutrition information.

Camp Not-A-Choo – Overnight Camp for children ages 8 to 11 diagnosed with moderate to severe asthma. Using the American Lung Association “Open Airways Curriculum” and fun activities such as horse back riding, therapy dogs, and physical activity games, children with asthma learn self-management skills that help them live an improved quality of life.

Open Airways for Schools – Program developed by the American Lung Association to teach self-management skills to elementary school children with asthma. The program consists of six 40 minute lessons and is taught by trained volunteers. The interactive approach utilizes group discussions, stories, games, and role-play to promote children's active involvement in the learning process.

El Aire es Vida/Air is Life – Home based asthma education for parents and children with asthma. Lessons include topics such as characteristics of asthma, possible causes, symptoms, triggers, and self-management skills.

Asthma Community Presentations and Child Care Provider Workshops – Presentations provided to community groups and child care centers regarding asthma symptoms, home and environmental triggers, and basic self-management.

Not On Tobacco – Developed by the American Lung Association and researchers at West Virginia University , to help young smokers stop smoking or reduce the number of cigarettes they smoke. The program consists of 10 interactive and fun sessions in which teenagers learn about nicotine withdrawals, how to manage people or things that trigger them to smoke and how to deal with friends and family who smoke.

Diabetes Quality of Care – With the goal of improving the quality of care, diabetes patient charts are reviewed to determine if patients receive a least two HbAIC measures, a dilated retinal exam, a foot exam, and a dental exam annually.

Pasos Adelante – 12 week nutrition and walking club program for prevention of chronic disease. Sessions are interactive and Promotoras/Health Educators lead participants 3 times a week in community walking events.

Community Cooking Classes – 1 to 2 hour cooking and nutrition sessions delivered in community settings. Classes include demonstration and practice of healthy cooking techniques, such as measuring, determining portion sizes, use of oils, and sharing healthy recipes.

Worksite Interventions – Mobilizing employers and employees to participate in walking programs, health screenings, provide healthy foods during meetings, and insert health messages in company newsletters or check stubs.

For more information about Steps to a HealthierAZ in Yuma County , contact Xochitl Rodriguez

Steps to a HealthierUS

Steps to a HealthierAZ