Accelerating Prevention through Integration

The STEPS grant in Arizona is part of a national initiative from the US Department of Health and Human Services Center for Disease Control (CDC) called Steps to a HealthierUS, which aims to help Americans live longer, better, and healthier lives by reducing the burden of diabetes, overweight, obesity, and asthma.

Arizona is one of 12 grantees (4 are states) to initially receive this 5-year grant from the CDC. An equal partnership exists between the Arizona Department of Health Services - Office of Chronic Disease Prevention and Nutrition Services, Arizona Department of Education, Arizona College of Public Health Evaluation Team, and the community partners (Cochise County Department of Health, Mariposa Community Health Center in Santa Cruz, University of Arizona Cooperative Extension in Yuma County, and Tohono O'odham Nation Department of Human Services) for the success of this grant.

Vision Statement: An integrated national disease prevention and health promotion approach to accelerate improvements in health and well-being.

Focus Diseases:

• Obesity
• Asthma
• Diabetes

Intervention Communities:

• Cochise County
• Yuma County
• Santa Cruz County
• Tohono O'odham Sovereign Nation

Arizona STEPS Initiative Goal:

• Reduce the burden of asthma, diabetes, and obesity and address the related risk factors of inadequate dietary intake, physical inactivity, and tobacco use in Cochise, Santa Cruz, and Yuma Counties, and the Tohono O'odham Nation.

Main Intervention Strategies for Schools:

• School Intervention Highlights for Year 1
• School Health Index from the CDC, which is a self-assessment tool for schools to fill out to determine strengths and weaknesses of their health promotion policies and programs.
• Promoting healthy school environments by offering mini-grants to implement the Healthy School Environment Model Policy (developed from the 2003 Team Nutrition Grant with Arizona Action for Healthy Kids).
• Implement the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) in each STEPS community school with grades 9-12 (odd number years).
• 2007 Arizona Steps Target Community YRBS Results
• 2005 Arizona Steps Target Community YRBS Results
• Statewide Arizona YRBS Results
• Providing a menu of health curricula options that represent best/promising practices from which school personnel can choose to offer students within a coordinated school health curriculum.

STEPS Fact Sheet

Resources & Related Articles

Contact Information

National School Lunch Program & School Breakfast Program
Arizona Department of Education
1535 West Jefferson Street, Bin 7
Phoenix, Arizona 85007
Tel: (602) 542-8700
Toll Free: (800) 352-4558
Fax: (602) 542-3818 or (602) 542-1531
Kacey Frey, NSLP Health Director
Kacey.Frey@azed.gov
Katrina Klatt, NSLP Nutrition Director
Katrina.Klatt@azed.gov

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