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Funding Period:
2004–2009
The Steps Program in Alabama’s Southeast
Region
CDC’s Steps Program funds states, cities, and tribal groups to implement
community-based chronic disease prevention programs to reduce the burden of
obesity, diabetes, and asthma by addressing three related risk factors:
physical inactivity, poor nutrition, and tobacco use. Steps-funded programs
are showing what can be done locally in schools, work sites, communities,
and health care settings to promote healthier lifestyles and help people
make long-lasting and sustainable changes that can reduce their risk for
chronic diseases.
Background
The Southeast Alabama Steps Program’s intervention area includes Barbour
and Pike counties, which have a combined population of about 56,640. The
median household income in the area averages about $28,558, and from 22% to
almost 29% of area residents live below the federal poverty level (2005 U.S.
Census Bureau estimates). In these counties, the Steps Program focuses its
efforts on racial and ethnic minority populations, rural residents,
school-age children, and other groups at high risk for diabetes, asthma, and
obesity.
Spotlight on Success
- As a result of the “Asthma 101” training supported by the Southeast
Alabama’s Steps Program, students and staff members greatly increased
their competence in managing asthma symptoms that occur during the
school day. The percentage of students who could identify symptoms of an
asthma attack increased by about 13%. The percentage of students who
knew what to do when they begin coughing or sneezing increased by about
24%, and the percentage of students who could tell someone when they
needed to go to the hospital increased by nearly 40%. Southeast
Alabama’s Steps Program also assisted local physicians in developing
asthma action plans and distributing them to other local physicians.
More than 1,500 individual asthma action plans were prepared and shared
with the appropriate school staff members and caregivers. These action
plans summarize asthma treatment protocols in the event that children
need medical care. Read about these successes and others in The Steps
Program in Action, available at
www.cdc.gov/steps/success_stories/pdf/se_alabama.pdf
(PDF- 94KB).
- The Southeast Alabama Steps Program trained 24 teachers, community
leaders, and the Alabama Department of Public Health’s Tobacco Area
Coordinators in the LifeSkills program (an evidence-based
substance abuse prevention program). More than 500 students are
participating in this program, which is supported in schools by the
Southeast Alabama Steps Program.
Community Partnerships
Community partnerships were established based on participants’
willingness to promote healthy lifestyles in their communities. Members
include representatives from faith-based organizations and businesses, the
Medical Center Barbour, Charles Henderson Child Health Center, Boyd
Brothers, and Troy State University; elected officials; private physicians;
and school staff members.
Contact
Steps to a Healthier AL–Southeast Region
Charles Henderson Child Health Center
Telephone: 334-566-7600
www.adph.org/stepssar*
*Links to non-Federal organizations are provided solely as a
service to our users. Links do not constitute an endorsement of any organization
by CDC or the Federal Government, and none should be inferred. The CDC is
not responsible for the content of the individual organization Web pages found
at this link.
One or more documents on this Web page are available in Adobe Acrobat® Format
(PDF).
You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view PDF files on this page.
Page last reviewed: August 5, 2008
Page last modified: August 5, 2008
Content source: Division of Adult and
Community Health, National
Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
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