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Funding Period:
2004–2009
The Steps Program in Alabama’s
River 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 River Region Steps Program serves Autauga, Elmore, Lowndes, Macon,
and Montgomery counties, with a combined population of 384,342. About 28% of
the region’s residents have incomes below the federal poverty level. Lowndes
County is predominantly rural with only four practicing physicians, and
Macon County currently has the third-highest diabetes rate in the nation. In
Montgomery County, about 24% of adults are overweight or obese; this county
ranks in the top 10% of Alabama counties with high diabetes death rates. The
River Region Steps Program focuses on individuals and families at risk for
diabetes, asthma, and obesity; this group includes minority populations,
rural residents, and school-aged children.
Spotlight on Success
- Through a collaboration between the Montgomery Area Community
Wellness Coalition—the River Region Steps Program’s lead agency—and the
Baptist Center for Diabetes, the Steps Program trained Wellness
Advocates in diabetes management as part of the Wellness Case Management
program. The Advocates provide one-on-one counseling to area residents
with diabetes. By improving their knowledge of diabetes self-management,
participants were able to stabilize their blood sugar levels. Conducting
daily blood sugar checks as well as foot exams resulted in fewer visits
to the hospital. Read this success story in The Steps Program in Action,
available at
www.cdc.gov/steps/success_stories/pdf/river_region.pdf
(PDF- 82KB).
- The Healthy Steps Challenge (HSC) physical activity intervention and
work-site wellness program enrolled 21 work sites and 2,000 employees.
Even the smallest employee participation rate among HSC work sites was
51%, and 54% of all participating employees reached or exceeded their
physical activity goals. Through the StairWELL Campaign,
point-of-decision prompts were placed in the work sites to promote the
use of stairs instead of the elevator. In addition, the River Region
Steps Program enrolled two universities in the HSC—Auburn
University–Montgomery and Faulkner University—where 50% of participants
met or exceeded their physical activity goals.
Community Partnerships
Partnerships greatly contribute to the success of the River Region Steps
Program. Community partners include representatives from the area’s public
school systems, the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce and County
Commission, several area universities, state and local medical associations,
the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, youth-serving organizations,
Nutribytes, the Tuskegee Area Health Education Center, the Home Instruction
for Parents of Preschool Youngsters Program, the Alabama Department of
Public Health, the Southeast Alabama Steps Program, the American Heart
Association, the Alabama Medicaid Agency, and Youth Enhancement and Family
Services, Inc.
Contact
Steps to a HealthierAL–River Region
Montgomery Area Community Wellness Coalition
Telephone: 334-293-6502
www.healthystepsalabama.org/steps.asp*
*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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