Steps to a HealthierUS is an initiative from the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that funds states, cities, and tribal entities to implement chronic disease prevention efforts focused on helping Americans live longer, better, and healthier lives.  The goal of the five-year cooperative agreement is to reduce the burden of diabetes, overweight, obesity, and asthma by addressing three related risk factors – physical inactivity, poor nutrition, and tobacco use.

Steps to a Healthier Rochester is in its third year of funding.  The Steps Initiative continues to work in the schools, communities, workplace, and healthcare settings on a variety of projects surrounding the Steps related risk factors and disease areas.  Evidence-based strategies are implemented to comprehensively improve the lifestyle of Rochester residents. The below strategies are examples of Steps to a Healthier Rochester initiatives.

Asthma Management
In partnership with the Southeast Minnesota Asthma Coalition, Steps to a Healthier Rochester assists with public service announcements for youth, emphasizing the importance of exercise despite having asthma.  The PSA was developed in coordination with Rochester schools and a local track team to encourage students to be active and manage related asthmatic symptoms. The PSA is part of a three-pronged approach to educate students & parents, coaches and school staff on managing and controlling asthma.   View the Exercising with Asthma PSA(3.60 MB WMV) 

FitWIC
Fit WIC is a physical activity program for three and four year old children of the Women, Infants and Children (WIC Program). Fit WIC activity kits, consisting of a beach ball, bean bags, localized physical activity resource guide, music dance-along cassette tape and a family-based move-along DVD, are distributed to WIC families. Fit WIC photo (329 KB JPG).

School Wellness Policy Support
In partnership with local school districts, school wellness policies have been adopted to enhance the healthy learning environment for both students and staff.  A variety of support materials have been developed to assist with school wellness policy implementation.  The following are resources for your school, worksite or organization:

Encouraging Kids with Non-Food Rewards (PDF 76 KB)
Fundraisers for Healthy Schools (PDF 76 KB)
Healthy Concessions (PDF 76 KB)
Healthy Meetings (PDF 94 KB)
Healthy Snacks - English (PDF 93 KB)
Healthy Snacks - Spanish (PDF 92 KB)
Lunchbox Makeover - English (PDF 138 KB)
Lunchbox Makeover - Spanish (PDF 124 KB)
Single Serving Snack Ideas - English (PDF 76 KB)
Single Serving Snack Ideas - Spanish (PDF 84 KB)

Simple Strides to Healthier Lives Social Marketing Campaign
Partnerships are key to the Steps to a Healthier Rochester program and are essential to the Steps social marketing efforts. The Steps Community Consortium and local focus groups assisted in development with the radio social marketing campaign, Simple Strides for Healthier Lives. Launching in July 2006, the Simple Strides campaign includes paid advertisements utilizing focus group tested ads, and weekly interviews highlighting community partnerships and topics from local experts on asthma, nutrition, diabetes, physical activity, obesity, secondhand smoke, tobacco cessation and  immunizations. The Simple Strides campaign shares simple steps to make healthier lifestyles while highlighting community programs. The radio campaign also serves to increase awareness and knowledge of Steps target areas. The following links are examples of Simple Stride interviews.

Simple Strides to Healthier Lives - Managing Asthma (MP3 2.25 MB Audio file)
Simple Strides to Healthier Lives - Rochester Farmers' Market(MP3 878 KB Audio file)
Simple Strides to Healthier Lives - School Wellness Policies (MP3 873 KB Audio file)
Simple Strides to Healthier Lives - Worksite Wellness Challenge (MP3 1.2 MB Audio file)

For more information on Steps to a Healthier Rochester and the Steps to a HealthierMN Initiative visit: www.stepstoahealthiermn.org