CDC's State Public Health Actions to Prevent and Control Diabetes, Heart Disease, Obesity and Associated Risk Factors and Promote School Health

The State Public Health Actions to Prevent and Control Diabetes, Heart Disease, Obesity and Associated Risk Factors and Promote School Health (State Public Health Actions) grant is a multifaceted initiative to improve health for all Americans through coordinated chronic disease prevention programs. The State Public Health Actions grant funds statewide initiatives to prevent, manage, and reduce the risk factors associated with chronic diseases—including childhood and adult obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.

To maximize efficiency, states engage in cross-cutting activities that capitalize on similarities of these chronic diseases and many of the methods to prevent and/or control them. Work areas include implementing environmental approaches to support healthful behaviors, health system interventions to improve effective delivery of care, community-clinical linkages to support prevention and management of high blood pressure and diabetes, and collecting and analyzing data to guide work.

Basic component

Funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), State Public Health Actions is a national program that provides a base level of funding to all 50 states and DC to focus on underlying strategies that address all of these diseases. All states must put into action key strategies in their states including

• Promote the adoption of food service guidelines and nutrition standards, which include sodium. 
• Promote the adoption of physical education and physical activity in schools.
• Promote the adoption of physical activity in early child care centers, schools,  and work sites. 
• Promote reporting of blood pressure and A1C measures; and as able, initiate activities that promote clinical innovations, team-based care, and self-monitoring of blood pressure.
• Promote awareness of high blood pressure among patients.
• Promote awareness of prediabetes among people at high risk for type 2 diabetes.
• Promote participation in American Diabetes Association-recognized, American Association of Diabetes Educators-accredited, state-accredited/certified, and Stanford licensed Diabetes Self-Management Education programs.

Enhanced component

Additional resources are provided to 32 states to enable more intensive interventions and greater health outcomes for these chronic conditions. As related to cardiovascular health, states are putting into action  strategies to

• Increase access to healthy foods and beverages and supportive nutrition environments.
• Increase implementation of quality improvement processes in health systems and use of team-based care in health systems.
• Increase use of health-care extenders in support of self-management of high blood pressure.