Contact Information

Steps to a Healthier Minnesota

The Steps Program funds states, cities, and tribal entities to implement community-based chronic disease prevention efforts that are focused on reducing the burden of obesity, diabetes, and asthma and addressing three related risk factors: physical inactivity, poor nutrition, and tobacco use.

Project Area

• Minneapolis (population 382,618).
• Rochester, Olmsted County (population 85,806).
• St. Paul, Ramsey County (population 287,151).
• Willmar, Kandiyohi County (population 19,000).

Demographics of Project Area

• Minneapolis has a school enrollment of 43,397 students. The public schools have a 75% enrollment of students of color.
• 58 languages are spoken in the homes of school students in Olmsted County.
• Ramsey County has the largest Hmong population in the nation (more than 24,000) and a school population of more than 43,000 students.
• Willmar has a growing Somali population of approximately 1,000 and it has the 3^rd largest Hispanic population in Minnesota.

Target Population

• Minneapolis:  Low-income individuals and families; public school students and their parents; and African American, American Indian, and Hispanic communities. 
• Rochester:  Low-income individuals and families, racial and ethnic minorities. 
• St. Paul:  Hmong, Hispanic/Latino, African American, and American Indian communities, public school students and their families.
• Willmar: Low-income underserved, Migrant workers, Hispanic/Latino and East African/Somali communities.

Lead Agency

• Minnesota Department of Health.

Proposed Activities

Media

• Implement a media campaign to increase awareness of the dangers of secondhand smoke.
• Continue a radio media campaign in Willmar that increases awareness of asthma, obesity and diabetes and the contributing risk factors
• Focus on awareness and promote Steps Schools and community activities in local school district publications and community newspapers.

Policy

• Work with the Minneapolis Park Board to implement a smoke-free parks policy at youth sporting events.
• Work with worksites and community buildings to offer healthier food choices in vending machines.
• Implement a School wellness policy.
• Work towards smoke-free ordinances; smoke free environments and tobacco cessation resources.
• Use the Community Consortias as a catalyst for creating and implementing policy in each of the 4 Steps communities.

School

• Implementation of School Health Index Action Plans in certain communities
• Recruit more schools to complete the School Health Index modules.
• Host a workshop for School Nutrition Staff
• Offer an Asthma-focused Environmental Walk-through Salesmen for schools
• Promote school health policies to improve physical health and health education opportunities.
• Expand “fixings bars” to offer more fruits and vegetables in cafeterias.  Work with school nutrition to highlight the 5-A-day campaign. 

Community

• Subsidize startup costs for bins and coolers to store fresh fruits and vegetables in local independent groceries.
• Distribute vouchers to target populations for use at farmers’ markets for purchase of fruits and vegetables.
• Launch a physical activity promotion in a diverse neighborhood using a social marketing approach.
• Establish walking clubs.
• Distribute Fit WIC kits to promote early childhood physical activity.
• Collaborate with community partners such as local farmers’ market and community food shelves to promote 5-A-Day campaign.

Workplace

• Promote adoption of the University of Minnesota’s School of Public Health guidelines for catered meals and conferences by City of Minneapolis departments.
• Implement the Smoke Free Car campaign at worksites.
• Work with the schools as a worksite.  Collaborating with the health care providers for the schools to implement a worksite wellness campaign

Health Care

• Develop a prescription pad screening and behavioral health advice tool for adults.
• Collaborate with the Asthma Coalition to support workshops for Primary Care Providers, Pharmacists, and Child Care providers.
• Examine health care access issues within the community in collaboration with community partners. 
• Work in partnership with community clinics and health care providers to develop a plan to address obesity in child, youth and adult populations.

Evaluation

HHS will provide training and technical assistance to help each Steps community develop measurable program objectives and specific indicators of progress and use relevant data to support ongoing program improvement. HHS will also conduct a national evaluation of the entire program. Existing data sources, such as the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System and the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System, will be used to identify and measure program outcomes and assess progress toward program goals.

Community Partners

Minneapolis Mayor’s Office, Healthy Learners Board, Neighborhood Health Care Network, Minneapolis American Indian Center, Greater Twin Cities YMCA, Southeast Asian Community Council, Olmsted Medical Center and Regional Foundation, Coordinated School Health, Mayo Clinic, Rochester Public Schools, Rochester Catholic Schools, RNeighbors, Rochester Farmers Market, Rochester Public Library, Minnesota Asthma Coalition, Midwest Dairy Council, Zumbro Valley Medical Society Alliance, Rochester Area Family YMCA, Channel One Community Food Shelf, Rochester Chamber of Commerce, Cardio Vision 2020, Health Partners, Inc., Children’s Hospital of St. Paul, National Urban School Health Leadership Forum, YMCA of Kandiyohi County, City of Willmar, and Willmar Public Schools.

Page last reviewed: May 2, 2008
Page last modified: August 13, 2007
Content source: Division of Adult and Community Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion