Wednesday, January 15, 2025
1/15/2025
Background: In NYS, an estimated 8.5 million adults are overweight or obese. The prevalence of obesity among children aged 2-4 years old that participate in New York’s Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) is 13.7%, which exceeds the Healthy People 2020 target of 9.6 percent. Obesity disproportionately affects minorities and low-income individuals. The prevalence of obesity among children who are Hispanic is 17%, Black non-Hispanic is 12.2%, and White non-Hispanic is 11.7%. NYS ranks second among states in medical expenditures attributable to obesity. Purpose and Approach: Through its bona fide agent, Health Research, Inc. (HRI), the New York State Department of Health (DOH) requests funding to continue momentum from previously achieved successes and advance the state- and local-level impacts to improve the health of New Yorkers. Health Research, Inc. is located and operates in New York State. All of the proposed work in this project will occur within New York State. Throughout the 5 year project period, the State Physical Activity and Nutrition (SPAN) Program will collaborate with partners, drawing upon their expertise to inform and scale evidence-based programs using a systems-based approach to sustainably increase food service guidelines, increase community-based care supporting the continuity of breastfeeding (including workplace compliance with both federal and state lactation accommodation laws), increase physical activity through active transport connecting everyday destinations, and implement standards for nutrition and physical activity into statewide early care and education (ECE) quality improvement rating systems and professional development opportunities. The Creating Healthy Schools and Communities program, in collaboration with NY Obesity Prevention Center of Excellence, will expand statewide adoption and implementation of food service guidelines in worksites and community-based organizations and implement community-tailored transportation system interventions in 245 urban, rural, and suburban communities. DOH will ensure further implementation and integration of physical activity and nutrition standards into statewide ECE systems. DOH will collaborate with state systems including QUALITYstarsNY, NY’s Quality Rating & Improvement System, Child and Adult Care Food Program, Licensing and Administration and regulations, NYS Head Start Collaborative, and the Child Care Resource and Referral agencies, and NYS Education Department to recruit and train a cadre of master physical activity and nutritio n trainers. Six Creating Breastfeeding Friendly Communities regional grantees will implement interventions to support breastfeeding that address continuity of care, community support, and workplace compliance with federal and state lactation accommodation laws. Outcomes: DOH has established a consistent approach and procedures to monitoring program performance that will be used to track all the required process and outcome performance measures for SPAN. Outcomes by the end for the 5-year project include increased implementation of food service guidelines and purchase of healthier foods; increased support for breastfeeding in communities, worksites, health care practices and ECE systems, and increased breastfeeding; increased community planning & transportation interventions, and increased physical activity; and increased number of ECE systems that implement and meet nutrition and physical activity standards.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).