YSU Receives Funding to Improve Health and Prevent Chronic Disease

YSU’s Consortium of Community Health received over $719,000 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the first year in the five-year Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) program. The REACH funding will help the consortium, made up of faculty members from various health and wellness related fields, to improve health, prevent chronic diseases and reduce health disparities among Youngstown City School district students and their families’ highest burden of chronic disease in the Mahoning Valley.

The organization will utilize the funding to implement the Guin Fit program, or a family healthy weight program, with research led by YSU’s associate professor of Public Health and principal investigator, Nicolette Powe.

Heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and stroke are among the most common causes of illness, disability, and death in the United States. They are also leading drivers of the nation’s $4.1 trillion in annual health care costs. These chronic conditions—and the factors that lead to them—are more common or severe for some racial and ethnic groups. YSU will work with Mahoning County Public Health and Healthy Community Partnership Coalition to enhance existing resources; address health needs in Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana Counties; and reduce health disparities.

“CDC is excited to announce this new REACH funding to 41 communities across 27 states and the District of Columbia,” said Terry O’Toole, PhD, MDiv, program development and evaluation branch chief in CDC’s Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity. “With this funding, organizations will plan and carry out local, culturally-appropriate programs to address a wide range of health issues among racial and ethnic minority groups where health gaps remain. REACH intends to improve health where people live, learn, work, and play.”

As one of 41 REACH recipients, the YSU Consortium of Community Health will implement proven public health strategies for family healthy weight programs—improving access to effective, family-centered, culturally relevant health behavior and lifestyle treatment programs.

A complete list of CDC’s REACH recipients and additional information can be found on the REACH website.