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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Recorded presentation

Alice A. Jaglowski, MSH, CHES, Bureau of Chronic Disease Prevention/Obesity Prevention Program, Florida Department of Health, 4052 Bald Cypress Way, Tallahassee, FL 32399, (850) 245-4330, alice_jaglowski@doh.state.fl.us

Background: In January 2004, the Florida Department of Health (FDOH) unveiled “Step Up, Florida!” a statewide month long event promoting physical activity and healthy lifestyles. During 2005, all 67 counties came together to promote physical and activity while highlighting local opportunities to be physically active and mobilizing partners on a state and local level during the month of February.

Methods: The FDOH serves as lead for this campaign, utilizing coordinators within all 67 county health departments (CHD). Coordinators take the lead in mobilizing community partners to showcase the physical activity opportunities unique to their counties and implementing policy and environmental strategies to sustain physical activity efforts throughout the year. Daily press releases to generate media attention, weekly conference calls for planning efforts and comprehensive internal and external websites provide a communication mechanism for coordinators, media and the public.

Results: 2005 process evaluation data was collected from participants (n=400), coordinators (n=67) and county health department directors (n=40) to guide future planning efforts. 2005 outcome data included number of participants (111,639), community partners (1,328), and school partners (357), walking events (125), biking events (47) and other physical activity events (153).

Discussion: To make Step Up, Florida! successful, CHDs partnered with organizations that they had not traditionally partnered with to implement this initiative and sustain the efforts. The media attention garnered by this event has put obesity and physical activity into the forefront in Florida.

Learning Objectives:

• Discuss policy and environmental strategies that could be employed to sustain a statewide physical activity initiative.
• Describe the process for developing a state-wide physical activity relay event to unify every county in a state and highlight their local physical activity opportunities
• List at least five state agencies to partner with when developing a state-wide physical activity initiative.

Keywords: Physical Activity, Obesity

Related Web page: www.doh.state.fl.us/Family/chronicdisease/walk_index.html

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No

Recorded presentation