Priorities
Make starting and continuing breastfeeding easier
Breastfeeding is the best first source of nutrition for most babies and can reduce the risk of certain health problems for both babies and mothers. Although more than 80% of mothers start breastfeeding, about 60% stop breastfeeding before they plan.
Low breastfeeding rates in the United States are responsible for an annual increase in medical costs for women and children of more than $3 billion.
DNPAO promotes breastfeeding and feeding practices for infants and young children by:
- Empowering mothers who want to breastfeed get the support they need in the hospital and back home. DNPAO helps hospitals improve maternity care practices that support breastfeeding.
- Measuring progress in hospital breastfeeding support through the national Maternity Practices in Infant Nutrition and Care (mPINC) survey.
- Improving continuity of care in communities with low breastfeeding rates. DNPAO promotes consistent, collaborative and seamless delivery of high-quality services from the prenatal period until families wean themselves from breastfeeding.
- Sharing resources to educate parents and caregivers about bottle feeding infants and introducing healthy foods and beverages to support good nutrition.
Promote a healthy youth
Good nutrition and physical activity are essential for healthy growth and development. In contrast, poor nutrition and low physical activity contribute to childhood obesity. Many environments influence a child's diet and physical activity, including their home, daycare centers, schools, communities, and clinics.
DNPAO investments help improve children's nutrition and physical activity by:
- Promoting best practices in nutrition, breastfeeding, screen time, and physical activity in early care and education (ECE) settings by assisting states in improving their policies and programs to meet standards for obesity prevention in early care settings.
- Helping communities create safe places for children to walk and play.
- Collaborate with health care and community partners to increase the availability and access to healthy weight programs for families.
Make healthy food choices easier everywhere
People with healthy eating patterns live longer and have healthier lives. However, many groups have limited access to affordable, healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables. These groups include people living in rural areas, tribal communities, and neighborhoods where most residents have lower incomes. People with disabilities may also be affected. In addition, people in some racial and ethnic groups may not have access to culturally preferred healthy foods.
DNPAO's expertise and funding help states, communities and national partners increase healthy food and beverage choices by:
Make physical activity safe and accessible for everyone
Physical activity can help protect health and prevent or improve many health conditions, including many of the leading causes of death in the United States. Other potential benefits include better school performance, improved mental health, healthier aging, and improved military readiness. Insufficient physical activity costs the nation $117 billion a year in related health care costs.
Unfortunately, many Americans live in communities that lack safe, convenient places to be physically active. In response, DNPAO launched Active People, Healthy Nation SM to help 27 million Americans become more physically active by 2027. With this initiative:
- Partners with state and local governments to promote equitable improvements in community design, making physical activity and active transportation safer and more convenient for all.
- Educate the public about the health benefits of physical activity and track how much physical activity youth and adults get.
Invest in states and communities
The State Physical Activity and Nutrition Program (SPAN) funds 17 states to implement interventions that support good nutrition, safe and accessible physical activity, healthy ECE environments, and breastfeeding. SPAN recipients work to reduce or eliminate health disparities related to poor nutrition, physical inactivity, and obesity.
The High Obesity Program (HOP) funds 16 universities to collaborate with community outreach services to improve access to nutritious foods, safe and accessible physical activity, healthy family weight programs, and healthy child care environments in regions where more than 40% of the adult population is obese.
Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) is at the forefront of CDC's efforts to achieve health for all in the United States, with a special focus on populations facing health disparities. REACH funds 50 state and local organizations to reduce health disparities among racial and ethnic groups. Recipients work in communities with high risk or rates of chronic diseases, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and obesity. Recipients use culturally tailored interventions to increase access to:
- Nutritious foods
- Safe and accessible physical activity
- Information, knowledge and support about breastfeeding
- Healthy ECE environments
- Family programs for healthy weight
- Tobacco-free environments
- Routine vaccinations for adults
