YSU receives funding to improve health and prevent chronic disease

Youngstown State University (YSU) has received more than $719,000 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to improve health, prevent chronic disease and reduce health disparities among Youngstown City School district students.

The funding is the first part of a five year program known as Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) and was given to YSU's Consortium of Community Health.

The funding will go toward implement the Guin Fit program, a family healthy weight program, to research heart disease, cancer, diabetes and stokes.

The goal is to implement proven public health strategies for family healthy weight programs to improve access to effective, family centered and culturally relevant health behavior and lifestyle treatment programs.

YSU says it will work with Mahoning County Public Health and Healthy Community Partnership Coalition to improve and expand existing resources and address health needs in Mahoning, Columbiana and Trumbull counties.

According to a news release from YSU, heart disease, cancer, diabetes and strokes 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. 

The CDC says REACH is funding 41 communities in 27 states to carry out out local, culturally-appropriate programs to address a wide range of health issues among racial and ethnic minority groups where health gaps remain.