Health Promotion
At the Santa Rosa County Health Department, we collaborate with a variety of agencies and organizations to offer physical activity and nutrition promotion to children in the community. Following are several examples of recent program partnerships benefiting school age children.
YMCA Partnership
The Santa Rosa County Health Department (SRCHD) has welcomed a new
partnership with the Pullum YMCA located in Navarre, FL. This new partnership is
providing children in Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) and after school programs
with
weekly education sessions on activity and nutrition. The students have been enjoying
a number of activities such as learning to identify fruits and vegetables, creating
healthy eating bookmarks, playing fruit and vegetable relay games, creating and
keeping food and activity journals and learning about how healthy eating can help
children grow better. The YMCA after-school and VPK programs reach over 70
children each week. The Santa Rosa County Health Department has provided a
registered dietitian to teach the nutrition and activity classes.
Diabetes Education
The SRCHD has been providing diabetes counseling by a
registered dietitian since September 2009 primarily out of the Midway location.
The counseling is offered to individuals who have diabetes and loved ones are
welcome to attend. Diabetics who attend are provided with a Diabetes Exchange
guidebook and appropriate nutrition counseling including calorie recommendations
and portion control ideas. Blood sugar control is essential in preventing the
long-term complications of diabetes, and learning how to eat healthy while
controlling blood sugar is the primary focus of the counseling. Follow-up is
provided to patients at their request. A referral from a medical provider is
required prior to scheduling the counseling sessions.
Walking School Bus
The Holley-Navarre Intermediate School kicked off its
brand new walking school bus on October 6, 2010, International Walk to School
Day. The students participate in a weekly supervised walk home. The purpose of
the Walking School Bus is to create environments that are safe for children to
walk instead of riding the bus home from school. The participants learn about
pedestrian safety while enjoying a quick walk home with friends. The experience
has been positive for the students and a great opportunity for added exercise.
For more information please visit
The Walking School Bus website.
Pediatric Weight Counseling
The SRCHD has also formed a partnership with Dr. Luis Ghiglino's Santa Rosa Pediatrics and the Santa Rosa County Extension Office's Family Consumer Science/Food and Nutrition Program to offer individual and group counseling efforts for parents of overweight children. The partnership was formed in an effort to offer a comprehensive service to the participants including medical evaluation, nutrition education and group support. Children who are overweight suffer the same medical consequences as adults including many weight-related health problems including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, fatty liver, and heart disease.
Health
Fairs
The SRCHD participates in a number of health fairs each year to provide information on public health services provided by the department. To request SRCHD participation in an upcoming health fair or event, or for more information about these and other physical activity and nutrition promotion efforts in Santa Rosa County, please call 983-5200.
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