The Kentucky Department for Public Health Physical Activity and Nutrition Program focuses on preventing obesity by supporting policy and environmental strategies to make healthy eating and active living accessible and affordable for everyone in Kentucky.
Kentucky is one of seventeen states funded to implement the CDC's State Physical Activity and Nutrition (SPAN) program.
KY-SPAN partners with local and regional organizations to carry out evidence-based strategies that reduce barriers to healthy food access, expand opportunities for physical activity and support healthier community environments statewide. The program provides technical assistance and resources to communities, and helps connect partners to strengthen collaboration and improve the efficient use of resources.
Active Living
Kentucky has over 100 city, county, and regional pedestrian plans. KY-SPAN works with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet and other partners to advance policies and infrastructure improvements that make walking and biking safer, easier, and more accessible across the Commonwealth.
Master pedestrian plans provide a roadmap for communities to expand sidewalks, improve crossings, enhance trail networks, and connect neighborhoods to schools, parks, workplaces, and essential services. These improvements make it easier for Kentuckians to incorporate physical activty into daily routines, whether walking to school, commuting to work, or enjoying time outdoors.
Communities with safe and accessible walking infrastructure experience improved health outcomes, increased social connection, and stronger local economies. Expanding access to physical activity opportunities is essential to building a healthier Kentucky.
Complete Streets, Roads, and Highways Manual
Kentucky's Complete Streets Policy
Active Living Partner Agencies
Kentucky Transportation Cabinet
Bike Walk Kentucky
Nutrition
Healthy eating patterns help people live longer, strengthen their immune systems, and have fewer chronic diseases.
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Food is Medicine
Food is Medicine refers to a spectrum of food-based interventions integrated into healthcare to prevent, manage, or treat chronic diseases. KY-SPAN administers Food is Medicine through the following programs:
- Allen County Health Department and Need More Acres Farm
- Barren River District Health Department and Need More Acres Farm
Food Service Guidelines
KY-SPAN can help support the development, adoption, and application of policies that apply federal food service guidelines in statewide food service or food distribution operations and procurement mechanisms.
Food Service Guidelines for Federal Facilities
Choice Guide Final_SLCM.pdf
Kentucky's State Health Improvement Plan - Nutrition Committee
Nutrition Partner Agencies
Food is Medicine in Kentucky
Continuity of Care in Breastfeeding
It is recommended that infants be exclusively breastfed for approximately the first six months of life. However, many factors influence a parent's ability to initiate and sustain breastfeeding.
The Kentucky State Physical Activity and Nutrition Program (KY-SPAN) works to strengthen statewide capacity to provide breastfeeding support programs and services, improve maternity care practices that support breastfeeding, and assist public and private organizations in developing and implementing breastfeeding-friendly policies. These efforts help create environments that support families and ultimately improve breastfeeding rates across the Commonwealth.
Breastfeeding Partner Agencies
Kentuckiana Lactation Improvement Coalition
Early Care and Education
High-quality early care and education (ECE) programs for children up to age five positively influence a child's social, emotional, educational, physical, and economic outcomes later in life.
KY-SPAN supports children's healthy growth and development by addressing state systems, ECE programs, and ECE providers.
Go NAPSACC
Go NAPSACC makes it simple to give the children in your community a healthy start by building healthy eating and physical activity habits through easy-to-use online tools.
Go NAPSACC helps ECE programs improve their practices, policies, and environments through best practices in:
- Child Nutrition
- Breastfeeding and Infant Feeding
- Farm to ECE
- Oral Health
- Infant and Child Physical Activity
- Outdoor Play and Learning
- Screen Time
Go NAPSACC Online Tools
ECE Partner Agencies
Appalachian Early Childhood Network
Child Care Aware of Kentucky
Family Child Care Network of Kentucky
Kentucky Division of Child Care
University of Kentucky Extension