Approximately 60 percent of a person’s life expectancy is driven by factors outside of the doctor’s office – our individual behaviors, as well as social and environmental factors[1]. As part of its continued effort to address social determinants of health, the Aetna Foundation announced today more than $2 million in grants to 25 nonprofit organizations across the U.S., as part of its Cultivating Healthy Communities initiative.
Grants from the Cultivating Healthy Communities initiative support organizations working to address social determinants of health, like access to healthy food and safe places to play. These grants are being made at a time when more than 42 million individuals in the United States live with food insecurity[2] and one out of three adults is obese, putting them at risk for heart disease, stroke and type two diabetes[3].
“Building a healthier world starts at the grassroots level, in communities committed to making a difference,” said Mark Bertolini, the chairman of the Aetna Foundation and the chairman and CEO of Aetna. “This year’s Cultivating Healthy Communities grantees are designing local solutions to local problems, and striving to improve the health of their communities.”
Bertolini will discuss the Cultivating Healthy Communities initiative as part of his keynote session on November 2 at the U.S. News and World Report Healthcare of Tomorrow forum in Washington, D.C. His conversation with Brian Kelly, U.S. News editor and chief content officer, will begin at approximately 1:45 p.m. Eastern. More information on the conference is available at www.usnewshot.com.
A key focus of the Cultivating Healthy Communities grants will be expanding access to spaces that promote active living and healthy eating. Nearly $1 million will support projects that will enhance the physical spaces people use in their everyday lives, such as routes for walking and biking, and the retail spaces or gardens that bring fresh foods to communities without easy access to grocery stores. The lack of sidewalks, bike paths and recreational areas in some communities discourages physical activity and contributes to obesity[4]. Not only are people in low-income and minority neighborhoods more likely to live in food deserts, they also have fewer recreational facilities than wealthier and predominantly white communities, a factor that may contribute to ethnic and socioeconomic disparities in obesity rates[5].
In addition, minority groups are more at-risk for exposure to unhealthy air conditions. African-Americans, Latinos and Asians are the most likely to live in communities that are heavily affected by pollution and environmental hazards such as high concentrations of pesticides[6]. A total investment of $300,000 will support projects that are focused on reversing air quality disparities and decreasing exposure to dangerous chemicals.
Since 2016, the Aetna Foundation has awarded more than $4 million in grants through Cultivating Healthy Communities, which is a key part of the Foundation’s overall multimillion-dollar commitment to building a healthier world, community by community.
This year, grants have been awarded to the following programs:
Organization
Project Description
State Served
City of Phoenix Housing Department
Affordable bike-sharing for low-income residents who live and work in the Edison-Eastlake Community in Phoenix
Arizona
Friends of Public Radio of Arizona
Digital media bullying and cyberbullying prevention campaign
Arizona
Rich City Rides
Free bikes, educational workshops and ride celebrations to Oakland-area residents
California
Institute for Community Research
Leadership development for urban teens engaged in creating new options for accessing fresh foods in their communities
Connecticut
Jack & Jill Children’s Center
Stress management, healthy eating and financially sound decision-making in a predominantly African-American neighborhood in Fort Lauderdale
Florida
Alachua County Board of County Commissioners – Department of Court Services
Healthy lifestyle and gardening workshops for incarcerated individuals participating in a work release program
Florida
University of Florida/IFAS Extension Clay County 4-H
Hands on urban-agricultural experience for Clay County youth
Florida
Miami Children’s Museum
Ten classes modeling nutrition and wellness strategies for 100 low-income families that have children in Head Start or Early Head Start
Florida
East Central Florida Regional Planning Council
Urban agriculture and bike repair activities to teach healthy life and vocational skills to Holden Heights residents in Orlando
Florida
Farmworker Association of Florida
Educational program focusing on chemical-free farming via community gardens in Florida, New Jersey, and Washington state
Florida
Concordia Place
Nutrition and youth employment program for low-income Chicago teenagers
Illinois
Boston Public Health Commission
Technical assistance and training for Boston’s hair and nail salons, auto shops to prevent pollution and chemical exposures
Massachusetts
BikeWalkKC
Leadership training to improve community health, for a large focus on increasing walking and biking
Missouri
Hopeworks ‘N Camden Inc
Youth-driven program highlighting and encouraging use of community resources for Camden residents through a custom app designed by youth
New Jersey
First Nations Development Institute
Connecting tribal food retailers with suppliers from Native-owned local farms to increasing Native families’ access to fresh foods
New Mexico
The Doe Fund
Access to healthy foods in disadvantaged communities and food deserts in Brooklyn
New York
Bountiful Cities
Three organizations joining to improve food security through educational programs in Asheville and Buncombe County
North Carolina
Centralina Council of Governments
Improvement of Charlotte’s dangerous road conditions through on-the-ground demonstrations of cost-effective traffic calming measures
North Carolina
Guilford Child Development
Two generation integrated service system teaching families about self-sufficiency
North Carolina
Clean Air Council
Resident-led program to improve air quality in Philadelphia’s Kensington neighborhood
Pennsylvania
John Bartram Association
Utilization of 45-acre river garden in Southwest Philadelphia to encourage active lifestyles and promote healthy eating
Pennsylvania
The SAFE Alliance
(SAFE | Stop Abuse For Everyone)
Safe and healthy relationships workshops for youth
Texas
It’s Time Texas
Revamping of low-use public spaces into locales for fitness classes and walking groups for people of all ages in high-need neighborhoods
Texas
University of Houston Foundation
Program to engage high-risk African-American and Latino youth in mindful eating and exercise
Texas
Migrant Clinicians Network
Program to teach migrant farmworker families about how to decrease their and their children’s exposure to harmful pesticides
Virginia
About The Aetna Foundation
The Aetna Foundation is the independent charitable and philanthropic arm of Aetna (NYSE:AET). As a national health foundation, we promote wellness, health, and access to high-quality health care for everyone. This work is enhanced by the time and commitment of Aetna employees, who volunteered 430,000 hours in 2016 alone. For more information, visit www.aetna-foundation.org.
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[1] Kaiser Family Foundation: “Beyond Health Care: The Role of Social Determinants in Promoting Health and Health Equity.” https://www.kff.org/disparities-policy/issue-brief/beyond-health-care-the-role-of-social-determinants-in-promoting-health-and-health-equity/
[2] Feeding America: “Poverty and hunger in America”. http://www.feedingamerica.org/hunger-in-america/hunger-and-poverty-facts.html?referrer=https://www.google.com/
[3] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: “Adult Obesity Facts”. https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html
[4] National Institutes of Health: “Obesity, physical activity, and the urban environment: public health research needs”. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1586006/
[5] Harvard School of Public Health: “Environmental Barriers to Activity”. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/obesity-prevention-source/obesity-causes/physical-activity-environment/
[6] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: “CDC Health Disparities and Inequalities Report – United States, 2013”. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/pdf/other/su6203.pdf
