Chronic Disease Prevention Program

Working Together to Improve Health

The Chronic Disease Prevention Program provides a coordinated approach to identifying health risk behaviors, environments, and systems associated with diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and obesity. The Program’s work impacts all ages and multiple sectors including early care and education, schools, worksites, health care, and the community. State and local partnerships align and coordinate strategy implementation to achieve measurable health impacts.

Four Domains of Chronic Disease Prevention

Chronic diseases—such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, and arthritis—are the leading causes of death and disability in the United States. To reduce the disease burden, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends four mutually reinforcing domains. The four domains help to focus on strategies that collectively address risk factors, behaviors, and multiple conditions, reach as many people as possible, and link community and health care efforts.

• Epidemiology and Surveillance: to monitor trends, track progress, and provide information for action.
• Environmental Approaches: to help communities support healthy choices and behaviors.
• Health Care System Interventions: to improve care for prevention, early diagnosis, and management of chronic diseases.
• Community Programs Linked to Clinical Services: to increase access to resources people need to prevent and manage their chronic conditions.

Benefit of Evidence-Based Approach

Identifying and using proven, effective programs and interventions helps accelerate the achievement of improved health outcomes. The evidence-based process involves identifying unmet needs, setting objectives, selecting effective interventions, and implementing and evaluating programs and policies. It is also important to share lessons learned and results with others at the local, state, and national level to contribute to the available evidence to expand and sustain chronic disease prevention and control efforts.

Chronic Disease Prevention Focus Areas

You can find more detail on the four focus areas by clicking on the icons or navigating through the left margin on any of the chronic disease prevention web pages.