Health and well-being are shaped from a very early age. Factors such as stress, tobacco use, sleep, nutrition, and physical activity play a role in determining how children grow and develop, their health as adults, and even the health of future generations. We developed our RAISE Families for Health Program to meet the pressing challenge of interrupting the intergenerational cycle of poor health and disease within the most vulnerable populations.

The five behavioral factors of stress, tobacco use, sleep, nutrition, and physical activity impact the health of not only individuals, but families across generations. Poor health and chronic disease tend to run in families for several reasons, including factors such as genetic predispositions, engaging in similar behaviors that increase risk for developing chronic disease, and environmental factors such as availability of nutritious food and stress, which can change how genes are expressed.

Priority populations are especially likely to struggle with attaining healthy lifestyles. People living in poverty, those experiencing racial discrimination, and those struggling with behavioral health conditions are especially vulnerable when it comes to experiencing the burdens of tobacco use, managing stress, and maintaining healthy sleep, nutrition, and physical activity. These challenges place priority populations at greater risk for developing chronic diseases and other health problems.

Program Overview

The RAISE Families for Health Program was developed by the Behavioral Health & Wellness Program at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, School of Medicine. It is intended to provide administrators, healthcare providers, and peer specialists the necessary knowledge and skills to help parents and caregivers envision a healthy lifestyle for their families and achieve their personal wellness goals. This innovative program provides training on strategies for coping with stress, maintaining tobacco-free families, healthy sleep, healthy eating, and physical activity as well as ways to promote positive behavior change through motivational engagement and behavior change strategies.

In addition to the RAISE Families for Health Training Manual, program participants also receive the RAISE Families for Health Group Facilitator Manual, which includes a manualized, 8-week curriculum designed for parents and caregivers, along with the handouts and resources for providers to flexibly administer sessions in either English or Spanish, in-person or virtually, and in a group setting or individually. The role of the group is to build awareness about the importance of healthy lifestyles, create goals for behavior change, and to create a positive social network.