The Heart of the Nation, The Health of Kansas: Evaluating and Advance Chronic Disease Prevention Through the CDRR Program
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Abstract
Chronic diseases, including cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and related conditions, represent a significant and growing public health challenge in both Kansas and the United States. The U.S. premature death rate is nearly twice that of other wealthy nations of similar size, with about one-third of this difference attributable to chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory illness, and kidney disease (Telesford et al., 2025).
These conditions also drive health care costs. Nearly 90% of U.S. health care expenditures are linked to chronic disease (Holman, 2020; Joint Economic Committee, 2022). Importantly, many of these diseases are preventable: an estimated 80% of premature deaths from chronic conditions could be prevented through regular physical activity, a healthy diet, and avoiding tobacco use (Katz et al., 2018).
In Kansas, the Chronic Disease Risk Reduction (CDRR) Community Grant Program works to address these issues, in part, by providing funding, training, and technical assistance to local communities. Housed within the Bureau of Health Promotion at the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), CDRR funds local partnerships across the state to implement system, policy, and environmental approaches tailored to community needs.
This report presents findings from a 2025 assessment of the CDRR program, coordinated by the University of Kansas Center for Public Partnerships and Research (KU-CPPR) on behalf of KDHE.
Description
Date
2025
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Center for Public Partnerships & Research, University of Kansas
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Keywords
Chronic disease, Tobacco control, Physical activity, Active living, Nutrition, Healthy eating
Citation
University of Kansas Center for Public Partnerships and Research. (2025). The Heart of the Nation, The Health of Kansas: Evaluating and Advance Chronic Disease Prevention Through the CDRR Program.