Low levels of physical activity, unhealthy nutrition, and poor mental health are all determinants of several chronic diseases. These behaviors are now considered major public health concerns and require effective behavior change interventions. Fit Blue is a community-based campaign to increase physical activity and health awareness in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Building physical activity into the day does not require special equipment or a certain location. As participants take part in Fit Blue, they have tools to transition to a more active lifestyle focusing on eating healthier, moving more, and practicing mindfulness.

A smartphone-based application (FitBlueKY) is a four-week walking challenge focused on increasing participant’s participation in regular physical activity, choosing a nutritious diet, and improving health outcomes for Kentucky citizens. As an innovative strategy to improve and increase movement with Daviess County residents, the Family and Consumer Sciences Agent partnered with Daviess County Health Coalition, Health Park, Owensboro Regional Farmers Market, Daviess County Diabetes Coalition and the City of Owensboro to implement a Fit Blue Challenge (OBKY Summer Step Challenge). 

Through this program, participants focus on improving health behaviors by making lifestyle choices to increase physical activity and eat nutritious meals. Twenty-three adults signed up in the app and seventeen adults participated and completed the program. As a result of this program, eighty percent became aware of the befits of regular physical activity, eighty percent reported having gained the knowledge and skills to be physically activity, as a result eighty percent reported an increase in physical activity levels. As a result, they recorded 4,747,708 steps, which is equivalent to about 2,374 miles!

Concerning overall health status, seventy percent of participant noticed an improvement in one or more health indicator (cholesterol, blood pressure, body mass index, blood glucose). In addition to individual behavior change sixty percent reported being more aware of places in their community to access nutritious foods. 

At the completion of the program, participants shared their favorite thing about participating in the FitBlue program: 

• They loved the challenge
• Accountability
• Recording steps
• App was easy to use
• Competition
• The recipes and information on how to get healthy food
• Knowing I am achieving a goal
• The community environment