Extension
It Starts With Us
Making Healthy Lifestyle Choices
Family and Consumer Sciences
Jordan Crain
Promoting Healthy Homes and Communities (general)
Food Preservation
Making Healthy Lifestyle Choices (general)
The obesity epidemic threatens the quality and years of life of Kentuckians. Obese individuals are at increased risk for many chronic health conditions, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some types of cancers. The obesity rate in Kentucky increased 90 percent over the last 15 years. Thirty percent of individuals in the Commonwealth report no leisure-time physical activity. Increased consumption of unhealthy food, stress, and built environments that promote physical inactivity are largely responsible for the obesity epidemic. As a result, Kentuckians are dying from heart disease and cancer at higher rates than all Americans and they have a lower life expectancy, 75.5 years, compared to 78 years for Americans. Minorities and individuals residing in Appalachia bear a heavier brunt of the obesity and chronic disease burden. The goal of the Making Healthy Lifestyle Choices Initiative is to reverse these trends by working with various organizations, agencies, and groups to promote the health and wellness in all Kentuckians.
•Green County will see a decrease in the number of obese and overweight children, youth, adults and elderly.
•Green County will increase in the practice and promotion of physical activity and healthy eating daily.
•Green County will see an improvement in the built environment to promote physical activity and healthy eating.
•Green County will see an improvement in the mental health and well-being of Kentuckians.
•Green County will manage and prevent the risk, debilitation, and premature death related to diabetes, cancer, heart disease, stroke and hypertension.
•Green County will increase the estimated health savings in dollars for chronic disease.
•Green County will increase policies that address obesity, physical inactivity and promotion of poor nutrition.
•Green County Citizens will practice healthy food choices and strengthen individuals’ ability to build healthy eating plans and patterns.
•Green County Citizens will maintain appropriate calorie balance during each stage of life: childhood, adolescence, adulthood, pregnancy and breastfeeding and older age.
•Green County Citizens will practice of physical activity in families and communities and decreased time spent on sedentary behaviors.
•Community members will advocate for policy.
•Green County Citizens will practice changes related to obesity, physical activity and healthy eating.
•Green County will strengthen community coalitions or partnerships to address obesity, physical inactivity and chronic disease.
•Green County Citizens will practice healthy lifestyle decision-making that strengthen individuals’ ability to cope with normal life stressors.
Change in awareness, knowledge, opinions, skills, and attitudes needed to make informed choices regarding:
•Healthy lifestyle choices
•Childhood and youth obesity
•Adult weight management
•Healthy aging
•Practice and promotion of daily physical activity
•Policies that reduce the level of obesity
•Reduction of chronic disease
Initial Outcome: Adult Weight Management
Indicator: Of the total number of families.caregivers reached with information on accessing healthy foods the number of families/caregivers reached that gained knowledge about eating more healthy foods.
Method: Featured Program Questions, Questionnaire on healthy eating habits, Pre and Post evaluation exercises.
Timeline: July-June
Intermediate Outcome: Green County will strengthen community coalitions and/or partnerships to address obesity, physical inactivity and chronic disease.
Indicator: Number on ongoing coalitions with which Extension is involved.
Method: Number of physical activity opportunities, number of people in attendance.
Timeline: July-June
Long-term Outcome: Green County will increase in the practice and promotion of physical activity and healthy eating daily.
Indicator: Of the total number of families/caregivers reached that gained knowledge about eating more healthy foods.
Method: Featured program questions, questionnaire on healthy eating habits; Pre and Post Evaluation exercises.
Timeline: July-June
Audience: General Public most appropriate for those over 18
Project or Activity: Promoting Healthy Homes and Communtities
Content or Curriculum: University of Kentucky Publications
Inputs: FCS Agent, volunteers, Green County Health and Wellness CoalitionDate: June 2019-February 2020
Audience: Preschool aged children
Project or Activity: Literacy, Eating, Activity for Primary (LEAP)
Content or Curriculum: LEAP
Inputs: FCS Agent, preschool and daycares
Date: September, 2019-April,2020
Audience: General Public
Project or Activity: Food Preservation Workshop
Content or Curriculum: Food Preservation Publications
Inputs: FCS Agent and Specialists
Date: July 2019
Audience: General Public
Project or Activity: Making Healthy Lifestyle Choices
Content or Curriculum: University Of Kentucky Publications on Making Healthy Choices
Inputs: FCS Agents, ADANTA, Senior Center
Date: April 2019-March 2020
Audience: Single Parents
Project or Activity: Monthly quick food preparation techniques for healthy meals
Content or Curriculum: University of Kentucky Publications
Inputs: FCS/4-H Agents, local agencies
Dates: August 2019-March 2020
Author: Jordan Crain
Major Program: Promoting Healthy Homes and Communities (general)
Green County Extension Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences offered a newsletter-based walking program designed for individuals who have not previously been physically active or who have not been physically active in a long time. There were 11 participants. 100 percent of participants increased the amount of walking that they did on a weekly basis. 100 percent of participants examined ways to set goals for walking. A follow-up evaluation revealed that 100 percent of participants are still enga
Author: Jordan Crain
Major Program: Promoting Healthy Homes and Communities (general)
In response to COVID-19, Extension To Go bags were started to assure that community members could still be active and engaged in Extension Programming from the comfort of their home. The Extension To Go bags have been offered to any Green County resident wishing to participate. Topics of Extension To Go bags included: Life Story, Managing Stress, Physical Activity, Recipe Kits, Meal Planning, Green Cleaning, Grill Safety, Nature Walks and Sun Safety to name a few. Extension To Go bags were well
Author: Jordan Crain
Major Program: LEAP
When the early release of schools prevented LEAP from continuing in person, a virtual approach allowed preschool aged children to still receive LEAP lessons and in turn helped others in their families to receive the information too. The Green County Extension Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences and a Green County Primary School preschool teacher collaborated to offer an online LEAP session for families to participate in. For the online LEAP session, families were given the featured activity a
Author: Jordan Crain
Major Program: Food Preservation
In order to provide timely and accurate information to those wishing to preserve food from home this season, the Green County Public Library and the Green County Extension Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences teamed up to offer a virtual Salsa Canning Workshop. As a result of the virtual workshop, a total of twenty-six adult participants were able to watch and learn how to safely prepare and preserve salsa. Additionally, participants were given the opportunity to ask questions about anything r
