Extension
It Starts With Us
Making & adopting healthly lifestyle choices
Healthy Families, Healthy Communities
Danielle Barrett, Renata Farmer, Wayne Kirby
Faithful Families
Accessing Nutritious Foods (general)
Local Food Systems
4-H Leadership Core Curriculum
The obesity epidemic threatens the quality and years of life of Kentuckians. Obese individuals are at an increased risk for many chronic health conditions. The obesity rate in Kentucky increased 90 percent over the last 15 years. Minorities and individuals residing in Appalachia bear a heavier brunt of the obesity and chronic disease burden. This epidemic also touches our youth in the state. The Centers for Disease Control found in a nationally representative survey that only 29% of high school youth participated in at least 60 minutes of physical activity on each of the seven days before the survey. Participation in physical activity decreases as we age and habits tend to carry over into adulthood. According to CDC’s County Diabetes Atlas 2012, Knox County data showed that 36.7% of adults 18 years and older were obese and 34.1% of the same sample population reports no leisure time exercise in the past month.
Another health concern is the use of drugs amount adults and youth. According to the CDC, 73% of high school students and 56% of middle school students have reporting using some form of tobacco product. Many reports consider tobacco the gateway drug to other drugs. The drug epidemic not only affects a family's physical health but also their stability.
The Knox County Extension recognized these health concerns as areas to work on for the upcoming year. They are committed in working together to help eliminate or slow these epidemics.
*A decrease in the number of obese and overweight children, youth, adults, and elderly.
*Increase in the practice and promotion of physical activity and healthy eating daily.
*Improvement in the built environment to promote physical activity and healthy eating.
*Manage and prevent the risk, debilitation, and premature death related to diabetes, cancer, heart disease, stroke and hypertension.
*Increase the estimated health savings in dollars for chronic disease.
*Youth maintain positive health habits including being physically active and refraining from drugs.
*Youth are at a lower risk for serious disease and illness
*Youth are at a lower risk for physical and emotional distress
*Youth are competent, capable, contributing adults as a result of their participation in 4-H Health programs
*Practice healthy food choices and strengthen individuals' ability to build healthy eating plans and patterns.
*Maintain appropriate calorie balance during each stage of life: childhood, adolescence, adulthood, pregnancy and breastfeeding and older age.
*Practice of physical activity in families and communities and decreased time spent on sedentary behaviors.
*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
-polices that reduce the level of obesity
-reduction of chronic disease
-dangers of drug
Initial Outcome: Families will acquire and use new information on nutrition, physical activity, health screenings and prevention of at-risk behaviors.
Indicator: Individuals will attend Extension programs and put into practice appropriate behaviors.
Method: Information will be gathered through surveys, observation, pre-post tests and individual testimonials.
Timeline: Program and evaluation will be conducted throughout the year 2019
Intermediate Outcome: An increase in the number of Knox County residents that practice healthy food choices and strengthen individuals' ability to build healthy eating plans and patterns.
Indicator: Increase in the amount of people making beneficial life choices including better food choices, recycling, and physical activity.
Method: Information will be gathered through surveys/pre-post tests and individual testimonials.
Timeline: Program and evaluation will be conducted throughout the year 2019-2020
Long-Term Outcome: Improve the amount of people who create natural environment to increase active and healthy lifestyles resulting in lower chronic illnesses in Knox County.
Indicator: Individuals will learn to improve their lives by choosing positive lifestyle choices.
Method: U.S. Census Bureau and other federal statistics for Knox County
Timeline: 2020-2021
Audience:General Public
Project or Activity: 4-H clubs, Homemakers clubs, Farmers Market
Content or Curriculum: 4-H publications, FCS publications, ANR publications
Inputs: Extension Agents, Local resources
Date: Throughout the year
Audience: General Public
Activity: Plate it Up
Content/Curriculum: FCS Curriculum
Inputs: FCS Agent, NEP Assistant, local resources
Date: Throughout the year
Audience: Youths
Activity: Youth Nutrition Lessons (Preschool – 6th grade)
Content/Curriculum: 4-H/FCS/NEP/LEAP/Health Rocks curriculum/publications
Input: Extension Agents, Local Resources
Date: Throughout year
Audience: General Public
Activity: Food Preservation Bootcamp
Content: FCS curriculum on Food Safety, Canning, Drying and Freezing Techniques, NEP Assistant, FCS Agent, AG Agent, NEP Assistants
Date: Throughout the year
Activity: Adult Lessons on Nutrition (meal planning, understanding food labels, food guide pyramid, farmer's market and gardening).
Content or Curriculum: FCS, AG and 4-H agent, NEP Assistant. NEP, 4H and FCS curriculum.
Date: Throughout year
Activity: Area-Wide Cooking School
Content or Curriculum: Area FCS Agents (FCS curriculum, HEEL) /Specialists
Date: November 2019
Activity: Super Star Chef & Other 4-H Nutrition programs (like Taste of Week Spin Club & Food and Culture After-school)
Content: 4-H Curriculum, FCS Curriculum
Date: Summer 2019, Some throughout year
Activity: Truth and Consequences
Content: FCS Curriculum
Date: Spring 2019
Activity: CPC Diabetes Prevention Program Pilot
Content: NDPP
Date: 2019-2020
Author: Danielle Barrett
Major Program: Accessing Nutritious Foods (general)
Fresh local produce was not easily accessible for many Knox County residents before the implementation of the Knox County Farmers’ Market in 2014. However, with the opening of the Farmers’ Market, fresh, local produce is now more readily available for the residents of Knox County. The Knox County Cooperative Extension Service Family and Consumer Sciences Program worked with the Knox County Farmers’ Market to set up a booth at the farmers’ market to offer Plate It Up! Kent
Author: Renata Farmer
Major Program: 4-H Family and Consumer Science Core Curriculum
With the growing number of families eating on the run instead of cooking at home, many young adults don’t receive needed basic cooking skills. In addition, approximately 4 out of 5 children do not consume the recommended fruits and vegetables each day. In an effort to encourage more youth to get into the kitchen and to improve their diets Knox County 4-H Agent and FCS Agent teamed up with University of Kentucky Student Interns to offer a three-day cooking camp. Fourteen youth participated
Author: Renata Farmer
Major Program: 4-H Family and Consumer Science Core Curriculum
According to the CDC, empty calories contribute to 40% of daily calories for children and adolescents and most do not consume the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables.In a world full of hectic schedules, fast food and convenience, the challenge for families and children to eat healthy is difficult. At the request of the Knox County Family Resource Centers, the Knox County 4-H program chose to address this in our county by implementing a “Taste of the Week” program. The p
