Healthy in the Home
Healthy Families, Healthy Communities
Renata Farmer, Wayne Kirby
Family and Consumer Science
Horticulture, Consumer and Home
Nutrition and Food Systems General
Health
A foundation of nutrition knowledge, skills and competencies in topics such as food safety, handling and preparation, cooking methods and techniques, feeding practices, food science, and food systems are essential to changing dietary behaviors. With the increased trend of chronic disease and obesity in Kentucky, individuals, families, and communities need tools and environments that support healthful dietary decisions. Health is more than one's physical being. It also encompasses physical activity, personal safety, mental health, addiction prevention, and diversity and inclusion. Moreover, substance use was the focal point of the CES Advisory Council Meeting in early 2019. Taken together, youth KIP survey data and data from the CES needs assessment demonstrate the need to address substance use prevention, recovery, stigma, and impact on families and communities. It is the goal of Knox County CES to meet the health needs of the individual and family as a whole.
- Routinely employ healthy dietary practices that promote health and wellness (e.g. consume recommended daily fruits and vegetables and improve food management skills)
- Reduce the rate of chronic disease and obesity
- Routinely participate in physical activity
- The prevention and/or reduction of substance use and its related consequences.
- Changed public perception of substance use via stigma reduction.
- Reduce the number of youth reporting drug, alcohol, and tobacco use
- Generate positive attitudes toward changing dietary decisions to be more healthful.
- Increase intake of fruits, vegetables, and other nutrient-dense foods; Practice healthy eating choices
- Employ healthful cooking methods, feeding practices, and food preservation techniques
- Increased access to healthy food via local farmers markets, food retailers, and/or home gardens
- Increase water intake
- Participate in physical activity
- Increased adoption and mastery of healthy behaviors that lead to a healthy lifestyle
- New coalitions developed to address SUC and MH
- Improved perceived stress and ability to cope
- Youth will contribute to their communities
- Youth will practice refusal skills,
- Youth will intervene to prevent use/abuse
Youth and adults will:
- Increase awareness about relationships between food and nutrition practices and chronic disease.
- Improve food and nutrition-related skills (e.g. gardening, preparation and preservation techniques, safe food handling, food resource management)
- Increase motivation to access and prepare healthier foods
- Learn to read and follow instructions
- Improved in awareness of health concerns for youth
- Improved education about SUD and MH disease
- Reduced stigma of individuals with SUD and MH disease
Initial Outcome: Nutrition knowledge, skills, and competencies
Indicator: Number of youth/adults who reported: use knowledge and skills to improve food-shopping management; utilize the food label to make healthy food choices; choosing smaller portions; increased food preservation knowledge; demonstrated recommended food preservation practices; use knowledge of food safety.
Method: Self-report surveys; specific curricula or program evaluations; 4-H Common Measures Survey Tool
Timeline: Pre-post implementing curricula or program
Initial Outcome: Increased knowledge of substance use
Indicator: Number of individuals attending programs
Method: Testamonials, evaluations, 4-H Common Measures Survey tool
Timeline: Following each program
Intermediate Outcome: Increased ability to use destigmatized language
Indicator: Number of individuals intend to change behavior; Number of youth who indicated they made healthy lifestyle choices as are result of what they learned through 4-H programming
Method: Retroactive pre-post; 4-H Common Measures Survey tool
Timeline: Throughout program
Intermediate Outcome: Preparing and preserving food
Indicator: Number of individuals who reported: preparing healthier dishes; successfully followed a recipe to prepare a dish; preparing more home-cooked meals; modifying ingredients and/or preparation techniques to improve nutrition
Method: Self-report survey; specific curricula or program evaluations, 4-H Common Measures Survey Tool
Timeline: Pre-post implementing curricula or program;
Intermediate Outcome: Dietary intake
Indicator: Number of individuals who reported: eating 4-6 servings of fruits and/or vegetables daily
Method: Self-report surveys about fruit and vegetable intake or other dietary improvements; specific curricula or program evaluations, 4-H Common Measures Survey Tool
Timeline: Pre-post implementing curricula or program;
Long Term Outcome: Availability and access to healthy food
Indicator: Number of individuals who reported: utilizing delivery systems/access points (e.g., farmers’ markets, CSAs, WIC, food pantries) that offer healthy foods; supplementing diets with healthy foods grown or preserved (e.g., community or backyard gardens, fishing, hunting, farmers markets); dollar value of vendor-reported sales or EBT, WIC, or Senior benefits redeemed at farmers’ markets; number of pints of foods preserved through water bath canning, pressure canning, freezing, or drying. Number of youth who report successfully preparing a meal for their families one more days per week.
Method: Self-report survey, 4-H Common Measures Survey Tool
Timeline: Pre-post implementing curricula or program;
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. trainings
Date: Throughout the year
Audience: General Public
Activity: Cooking Through the Calendar
Content/Curriculum: FCS Curriculum
Inputs: FCS/4-H Agent, Program Assistant, NEP Assistant, local resources, trainings
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, trainings, NEP Assistant, Program Assistant
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
Audience: General Public
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
Audience: General Public
Activity: Area-Wide Cooking School
Content or Curriculum: Area FCS Agents (FCS curriculum, HEEL) /Specialists
Date: November 2020
Audience: Youth
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 2020, Some throughout year
Audience: Youth & Families
Activity: Farm Fresh Kits
Content:4-H Curriculum, NEP curriculum
Date: July-September 2020
Audience: Youth
Activity: Health Rocks
Content: 4-H Curriculum & trainings
Date:Fall 2020/Spring 2021
**All activities may be completed virtually in an on-line format (if needed) or in the tradition in-person format
Author: Renata Farmer
Major Program: Agriculture
Knox County 4-H received a $1000 grant from the Kentucky 4-H Foundation. With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, our plans for the funds changed and 4-H council members brainstormed ideas that would best reach today's youth. According to the CDC, American's are not consuming enough fruits and vegetables needed to promote a healthier diet. They state that making these products more affordable, available and making them relevant is important and can dramatically increase fruit and
Author: Renata Farmer
Major Program: Family and Consumer Science
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 program