Extension
It Starts With Us
Active Living & Health Promotions
Improve Physical & Mental Health
Alyssa Cox
Active Living and Health Promotions General
Substance Use Prevention and Recovery General
Nutrition and Food Systems General
With the increased trend of chronic disease and obesity in Kentucky, individuals, families, and communities need tools and environments that support healthy and active lifestyle choices. In Wolfe County, 40% of adults are obese, 50% have hypertension, and 7.7% have diabetes (Kentucky Extension Community Assessment 2019). The goal is to reach diverse audiences to help combat chronic disease and obesity in Wolfe County. This will be accomplished by focusing on a foundation of overall direct health education to increase health literacy and ability to make healthy lifestyle choices. Including, creating spaces or opportunities for active living and health behaviors.
- Routinely meeting physical activity and dietary recommendations that promote health and wellness (e.g. 150 minutes a week of moderate activity and consuming recommended daily fruits and vegetables)
- Community environment promotes healthy behaviors where people live, learn, work, and play
- Reduce the rate of chronic disease and obesity
- Prevent and reduce substance use and its related consequences
- Generate positive attitudes toward changing lifestyle choices to be more healthy
- Increase intake of fruits, vegetables, and other nutrient-dense foods
- Improve self-efficacy in physical activity, movement, and active routes to destinations
- Delayed age of first use of substances among Kentucky youth
- Increase awareness about lifestyle choices and chronic disease (e.g. tobacco use, poor nutrition, & lack of physical activity)
- Increase confidence in ability to employ healthy practices
- Improve food and nutrition-related skills (e.g. preparation techniques, safe food handling)
- Increase motivation to be active
- Increase awareness of accessible safe places for activity
- Increased knowledge of substance use prevention, addiction, and recovery
Outcome: Nutrition knowledge and dietary intake
Indicator: Number of individuals who reported: eating 4-6 servings of fruits and/or vegetables daily, utilize the food label to make healthy food choices; choosing smaller portions
Method: Self-report surveys
Timeline: Pre-post implementing curricula or program
Outcome: Physical activity knowledge, skills, and competencies
Indicator: Number of individuals who reported: knowledge and skills gained about the benefits of physical activity; adoption of physical activity practices; increase in physical activity levels
Method: Self-report surveys
Timeline: Pre-post implementing curricula or program
Outcome: Chronic disease prevention
Indicator: Number of individuals who reported: one or more health indicator (cholesterol, blood pressure, body mass index, blood glucose) improved
Method: Self-report survey
Timeline: Pre-post implementing curricula or program
Outcome: Availability / Access to healthy lifestyle choices
Indicator: Number of communities, health coalitions, or organizations who reported: implemented policy, system, and/or environmental changes to promote healthy eating and active living
Method: Self-report survey
Timeline: Pre-post implementing curricula or program
Outcome: Substance use prevention
Indicator: Number of students undergoing Botvin Life Skills
Method: Retroactive pre-post
Timeline: Pre-post implementing curricula or program
Audience: Youth
Project or Activity: Chronic Disease Prevention
Content or Curriculum: Recipes for Life
Inputs: Efforts from Agents, support staff, Wolfe County Schools, volunteers
Date: Spring
Project or Activity: Physical Activity
Content or Curriculum: Stories, Songs, and Stretches
Inputs: Efforts from Agents, public library, Early Childhood Development, Wolfe County Schools
Date: Ongoing throughout the year
Project or Activity: Substance Use Prevention
Content or Curriculum: Botvin Life Skills
Inputs: Efforts from Agents, Extension Specialists, Wolfe County Schools, volunteers
Date: Fall
Audience: Families and Individuals
Project or Activity: Chronic Disease Prevention
Content or Curriculum: Publications, Health Bulletins, Cook Together Eat Together, Dining with Diabetes, Fit Blue, Faithful Families, Plate It Up! Kentucky Proud Recipes, Keys to Embracing Aging
Inputs: Efforts from Agents, support staff, Extension Specialists, publications, community partners
Date: Ongoing projects throughout the year
Project or Activity: Physical Activity
Content or Curriculum: Publications, Faithful Families, Fit Blue, Keys to Embracing Aging
Inputs: Efforts from Agents, support staff, Extension Specialists, publications, community partners
Date: Ongoing projects throughout the year
Audience: Kentucky Extension Homemakers Association
Project or Activity: Leader Lessons
Content or Curriculum: Meal Kits, Healthy Heart, Sensational Salads, Sweet Enough Without all that Sugar
Inputs: FCS Extension Specialists, KEHA, FCS Area Agents
Date: Monthly (September through May)
Author: Alyssa Cox
Major Program: Substance Use Prevention and Recovery General
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, people who are recovering from a substance use disorder are finding it difficult to maintain their sobriety during COVID-19. Most have uprooted their routine and are lacking social support, which are essential to maintaining a healthy recovery. The COVID-19 pandemic has also impacted many of the social determinants of health, including poverty and food insecurity, that increase risk for substance abuse. In response to this emerging issue,
Author: Alyssa Cox
Major Program: Active Living and Health Promotions General
According to the National Institutes of Health, the COVID-19 pandemic is having a disproportionate effect on elderly individuals who are more vulnerable to the virus and are being advised to self-isolate. This social disconnection puts older adults at a greater risk of developing depression and anxiety. In Wolfe County, nearly 20% of the population is 65 years of age or older, which is 4% above the state average.Wolfe County Extension Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences, Alyssa Cox, in partne
Author: Alyssa Cox
Major Program: Nutrition and Food Systems General
As the pandemic hit, the plans for our bi-annual Pumpkin Days were well underway! Traditionally, this day encompasses 1500 Headstart, Preschool, Kindergarten and first graders attending a day of activities, recipe tasting and stories all centered around pumpkins... they even take a trip to the pumpkin patch to pick their very own pumpkin. As fall approached, the hopes of hosting the day in-person at the Robinson Station for Appalachian Resource Sustainability diminished. Agents were determined t
Author: Alyssa Cox
Major Program: Food Preparation and Preservation
Wolfe Family and Consumer Sciences Extension Agent, Alyssa Cox, collaborated with Elliott County Extension, Elliott County High School, and AppHarvest to offer a food preservation workshop during AgTech Camp. A total of 7 high school students participated in the program to learn how to preserve the produce grown in their new AppHarvest Container Farm. During the program, various methods of food preservation were discussed, including boil water canning, pressure canning, dehydrating, and freezing
