Active Living, Health Promotions and Substance Abuse Prevention
Improve Physical and Mental Health
Bell, Blankenship, Branstetter
Local Food Systems
Plate It Up! Kentucky Proud
Health
Family and Consumer Science
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. CES agents are encouraged to reach diverse audiences to help combat chronic disease and obesity in Kentucky communities. 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
- 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
- Decrease tobacco/ substance use
- 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
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 survey
Timeline: Pre-post implementing curricula or program
Outcome: Substance abuse prevention
Indicator: Number of individuals who reported: gained knowledge of the resources that are available for substance use in the community as a result of Extension programming
Method: Self-report survey
Timeline: Pre-post implementing curricula or program
Outcome: Chronic Disease Prevention
Indicator: Number of individuals who reported: participants who had one or more health indicator (cholesterol, blood pressure, body mass index, blood glucose) improved.
Method: Self-report survey, comparison of aggregated chronic disease prevalence data
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: Physical Activity knowledge and skills
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 survey
Timeline: Pre-post implementing curriculr or program
Audience: Communities
Project or Activity: Policy, Systems, and Environmental Approaches
Content or Curriculum: Shared Space Agreements, Active Community Toolkit, Be More Guide, resources for early care and education settings
Inputs: Volunteers, grant funds, community partners, key stakeholders, elected officials, public school staff, Employee Health and Wellness, SNAP-Ed Toolkit, WIC &SFMNP Voucher State Staff, FCS Extension Agent, Farmers Market
Date: Ongoing projects throughout the year
Audience: Families and Individuals
Project or Activity: Chronic Disease Prevention
Content or Curriculum: Publications, Health Bulletins, LEAPS, Cook Together Eat Together, Mastering Food Choices, Dining with Diabetes, Fit Blue, Plate It Up! Kentucky Proud Resources, WIN, Kick Kentucky Cancer, 4 – H Health Core Curriculum
Inputs: Programmatic materials, paid staff, community partners, Healthcare Providers, Farmers Market, Health Department, Non-profits, Schools, 21st Century, Company Health & Wellness, Homemakers, Community Centers, etc.
Date: Ongoing projects throughout the year
Project or Activity: Physical Activity
Content or Curriculum: Publications, Shared Space Agreements, LEAPS, Be More, Fit Blue, WIN, Health Partners, FitBlue, Mind Body Exercise, Stories, Songs and Stretches, 4 – H Health Core curriculum, Farm Fitness Day
Inputs: Paid staff, volunteers, Barn Lot Theater, facilities, Healthcare Providers, Health Department, Non-profits, Schools, 21st Century, Head Start, Company Health & Wellness, Homemakers, Community Centers
Date: Periodically each year
Project or Activity: Worksite Wellness: Promoting Healthy Lifestyle Choices
Content or Curriculum: Publications, Health Bulletins, Blue to You, Related published research, PIUKYP recipes, Farmers Market tool kit
Inputs: Volunteers, paid staff, community partners
Date: Series of 8 – 9 sessions annually
Audience: Kentucky Extension Homemakers Association/Volunteers
Project or Activity: Promoting Healthy Lifestyle Choices
Content or Curriculum: Master Health Volunteers, Health Bulletins, Monthly Leader Lessons
Inputs: Volunteers, paid staff, community partners
Date: 9 annual Leader trainings
Audience: 4-H Youth
Project or Activity: Health and Fitness, Farm Fitness
Content or Curriculum: 4-H Curriculum
Inputs: Agents, Volunteers, Teachers
Date: August-May
Author: Lynn Blankenship
Major Program: Active Living and Health Promotions General
The Metcalfe County Extension Agent for FCS Education, partnered with the Metcalfe County Library 2021 Summer, Teen reading group to provide a guided tour of the Dry Fork Gorge Nature Conservancy. This was the first visit for all of the participants, which included two library staff and 3 parents along with the teen reading group participants and younger siblings. This Agent provided an overview of the history of the area and key elements that resulted in the Dry Fork Gorge’s p
Author: Amy Branstetter
Major Program: Substance Use and Mental Health – 4-H Youth Development
Healthy Living is a mission of our Extension Service. Substance use and abuse is a component of the education we provide.There is a strong need for continued substance abuse prevention and intervention in Metcalfe County. Substance use issues continue to negatively impact a large number in our community. According to the recent Kentucky Extension Community Assessment, the issues related to drugs and substance abuse in Metcalfe County need to be addressed. The assessment also indicated that &ldqu
Author: Amy Branstetter
Major Program: Leadership
In 2020 Kentucky Public Health reported over 500 youth were killed in 2018 related to Farm and Environmental accidents. Our goal is to bring awareness and educate our youth on farm and environmental safety.On April 28, 2022 Metcalfe County 4-H, FFA, Progressive Agriculture and Metcalfe County Public Schools hosted an all day Farm Safety Day at a local farm in Metcalfe County. The safety day covered both environmental safety and farm safety. We were able to reach over 397 middle school stud
Author: Lynn Blankenship
Major Program: Family Development General
In the first few years of life the brain forms neural pathways based on the child’s experiences and environment. Parents and caregivers for infants and toddlers are the child’s first teachers and how they interact with their young child, has significant impact on future learning and development. Half of Kentucky’s young children arrive in kindergarten without foundational skills needed, for them to be “ready to learn” in the formal school setting.
Author: Lynn Blankenship
Major Program: Active Living and Health Promotions General
The Family Lifestyles television program is broadcast five times weekly, with one prime-time slot, over WPBM channel 31. WPBM is broadcast over the air on channel 31.1 and can be received with rooftop antenna within a 45-mile radius of the tower, near Barren River Lake State Park. The signal covers 3571.2 square miles to an estimated population of 313,863. WPBM is available over the air and by cable television in these Kentucky Counties: Allen, Barren, Butler, Clinton, Cumberla
Author: Amy Branstetter
Major Program: Substance Use and Mental Health – 4-H Youth Development
There is a strong need for continued substance abuse prevention and intervention in Metcalfe County. Substance use/abuse issues continue to negatively impact a number of families in our community. According to our recent County Extension Community Assessment, “issues related to drugs and substance abuse in Metcalfe County”. There has been a large number of youth that have started vaping this is a gateway to other abuse issues. To address the variety of substance abuse issues imp