Extension
It Starts With Us
Active Living and Health Promotions
Improve Physical and Mental Health
Congleton, Comer
Active Living and Health Promotions General
Plate It Up! Kentucky Proud
Cook Together, Eat Together
Food Preparation and Preservation
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.
Healthy living is one of three 4-H mission mandates and encompasses: physical activity, personal safety, mental health, addiction prevention, and diversity and inclusion. In Kentucky 37% of youth 10-17 are overweight or obese, and 51% report not exercising regularly. 25% of youth report some form of emotional or behavioral condition and suicide rates are at record high (KY suicides per 100,000 people: 15.3, 10th highest in nation). Substance Use Disorder and Mental Health disease can affect anyone, with 1,160 reported opioid-involved deaths (a rate of 27.9 deaths per 100,000 persons) in Kentucky and Vaping nearly doubled among middle and high school students — with 27% of high school seniors reporting they had tried the product in 2018. In the 2019 Kentucky Extension Community Assessment Montgomery County Report, among the top three health issues were the need for fewer overweight or obese youth and adults and fewer chronic diseases.
·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
********
•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
•Improvement in the mental health and well-being of Kentuckians
•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.
•Increase policies that address obesity, physical inactivity and promotion of poor nutrition
**********
Increased number of youth maintaining positive health habits;
Reduce the number of youth reporting drug, alcohol, and tobacco use
·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
•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
•Community members advocate for policy
•Changes related to obesity, physical activity and healthy eating.
•Strengthen community coalitions or partnerships to address obesity, physical inactivity and chronic disease.
•Practice healthy lifestyle decision-making that strengthen individuals’ ability to cope with normal life stressors.
·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
Improved in awareness of health concerns for youth
Improved understanding of the consequences of risk behaviors
Promote optimal physical, social and emotional health habits
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 Use
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
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
Partnering with KSU SNAP-Ed Assistant.
Outcome to be Evaluated
- Number of youth who indicated they learned about healthy food choices through 4-H
- Number of youth who were educated on health and well-being through 4-H programs? (KOSA)
- Number of youth who indicated they made healthy lifestyle choices as are result of what they learned through 4-H programming? (PRACTICE)
- Number of youth who indicated they increased their daily number of servings of fruits and vegetables eaten as a result of 4-H programs? (PRACTICE)
- Number of youth who indicated “yes or usually” to question “Is 4-H A place where you get to figure out things for yourself?” (SEEC)
Audience: Communities
Project or Activity: Policy, Systems, and Environmental Approaches
Content or Curriculum: Faithful Families, Health Coalitions, Story Walk, Shared Space Agreements, Trail Development, Active Community Toolkit, Be More Guide, resources for early care and education settings. Partnering with SNAP Education Assistant from Kentucky State University.
Inputs: Volunteers, grant funds, faith-based organizations, community partners, key stakeholders, elected officials, Department of Transportation, Health Coalitions, Employee Health and Wellness, SNAP-Ed Toolkit
Date: Ongoing projects throughout the year
Audience: Families and Individuals
Project or Activity: Chronic Disease Prevention
Content or Curriculum: Publications, Health Bulletins, Cook Together Eat Together, Mastering Food Choices, Dining with Diabetes, Fit Blue, Faithful Families, Body Balance, Plate It Up! Kentucky Proud Resources, WIN, Kick Kentucky Cancer, Health Partners, Bingocize, Master Health Volunteer, Keys to Embracing Aging
Inputs: Programmatic materials,paid staff, community partners, faith-based organizations, health coalitions, Healthcare Providers, Health Department, Non-profits, Schools, Company Health & Wellness, Homemakers, Community Centers, etc.
Date: Ongoing projects throughout the year
Project or Activity: Physical Activity
Content or Curriculum: Publications, Faithful Families, Story Walk, Master Health Volunteer, Shared Space Agreements, Health Coalitions, Be More, Fit Blue, WIN, Health Partners, Bingocize, Keys to Embracing Aging - Partnerships with KSUNAP-Ed program assistant.
Inputs: Paid staff, volunteers, facilities, health coalitions, Healthcare Providers, Health Department, Non-profits, Schools, Company Health & Wellness, FBOs, Homemakers, Community Centers
Date: Periodically each year
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: Monthly
4-H youth development
- Mental Health
- Curriculum: Building Character and Social-Emotional Learning, Mindful Me, Centering on me, YMHFA
- Training: Agent In-services
- Personal Safety
- Curriculum: Code name: Home Alone, Keeping Fit & Healthy- First Aid in Action, Headlines for Health
- Training: Agent In-services
- Physical Health
- Curriculum: 4-H Dancefit, Get Moving Kentucky, Keeping Fit & Healthy, SPARK, Steps to a Healthy Teen, Bicycling for fun, Wheels in Motion, Outdoor Adventures
- Training: Agent In-services
- Diversity and Inclusion
- Curriculum: Building Character and Social-Emotional Learning, Essential Elements, Diversity: The source of Our Strength, Be SAFE: Safe, Affirming, & Fair Environments, Black History, 4-H LIFE
- Training: Agent In-services
- Addiction Prevention
- Curriculum: Health Rocks!, YMHFA
- Training: Agent In-services
Date: July 2020 through June 2021
Author: Sarah Congleton
Major Program: Food Preparation and Preservation
Success Story- Food Preservation WorkshopMontgomery, Bath and Menifee Counties’ Family and Consumer Sciences Extension Agents collaboratedto offer a food preservation workshop for a total of seven participants. Agents taught lessons and led hands-on food preservation experiences for pressure canning, water bath canning, and freezing preservation methods. Participants were able to assist in making canned vegetable soup, canned blueberry-lemon jam and frozen corn. At the end of the program,
Author: Sarah Congleton
Major Program: Active Living and Health Promotions General
According to Kentucky Center for Statistics (2020), Montgomery County kindergarten readiness rates were 32.6% by the age of 5 compared to Kentucky at 51.% in 2020. This is a large number of children in Montgomery County who are not effectively prepared. Work-family time balance is a common challenge to many American families. In 2018, a survey showed that American families only spend just 37 minutes of quality time together per day on weekdays (Renner, 2018.) Inactivity or lack of phys
Author: Gary Hamilton
Major Program: Health
According to the 2021 Annual Supplemental Nutrition Education Program Report for Kentucky, today, 60% of all Americans live with at least one chronic disease. These include heart disease and stroke, cancer, and diabetes. These diseases are all associated with obesity and physical inactivity. In 2020, Kentucky ranked in the top five states in the country for obesity with a rate of 36.6% for adults. The percentage of physically inactive Kentuckians is 32%, ranking i
Author: Sarah Congleton
Major Program: Nutrition and Food Systems General
According to the 2021 Annual Supplemental Nutrition Education Program Report for Kentucky, today, 60% of all Americans live with at least one chronic disease. These include heart disease and stroke, cancer, and diabetes. These diseases are all associated with obesity and physical inactivity. In 2020, Kentucky ranked in the top five states in the country for obesity with a rate of 36.6% for adults. The percentage of physically inactive Kentuckians is 32%, ranking i
Author: Sarah Congleton
Major Program: Nutrition and Food Systems General
According to 2017 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website, the obesity rate for children ages 9 to 12 in Kentucky is 20.2%. The Montgomery County Extension Council identified childhood obesity as an important health issue facing the community. Recent research has indicated that teaching cooking skills to children encourages healthier food choices, which can lower obesity rates. In an effort to address this problem, the Montgomery County Family Consumer Science agent and&
