Making Healthy Lifestyle Choices (FCS/HORT)Plan of Work

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Boone County CES

Title:
Making Healthy Lifestyle Choices (FCS/HORT)
MAP:
Promote Healthy Lifestyles
Agents Involved:
Diane Mason, David Koester
MAJOR PROGRAM 1:
Active Living and Health Promotions General
MAJOR PROGRAM 2:
Apparel and Textiles (Non-Master Clothing Volunteer)
Situation:

The obesity epidemic threatens the quality and years of life of Kentuckians. Obese individuals are at increased risk for many chronic health conditions, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some types of cancers. The obesity rate in Kentucky increased 90 percent over the last 15 years. Thirty percent of individuals in the Commonwealth report no leisure-time physical activity. Increased consumption of unhealthy food, stress, and built environments that promote physical inactivity are largely responsible for the obesity epidemic. As a result, Kentuckians are dying from heart disease and cancer at higher rates than all Americans and they have a lower life expectancy, 75.5 years, compared to 78 years for Americans. Minorities and individuals residing in Appalachia bear a heavier brunt of the obesity and chronic disease burden. The goal of the Making Healthy Lifestyle Choices Initiative is to reverse these trends by working with various organizations, agencies, and groups to promote the health and wellness in all Kentuckians.

Long-Term Outcomes:

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

More people growing and eating their own fresh fruits and vegetables, gaining health benefits from more exercise (gardening) and from gaining easy access to healthier foods with more fiber and less fat, through fresh garden produce they grow at home.

Intermediate Outcomes:

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 implementation and 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.

Initial Outcomes:

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

Policies that that reduce the level of obesity

Reduction of chronic disease

Evaluation:

Initial Outcome: Post program surveys

Indicator: Change in knowledge or attitude and intent to implement

Method: Post program surveys

Timeline: Immediately following program


Intermediate Outcome: Post Program Surveys

Indicator: Use of information from program and change in practice or behavior

Method: Mailed or on-line survey of participants

Timeline: 3 to 6 months following program


Long-term Outcome: Change in behavior that leads to change in health

Indicator: Community indicators for health

Method: Statistics from state and national organizations

Timeline: 4 years

Learning Opportunities:

Audience: Adults, general public

Project or Activity: Food Preservation for the Adult Beginner

Content or Curriculum: University of Kentucky curriculum

Inputs: Fact Sheets, online access

Date: August 2022


Project or Activity: Friday Food Fun:  Increasing consumption of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats and essential nutrients

Content or Curriculum: Extension curricula; different topic each month

Inputs: Cooking supplies

Date: Monthly, July, August, September, October, November, December 2022; January, February, March, April, May, June 2023


Audience: Adults

Project or Activity: Baking Basics Series (4 sessions)

Content or Curriculum: Super Star Chef Kneads a Little Dough

Inputs: fact sheets

Date: October 2022


Audience: Adults

Project or Activity: Evenings in the Garden

Content or Curriculum: UK Publications; Plate it Up Kentucky Proud; Home Food Preservation; Horticulture publications

Inputs: Publications; nature center gardens

Date: July and August 2022


Audience:  Sustainable Kentucky

Project or Activity: 5-part series

Content or Curriculum: Sustainable Kentucky curriculum

Inputs: Curriculum, virtual teaching capability, farmers market demonstration area, food samples

Date: July 2022


Audience:  Cleaning Matters

Project or Activity: sessions on decluttering; radon; home cleaning and care

Content or Curriculum: UK curriculum

Inputs: Curriculum, virtual teaching capability

Date: March 2023


Audience:  Cooking with Kids

Project or Activity: 3-part series

Content or Curriculum: Super Star Chef

Inputs: Curriculum, cooking supplies

Date: July 2022





Success Stories

FOOD AND ACTIVITY HABITS FOR A LONGER LIFE

Author: Diane Mason

Major Program: Active Living and Health Promotions General

FOOD AND ACTIVITY HABITS FOR A LONGER LIFE

According to a 2022 report from the Trust for America’s Health, Kentucky has the second highest rate of adults with obesity in the nation at 40.3 percent (following West Virginia with 40.6 percent) (https://www.tfah.org/report-details/state-of-obesity-2022/). In Boone County, Kentucky it is estimated that 37 percent of the adult population is obese (County Health Rankings at https://www.countyhealthrankings.org/explore-health-rankings/compare-counties?compareCounties=21000%2C21015&year

Full Story

SUSTAINABLE KENTUCKY

Author: Diane Mason

Major Program: Nutrition and Food Systems General

Sustainable living means understanding how our lifestyle choices impact the world around us and finding ways for everyone to live better and lighter. (United Nations Environment Program) More and more individuals are becoming more aware of how their choices affect their own health and well-being as well as the earth.“Sustainable Kentucky,” a pilot curriculum developed by the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension, was presented to 18 adults from the general public. Lessons with

Full Story

Baking for One, Two or a Few

Author: Diane Mason

Major Program: Food Preparation and Preservation

Baking for One, Two or a Few

In recent years the value of baking and cooking from scratch or at home has been shown to help improve mental health and well-being (1,2,3,4). Helping individuals learn to bake, while creating recipes that yield small portions was the focus of two programs offered by the Boone County Cooperative Extension Service. “Baking Basics” (four weeks)  and “Baking for One, Two or a Few” (three weeks) were two hands-on series focused on creating baked goods based on the Univer

Full Story
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