Extension
It Starts With Us
Health and Nutrition
Improve Physical and Mental Health across the Lifespan
Slone, Hackworth, Coleman
Nutrition and Food Systems General
Health
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, health behaviors chronic disease prevention.
- Reduce the rate of chronic disease and obesity
- Kentuckians improve health span through lifestyle choices and behaviors related to overall health, well-being, and healthy aging (e.g. consume recommended daily fruits and vegetables and improve food management skills)
- Community environment promotes healthy behaviors where people live, learn, work, and play
- All ages will generate positive attitudes toward changing dietary decisions to be more healthful.
- Increase healthy eating behaviors (e.g. increased intake of fruits, vegetables, other nutrient-dense foods and decrease intake of solid fats, added sugars, and sodium)
- Improve self-efficacy in physical activity, movement, and active routes to destinations
- Kentuckians will seek health screenings and vaccines
- Older Kentuckians will prevent falls
- Kentuckians will address mental health
- Kentuckians understand the importance of lifestyle choices and behaviors throughout their lifespan on their overall health, well-being and life quality
- Improve food and nutrition-related skills (e.g. preparation techniques, safe food handling)
- Increase confidence in ability to employ healthy eating practices
- Increase motivation to access and prepare healthier foods
- Increase confidence in ability to employ healthy practices
- Increase motivation to be active
- Kentuckians learn that disease prevention and early detection is important
Outcome: Nutrition knowledge, skills, and competencies
Indicator: Number of individuals who reported: use knowledge and skills to improve food-shopping management; practice safe food handling and skills, utilize the food label to make healthy food choices; choosing smaller portions; increased food preservation knowledge; increased fruit and vegetable intake; demonstrated recommended food preservation practices
Method: Self-report surveys; specific curricula or program evaluations
Timeline: Pre-post implementing curricula or program
Outcome: (LT) Kentucky’s overall health span increases
Indicator: Number of programs and policies identified, adapted, created and evaluated to promote healthy aging in Kentucky
Method: Overall Health Life Expectancy increases in KY
Timeline: Ongoing
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: 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
Audience: Communities
Project or Activity: Policy, Systems, and Environmental Approaches
Content or Curriculum: Faithful Families, Kentucky Farm to School Task Force Resources, Health Coalitions, Story Walk, Shared Space Agreements, Trail Development, Active Community Toolkit, Be More Guide resources for early care and education settings
Inputs: Volunteers, grant funds, faith-based organizations, community partners, key stakeholders, SNAP-Ed Toolkit
Date: Ongoing projects throughout the year
Audience: Families and Individuals
Project or Activity: Food Preparation for Better Health
Content or Curriculum: Cook Together Eat Together, Mastering Food Choices, Dining with Diabetes, Super Star Chef, Champion Food Volunteer, Faithful Families, Body Balance, Plate It Up! Kentucky Proud Resources, plans for prenatal- and infant/toddler-specific curriculum, resources for early care and education settings
Inputs: Programmatic materials, paid staff, community partners, faith-based organizations, health coalitions
Date: Ongoing projects throughout the year
Project or Activity: Chronic Disease Prevention & Health Promotion
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, Stand Up to Falling, Bingocize, Adolescent Brain Health, RAAD/VDT, Body Balance, Health Partners, Master Health Volunteer, Story Walk, and Alzheimer’s Association 10 Warning Signs/UAD
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
Audience: Kentucky Extension Homemakers Association/Volunteers
Project or Activity: Promoting Nutrition with Volunteers
Content or Curriculum: Champion Food Volunteers, Mastering Food Choices, International Cuisine publications, Food preservation workshops, Monthly Leader Lessons
Inputs: Volunteers, paid staff, community partners
Date: Monthly
Project or Activity: Promoting Healthy Lifestyle Choices
Content or Curriculum: Master Health Volunteers, Health Bulletins, and Monthly Leader Lessons
Inputs: Volunteers, paid staff, community partners
Date: Monthly
Audience: Youth grades 4-8
Project or Activity: School Enrichment and clubs through Health
Content or Curriculum: Wellness in KY, Get Moving Youth Curriculum, Building a Healthy, Wealthy Future.
Inputs: Club leaders, FRYSC, Agents and Staff
Date: Year Round
Author: Andrea Slone
Major Program: Food Preparation and Preservation
For decades, food preservation has been used by families to preserve garden harvests. According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, one in five households in the United States practice home canning or food preservation. The Center for Disease Control has stated that 30 percent of botulism cases from the past decade was caused by home canning practices.As by popular demand, the Floyd County Family & Consumer Science Agent held multiple food preservation hands-on workshops a
Author: Andrea Slone
Major Program: Active Living and Health Promotions General
According to healthdata.gov the Kentucky COVID-19 vaccine rate is at 58.9% while the national average is at 69.6%. Big Sandy Health Care Co-op did a regional grant to financially aid the Big Sandy Region Extension Offices (Floyd, Pike, Johnson, Martin, and Magoffin) to spread awareness of COVID-19 vaccines and increase regional vaccine rates.The Floyd County Cooperative Extension Office’s agents and staff planned a Community Health and Safety Event with a primary goal of vaccine promotion.
Author: Andrea Slone
Major Program: Food Preparation and Preservation
According to the United States Census Bureau there are 18,623 households in Floyd County, KY with an average of 2.37 persons living in the each household. According to the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Kentucky is below the national average of fruit and vegetable consumption among youth. The Center for Disease Control states that adults in Kentucky are also below average of the national fruit and vegetable consumption. Studies have shown that families and couples who cook and eat togethe
Author: Andrea Slone
Major Program: Food Preparation and Preservation
Involving children in the cooking process has been proven to increase vegetable preferences and consumption, and healthy eating among youth. (Cunningham-Sabo, 2013)In efforts to increase more healthful eating consumption in Floyd County youth, the Floyd County Family & Consumer Science Agent collaborated with a local Day Care, Bright Beginnings for a “Mommy and Me” hands-on cooking program in March 2023. This was a one-time program that consisted of knife skills, nutrition educat
Author: Andrea Slone
Major Program: Active Living and Health Promotions General
According to the American Diabetes Association, 13.6% of Kentucky’s population is diagnosed with diabetes. It is estimated that over 100,000 individuals in Kentucky do have diabetes but are undiagnosed. Annual diabetes costs in Kentucky are $5.2 billion. The Kentucky Public Health organization reported in 2020 that the Big Sandy Region in Kentucky has a prevalence of diabetes of 18.5%. This is the second highest area in the state.In efforts to educate those already diagnosed with diabetes
