Extension
It Starts With Us
Active Living and Health Promotions, Aging
Nutrition, Health & Wellbeing
Samantha Gamblin, Tori Riehemann, Lorilee Kunze, Ruth Chowning, Nathan Rider
Active Living and Health Promotions General
Substance Use and Mental Health – 4-H Youth Development
Food Preparation and Preservation
Cook Wild Kentucky
According to recent studies from the Institute of Medicine, the life expectancy of Americans is increasing. While we may be adding years to life, there is concern about life quality. This is because a person’s life expectancy does not always match a person’s “health span”—time spent in good health. The life expectancy of Bullitt County residents is higher for both men and women than the state age. As the current Bullitt County senior population (65+) is 14%, there is concern for this fast-growing segment as older adults influence everything from consumer behavior to health-care costs (U.S. Census) (2019 Census Data) (Kentucky State Data Center).
With the Kentucky Health facts Organization showing an increase of obesity to 32% in Bullitt County, the individuals, families, and local communities need tools and environments that support healthy and active lifestyle choices. Focusing on a foundation of overall direct health education to increase health literacy and ability to make healthy lifestyle and dietary choices. With the lack of physical activity at a higher rate in the County than in the state, initiatives that include creating spaces or opportunities for active living and health behaviors are crucial.
A foundation of nutrition knowledge, skills and competencies in topics such as food safety, handling and preparation, cooking methods and techniques, feeding practices, food science, and food systems are essential to changing dietary behaviors. According to the Kids Count Data Center, 15 % of Bullitt County children live at 100 % below the federal poverty level. This supports the fact that Bullitt County mirrors the data that 20% of all Kentucky youth (ages 10 to 17 years old) are obese- the eighth highest in the nation (CDC). Since there is a positive correlation between poverty and obesity, some main diet quality indicators reflect a low intake of fruit and vegetables among both adults and adolescents.
Heavily influenced by life-long lifestyle behaviors and choices, including quality of diet, physical activity, alcohol and tobacco use, the Bullitt County rate is above both state and national levels in mental and substance use; alcohol intake, smoking and obesity. The Bullitt County Extension Service can help individuals and families establish healthy lifestyle behaviors and relationships throughout the lifespan as way to positively influence optimal aging and help reduce issues such as chronic disease, obesity, opioid and alcohol abuse, and mental illness.
Routinely meeting physical activity and dietary recommendations that promote health and wellness (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
Community and County leaders will implement strategies to address issues related to Hunger in Bullitt County
Reduce the rate of obesity and chronic disease such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.
Identify, develop, and evaluate programs and policies that promote healthy aging in Bullitt County
Improve health span through lifestyle choices and behaviors related to overall health and well-being
Youth and adults will eat more Fruits and vegetables
Youth will help prepare food at home
Participants will lead chapters and demonstrate about methods of smoking meat
Participates will lead classes and teach about cooking wild game
Youth will practice good decision-making skills and avoid high-risk situations that lead to alcohol and drug use
Generate positive attitudes toward changing lifestyle choices to be more healthy
Increase intake of fruits, vegetables, and other nutrient-dense foods
Community and County leaders have develop strategies to address issues related to addressing Hunger in Bullitt County
Improve self-efficacy in physical activity, movement, and active routes to destinations
Decrease tobacco, alcohol and substance abuse
Bullitt County residence of all ages adapt healthy lifestyle choices, including diet, physical activity.
Bullitt County individuals and families will seek routine health[LN4] screenings and vaccines
As residents of Bullitt County age, they will take steps in their environment to prevent falls
Bullitt County residents will address mental health
Students will eat more fruits and vegetables
Students will help prepare food at home
Participants will report an increase in smoking meats for family consumption
Participants will report an increase in cooking wild game
Youth will increase physical activity in families and communities and will decrease time spent on sedentary behaviors
Youth will avoid drug & alcohol use
Community and County leaders will have increased awareness of issues related to Hunger in Bullitt County
Participants will increase awareness about lifestyle choices and chronic disease (e.g. tobacco use, poor nutrition, & lack of physical activity)
Participants will have increased confidence in ability to employ healthy practices
Participants will improve food and nutrition-related skills (e.g. preparation techniques, safe food handling)
Participants will have increased motivation to be active
Participants will come to understand the importance of lifestyle choices and behaviors throughout their lifespan on their overall health, well-being and life quality
Participants will learn how to make healthy lifestyle choices
Participants will learn that caregiver preparation in important
Participants will learn that disease prevention and early detection is important
Participants will learn about resources to enhance life quality, safety and to support aging families
Students will recognize the recommended handwashing steps & identify best practices for kitchen cleanup & using separate cutting boards
Students will practice food safety and cooking safety techniques
Students will learn steps in preparing a recipe correctly, how to formulate time-management strategies and correct techniques for measuring ingredients
Participants will report increased confidence and knowledge of how to smoke meat.
Participants will report increased knowledge and confidence on how to prepare and cook wild game found in KY.
Initial 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 & # of Story Path opportunities
Timeline: Pre-post implementing curricula or program
Outcome: Adapt healthy lifestyles related to aging and longevity
Indicator: Total number of individuals/families reached with information to improve healthy lifestyle choices specifically related to aging/longevity
Method: Self reports on physical activity and changes in dietary intake
Timeline: : July 2023- June 2024
Outcome: Nutrition knowledge, skills, and competencies
Indicator: Number of individuals who reported: use knowledge and skills to improve food-shopping management; utilize the food label to make healthy food choices; choosing smaller portions; increased food preservation knowledge; demonstrated recommended food preservation practices
Method: Self-report surveys; specific curricula or program evaluations- Recipe for life, EFNEP nutrition series, Homemaker leader lesson
Timeline: Pre-post implementing curricula or program, July 2023- June 2024
Outcome: Preparing and preserving food
Indicator: Number of individuals who reported: preparing more home-cooked meals; modifying ingredients and/or preparation techniques to improve nutrition; Number of individuals who reported utilizing farmers’ markets, food pantries that offer healthy foods; supplementing diets with healthy foods grown or preserved (e.g., community or backyard gardens, fishing, hunting, farmers markets); number of pints of foods preserved through water bath canning, pressure canning, freezing, or drying.
Method: Self-report survey; specific curricula or program evaluations
Timeline: Pre-post program, July 2023, September 2023, January 2024
Outcome: Dietary intake
Indicator: Number of individuals who reported: eating 4-6 servings of fruits and/or vegetables daily
Method: Self-report surveys about fruit and vegetable intake or other dietary improvements; specific curricula or program evaluations
Timeline: Pre-post implementing curricula or program, July 2023 - June 2024
Outcome: Youth and Adults will practice and promote daily physical activity
Indicator: Changes in habits, lifestyles
Method: Written evaluation, youth and parent testimonials
Timeline: On-going
Outcome: Youth will practice good decision-making skills and avoid high-risk situations that lead to alcohol and drug use
Indicator: Reported changes in decision-making, knowledge of drug/alcohol use consequences
Method: Written evaluation, youth and parent testimonials
Timeline: On-going
Audience: Community- All ages
Project or Activity: Physical Activity
Content or Curriculum: Story Walk
Inputs: Extension Agents, volunteers, FCS Council, KEHA membership, Library, health coalitions, Healthcare Providers, Health Department, Schools, SNAP-Ed Toolkit
Date: July 2023 - June 2024
Audience: Community- All ages
Project or Activity: Physical Activity
Content or Curriculum: Publications, Bingocise, Keys to Embracing Aging, Walk Kentucky
Inputs: FCS Agent, volunteers, FCS Council, KEHA membership, faith-based organizations, Library, health coalitions, Healthcare Providers, Health Department, Non-profits, Schools, Company Health & Wellness, elected officials, SNAP-Ed Toolkit
Date: July 2023- June 2024
Audience: Community- All ages
Project or Activity: Hunger in Bullitt County
Content or Curriculum: Publications, Hunger in KY program, local food pantries
Inputs: FCS Agent, volunteers, FCS Council, KEHA membership, faith-based organizations, Library, health coalitions, Healthcare Providers, Health Department, Non-profits, Schools, Company Health & Wellness, elected officials, SNAP-Ed Toolkit, local food pantries
Date: July 2023- June 2024
Audience: Community- All ages
Project or Activity: Chronic Disease Prevention
Content or Curriculum: Cancer Awareness, Plate It Up! Kentucky Proud Resources
Inputs: Programmatic materials, FCS Agent, community partners, faith-based organizations, Non-profits, Schools, Homemakers, Community Centers, KY Cancer program
Date: July 2023 - June 2024
Audience: Communities
Project or Activity: Farmers Market Outreach
Content or Curriculum: Cooking programs, marketing, Plate It Up! Kentucky Proud resources, Farmers Market Toolkit
Inputs: Nutrition Education Program (NEP), FCS Agent, EFNEP Asst., facilities, Kentucky Department of Agriculture
Date: July 2023 – October2023 /Growing seasons 2024
Audience: Families and Individuals
Project or Activity: Food Preparation for Better Health
Content or Curriculum: Field to Fork, Home Meat preparation, Cook Together Eat Together, Super Star Chef,
Inputs: UK and Iowa programming resources, ANR Agent, FCS Agent, community partners
Date: Ongoing projects throughout the year, July 2023 - June 2024
Audience: Families and Individuals
Project or Activity: Food Preservation
Content or Curriculum: Publications, Trainings, Home-Based Micro-Processing Training, Food Preservation
Inputs: FCS Agent, Ag Agent, Hort Agent, volunteers, facilities, programmatic materials, NEP
Date: July 2023 - June 2024
Audience: Kentucky Extension Homemakers Association/Volunteers
Project or Activity: Promoting Healthy Living with Volunteers
Content or Curriculum: UK publications for Monthly Leader Lessons
Inputs: Volunteers, Louisville Area FCS Agents, community partners
Date: September 2023- May 2024
Audience: Community Members, Volunteers, Clientele
Project or Activity: Youth Mental Health First Aid
Content or Curriculum: Mental Health First Aid Curriculum
Inputs: Extension Staff, National Council for Behavioral Health, Kentucky 4-H
Date: Fall 2023, Spring, Summer 2024
Audience: Youth – Middle School
Project or Activity: Truth & Consequences: The Choice is Yours
Content or Curriculum: 4-H FCS Truth & Consequences Curriculum
Inputs: Extension Staff, volunteers, community leaders, Family Resource Youth Service Centers, Local Government
Date: Spring 2024
Audience: Youth – Campers
Project or Activity: 4-H Residential Camp, 4-H Day Camps
Content or Curriculum: Kentucky4-H Health Curriculum, 4-H Camp
Inputs: Extension Staff, volunteers, camp staff
Date: Summer 2023, 2024
Author: Victoria Riehemann
Major Program: Family and Consumer Science
The Bullitt County rate for obesity is above both the state and national levels. These rates are influenced by life-long lifestyle behaviors and choices such as quality of diet and amount of physical activity. According to the Community Assessment Report (2019), members of the Bullitt County community rated different aspects that they wanted to see an increase in. Based on this data, community members wanted to see better use of food safety practices and better skills for selecting and preparing
Author: Ruth Chowning
Major Program: Active Living and Health Promotions General
Regular physical activity and good mental health are essential for preventing chronic diseases. These are serious public health concerns that require effective interventions to encourage positive behavior change. Walking Kentucky is a community campaign designed to increase physical activity and promote health awareness in Kentucky. You don't need any special equipment or location to incorporate physical activity into your daily routine. By joining Walking Kentucky, participants are given th
Author: Ruth Chowning
Major Program: Nutrition and Food Systems General
With low literacy and kindergarten readiness being a significant issue in Bullitt County, the Extension Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences held two Story path events to bring families together and encourage literacy. The first event held in the fall marketed to the public through mass media efforts had 45 families and children attend. Parents and grandparents brought their children to walk through a story path on "How to Grow a Garden", decorate a pumpkin, make some cra
Author: Ruth Chowning
Major Program: Active Living and Health Promotions General
Bingocize® was created by Dr. Jason Crandall, Co-Director/Co-Founder at the WKU Center for Applied Science in Health & Aging. He created the socially engaging group-based game that combines health education and exercise in the format of BINGO. Dr. Crandall and his research team have tested the program and demonstrated that older adults who play two times a week for 10 weeks significantly reduce the fear of falling, increase levels of physical activity, and decrease feelings of socia
