Extension
It Starts With Us
Inspiring the adoption of healthy lifestyle choices to improve overall well-being.
Implementing Healthy Lifestyle Choices
Tiffany Bolinger, Matthew Futrell, Kelly Jackson, Jeremiah Johnson, Mary Anne Garnett, Katie Mills
Plate It Up! Kentucky Proud
Active Living and Health Promotions General
Nutrition and Food Systems General
Communications & Expressive Arts
Christian County 23% of adults report to have poor or fair health which is compared to the state average of 24% (County Health Ranking Kentucky Data, 2020). In the 2019 Kentucky Extension Community Assessment Christian County Report it was deemed that there should be fewer chronic diseases as the most important in the category of health and wellness by members community. Chronic conditions associated with the describer quality of life include increase risk for chronic disease such as diabetes, which 10.1% residents in Christian County have received a diagnosis (Kentucky Extension Community Assessment Christian County Report, 2019). The community assessment also showed that citizens also found that fewer overweight and obese youth and adults as an important issue in the county. Indicators of this include that 71% of the county’s population is considered overweight or obese with only 9% eating 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables a day (Christian County Health Department, 2016).
Physical education and Nutrition Education Programs help individuals and families gain the knowledge necessary to know how to gain access to healthier food options, stretch their food dollars, and elevate their overall well-being through daily physical activity. Program councils and the County Extension Council see the benefits of these type of programs as they seek to decrease hunger and promote healthy lifestyles in communities and the county. Agents, paraprofessionals and volunteers are pivotal in training consumers and producers to maximize local access to food products from farm to table.
* Increase number of youth maintain positive health habits
* Increased number of youth at a lower risk of serious disease and illness
* Increased number of youth at a lower risk for physical and emotional distress
* Youth will develop into competent, capable, contributing adults as important developmental assets are met through their participation in 4-H health programs
*A decreased in the percentage of the population that is considered overweight or obese
* Increased practice and promotion of physical activity and daily healthy eating
* Mental health and well-being improvement in local Kentuckians
* Manage and prevent the risk, debilitation, and premature death related to diabetes, cancer, heart disease, stroke and hypertension
* Increased consumption of fruits and vegetables by 1 or more servings a day
*Increased adoption and mastery of healthy behaviors that lead to a healthy lifestyle that include making healthy lifestyle choices, not engaging in risky behavior and handling stress
*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
* Changes related to obesity, physical activity and healthy eating.
* Strengthen community coalitions or partnerships to address obesity, physical inactivity and chronic disease.
* Access more local foods
* Redeem Farmer’s Market Nutrition Program benefit
* Plant, harvest and preserve produce
* Apply improved food preparation skills, food management skills, food safety and healthy eating habits
Participants will:
*Youth will identify healthy lifestyle choices
*Youth will understand risky behaviors and their consequences
*Youth will aspire to have higher self esteem
*Youth will identify healthy ways to handle stress
* Learn the difference between portion and serving sizes, and learn how to prepare a healthy snack/meal
* Understand the relationship between mental and physical health, and between disease and weight
* Learn how to read food labels, grow, prepare, preserve and serve food
* Understand relationship between caloric intake and energy output
* Increase knowledge of the benefits of physical activity, learn health related terminology and learn that fitness can be elevate overall well-being while bettering health
* Understand the importance of sustainable local agriculture to individual health and financial well-being
* Learn to incorporate unfamiliar foods or foods not currently eaten into a healthy diet
* Increase knowledge and understanding of healthy eating, food safety and food resource management
Initial Outcome: Youth will be able to apply nutrition education to cooking projects
Indicator: 4-H Cooking Clubs
Method: project evaluations through Fairs and cooking competitions
Timeline: Program year 2024-2025
Initial Outcome: Youth will gain knowledge on nutrition and physical education to help obtain a better quality of life
Indicator: YMCA Summer Camp, Healthy Lifestyle Camps, DanceFit Clubs
Method: pre/post evaluation
Timeline: Program year 2024-2025
Intermediate Outcome: Youth will be able to teach peers the importance of exercise and physical fitness by way of leading classes themselves
Indicator: 4-H Homeschool P.E., 4-H DanceFit
Method: end of year evaluation
Timeline: Program year 2024-2025
Audience: Farmer's Market Clientele
Project or Activity: Taste testing of locally grown foods
Content or Curriculum: Plate it Up!
Inputs: Farmer's Market, Plate it Up Curriculum, Agents and Assitants
Date: yearly; June-September, 2024/25
Audience: Christian County & Ft. Campbell Youth
Project or Activity: 4-H Cooking Clubs
Content or Curriculum: 4-H Cooking, Superstar Chef Series, Professor Popcorn
Inputs: Agents, Military Staff Volunteers, 4-H Volunteer Leaders, Ft. Campbell Child, Youth & School Services, Extension Office, program support funds
Date: yearly; September -May
Audience:Elementary & Middle School Students
Project or Activity: School Nutrition Programs
Content or Curriculum: Professor Popcorn, Farm 2 Table, Super Star Chef
Inputs: Agents, Program Support Funds, Teachers
Date: Program plan year 2024-2025
Audience: Adults/Seniors
Project or Activity: nutrition and physical fitness
Content or Curriculum: Wits Workouts
Inputs: Agent, SNAP Assistant, facilities, curriculum materials
Date: Fall 2025- ongoing monthly
Audience: Middle School Students
Project or Activity: Nutrition Education
Content or Curriculum: My Plate- The Kentucky Way
Inputs: Agent, School Staff, curriculum materials
Date: Spring 2025
Audience: Middle School Students
Project or Activity: Nutrition Education
Content or Curriculum: Food Label FUNdamentals
Inputs: Agent, School Staff, curriculum materials
Date: Spring 2025
Audience: SNAP Recipients; Low income individuals/families
Project or Activity: SNAP-ED Programming
Content or Curriculum: SNAP-ED Core Curriculum
Inputs: SNAP Assistant; community partners, curriculum materials
Date: year round
Audience: General Public
Project or Activity: Home Food Preservation
Content or Curriculum: Home Food Preservation Curriculum
Inputs: agent, kitchen, preservation materials/curriculum
Date: Summer 2025
Audience: Ft. Campbell Youth
Project or Activity: 4-H Homeschool P.E
Content or Curriculum: SPARK, Steps to a Healthy Teen, Up For The Challenge, Lifetime Fitness, Healthy Decisions
Inputs: Ft. Campbell Child, School & Youth Services, Agents, Military Staff Volunteers
Date: August - May
Audience: Homemaker Members, General Public
Project or Activity: Leader Trainings, Workshops, Seminars
Content or Curriculum: Charcuterie Boards; Stress Eating; Ready, Set, Bake; Fermented Foods; Meals While Traveling; Cook Wild
Inputs: Specialist Support, Extension Homemaker resources, other university extension resources, eXtension resources
Date: August - May
Audience: Housing Authority Summer Camp
Project or Activity: Nutrition Education, Literacy, Physical Activity
Content or Curriculum: Professor Popcorn, LEAP
Inputs: Agent, Curriculum, Recipe Ingredients, Activity supplies
Date: June-July 2025
Author: Kelly Jackson
Major Program: Health & Wellbeing
The Christian County Extension Office began partnering with the University of Kentucky College of Nursing and Pennyrile Area Development District to increase community participation in radon testing and saw a 380% increase for the county over a three-month period. This success demonstrates the critical role of local partnerships in raising awareness and addressing public health concerns related to radon exposure. Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas and the second leading cause of
