Extension
It Starts With Us
Healthy Lifestyles
Healthy Communities
Hull, Rex, Stewart
Faithful Families
Substance Use Recovery - FCS
Communications & Expressive Arts
Leadership
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. In Kentucky 37% of youth 10-17 are overweight or obese, and 51% report not exercising regularly. According to the 2018 county health rankings, 18.7% of adults in Gallatin County report poor or fair health and 27.9% of adults over the age of 20 reported no leisure-time exercise in the past month. Increased consumption of unhealthy food, stress, and built environments that promote physical inactivity are largely responsible for the obesity epidemic. Gallatin County residents are suffering from high chronic disease rates than other Americans and Kentuckians. In addition to chronic disease health condition increases, Gallatin County has seen an increase in drug use. According to Kentucky Injury Prevention and Research Center, 147 non-fatal overdoses were reported from 2015-2017 and 22 deaths were from a drug overdose. Vaping has nearly doubled among middle and high school students - with 27% of high school seniors reporting they had tried the product in 2018.
•Increase in the practice and promotion of physical activity.
•Environmental changes implemented to support physical activity guidelines in the county (e.g., walking trails opened, equipment purchased and installed, bike paths built).
•Increase the estimated health savings in dollars for chronic diseases.
•Manage and prevent the risk, debilitation, and premature death related to diabetes, cancer, heart disease, stroke and hypertension.
•Reduce long term substance abuse among Gallatin Countians
•Practice of physical activity in families and communities and decreased time spent on sedentary behaviors
•Community members advocate for policy.
•Practice healthy food choices and strengthen individuals’ ability to build healthy eating plans and patterns.
•Strengthen community coalitions or partnerships to address obesity, physical inactivity and chronic disease.
•Data supports a decrease number of youth involved in substance abuse practices.
•Knowledge gained about the benefits of being physically active.
•Increase in knowledge, opinions, skills, or aspirations regarding lifestyle changes (diet, stress management, etc.) that improve personal health.
•Reduction of chronic disease
•Students developed a better understanding of the consequences of substance abuse (legal, health, emotional, and financial)
•Students developed a better understanding of the risk and harm of substance abuse.
Initial Outcome: Students developed a better understanding of the risk and harm of substance abuse.
Indicator: Participation in an educational program such as Truth and Consequences.
Method: End of program evaluations
Timeline: End of program 2 month follow up
Intermediate Outcome: Community partnerships to reach more Gallatin Countians and improve citizens overall health.
Indicator: Strengthen community coalitions or partnerships to address obesity, physical inactivity and chronic disease.
Method: observations, attendance and number who participate in coalitions
Timeline: 6 months to year
Long-term Outcome: Individuals make lifestyle changes (diet, exercise, managing stressors, etc.) for the purpose of improving their health.
Indicator: Improved health statistics and numbers for Gallatin County.
Method: Observations, Follow up interviews and evaluations
Timeline: 2-3 years
Audience: Gallatin County Senior Center and Grand Love Program
Project or Activity: Making Healthy Lifestyle Choices
Content or Curriculum: Making Healthy Lifestyle Choices Curriculum, Bingocize Curriculum, Mental Stimulation/Life Skills publications
Inputs: FCS Extension Agent, Senior Center, Kentucky CES publications and resources, Nutrition Education resources, Plate It Up recipes, Plan, Eat, Move resources
Date: Each month 2024-25
Audience: Adults, KEHA members
Project or Activity: Ovarian Cancer Awareness
Content or Curriculum: UK Ovarian Cancer Screening Program, UK publications
Inputs: Extension staff, Kentucky CES publications and resources, UK Ovarian Cancer Screening Program
Date: Spring 2024-25
Audience: Adults
Project or Activity: Gallatin County Better Health and Safety Coalition
Content or Curriculum: Working collaborative group to address the health needs in Gallatin County, Plate It Up Project, Nutrition Education Program resources, Plan, Eat Move
Inputs: FCS Extension Agent, volunteers, Three Rivers Health Department
Date: meets monthly ongoing
Audience: Gallatin County Food Pantry and Hispanic Food Pantry
Project or Activity: Plan, Eat, Move for the Food Pantry
Content or Curriculum: Plan, Eat, Move and NEP recipes and resources
Inputs: FCS Extension Agent, Gallatin County Food Pantry Manager, Manager for Hispanic Food Pantry
Date: Each month throughout the year 2024-25
Audience: All Gallatin County residents
Project or Activity: The Gallatin County Homemaker Peony Festival 5K Fun Run/Walk
Content or Curriculum: University of KY FCS publications/resources
Inputs: FCS Extension Agent, Homemakers, Community Sponsors and Volunteers
Date: Every year in May 2024-25
Author: David Hull
Major Program: Local Food Systems
As a result of the fact that the farmers' market in Sparta, KY was not going to reopen, the Gallatin County Extension Service and the Gallatin County Free Public Library started meeting during the fall of 2023 to discuss the potentiality of forming a new farmers' market in Warsaw, KY. Other organizations that got involved in the planning stages were the Gallatin County Health Department, Gallatin County Tourism, and the Gallatin County Family Resource Center.It was decided that the name
