Health and Wellness
Health and Wellness
Abby Gray, Trever Cole
Active Living and Health Promotions General
Nutrition and Food Systems General
Health & Wellbeing
Family and Consumer Science
The community needs assessment from both Mason County and Kentucky as well as the Mason CEC recognized health and wellness as a top priority. They have asked for focus or improvement on better skills for selecting and preparing healthier food, availability of substance use prevention programs, mental health programs, and fewer chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, cancer, etc.
Healthy living is one of three 4-H mission mandates and encompasses: physical activity, personal safety, mental health, addiction prevention, and diversity and inclusion. In Kentucky 37% of youth 10-17 are overweight or obese, and 51% report not exercising regularly. 25% of youth report some form of emotional or behavioral condition and suicide rates are at record high (KY suicides per 100,000 people: 15.3, 10th highest in nation). Substance Use Disorder and Mental Health disease can affect anyone, with 1,160 reported opioid-involved deaths (a rate of 27.9 deaths per 100,000 persons) in Kentucky and Vaping nearly doubled among middle and high school students — with 27% of high school seniors reporting they had tried the product in 2018.
- The prevention and/or reduction of substance use and its related consequences.
- Changed public perception of substance use via stigma reduction.
- Routinely employ healthy dietary practices that promote health and wellness (e.g. consume recommended daily fruits and vegetables and improve food management skills)
- Reduce the rate of chronic disease and obesity
- Reduced fatalities
- Reduced number of children in foster care
- Reduced incarceration
- Increased number of youth maintaining positive mental health habits
- Reduced stigma from local community members
- Increased Opioid Stewardship (less rx’ing by doctors, appropriate Rx disposal, drug takebacks, etc.)
- Delayed age of first use among Kentucky youth
- Generate positive attitudes toward changing dietary decisions to be more healthful.
- Increase intake of fruits, vegetables, and other nutrient-dense foods
- Decrease intake of solid fats, added sugars, and sodium
- Employ healthful cooking methods, feeding practices, and food preservation techniques
- Increased access to healthy food via local farmers markets, food retailers, and/or home gardens
- Increased adoption and mastery of healthy behaviors that lead to a healthy lifestyle
- New coalitions developed to address substance use disorders and mental health
- Improved access and utilization of resources
- Improved perceived stress and ability to cope
- Youth will contribute to their communities
- Youth will practice refusal skills
- Youth will intervene to prevent use/abuse
- All agents trained in YMHFA
- Increased knowledge of substance use prevention, addiction, and recovery (or related subject matter)
- Increased ability to use destigmatized language
- Increase awareness about relationships between food and nutrition practices and chronic disease.
- Improve food and nutrition-related skills (e.g. gardening, preparation and preservation techniques, safe food handling, food resource management)
- Increase confidence in ability to employ healthy eating practices
- Increase motivation to access and prepare healthier foods
- Improved social skills and/or self-efficacy in KY youth
- Improved in awareness of health concerns for youth
- Improved education about substance use disorders and mental health diseases
- Improved education about diversity and Inclusion
- Reduced stigma of individuals with substance use disorders and mental health diseases
- Improved understanding of the consequences of risk behaviors
- Promote optimal physical, social and emotional health habits
Outcome: Increased knowledge of substance use
Indicator(s): Number of individuals attending programs
Method: Retroactive pre-post
Timeline: Following every addiction 101 training
Outcome: Preparing and preserving food
Indicator(s): Number of individuals who reported: preparing more home-cooked meals; modifying ingredients and/or preparation techniques to improve nutrition
Method: Self-report survey; specific curricula or program evaluations
Timeline: Pre-post implementing curricula or program
Outcome: Chronic Disease Prevention
Indicator(s): 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
Initial Outcome: Increased number of youth maintaining positive mental health habits
Indicator(s): Number of youth who indicated they help others reach their goals (Common Measures – UN 11)
Method: Pre & Post Evaluations
Timeline: Pre-post implementing curricula or program
Intermediate Outcome: Youth will contribute to their communities
Indicator(s): Number of youth who indicated they talked about ways to be active in 4-H (Common Measures – BA 5)
Method: Pre & Post Evaluations
Timeline: Pre-post implementing curricula or program
Long- Term Outcome: Increased number of youth maintaining positive mental health habits
Indicator(s): Number of youth who report making healthy lifestyle choices
Method: Pre & Post Evaluations
Timeline: Pre-post implementing curricula or program
Audience: Families Impacted by Addiction
Project or Activity: Addiction Training
Content or Curriculum: Addiction 101
Inputs: FCS Agent, UK specialist
Dates: 2024
Audience: 8th Grade Students
Project or Activity: Truth and Consequences
Content or Curriculum: Truth and Consequences: The Choice Is Yours
Inputs: FCS Agent, community partners, MCMS, St. Pat, Extension Homemakers
Date: October 2023
Audience: Families
Project or Activity: Cooking Through the Calendar
Content or Curriculum: KYNEP Calendar
Inputs: FCS Agent
Date: Monthly in 2024-2025
Audience: Children under 5
Project or Activity: Stories, Songs, and Stretches (LEAP)
Content or Curriculum: Stories, Songs, and Stretches
Inputs: FCS Agent, Head Start, preschool teachers
Date: Monthly during school year
Audience: Families and Individuals
Project or Activity: Food Preservation
Content or Curriculum: Publications, UK research-based information, Ball Blue Book, So Easy to Preserve
Inputs: FCS Agent, UK specialist
Dates: Annually between May and August
Audience: 2nd graders
Project or Activity: Food Explorers
Content or Curriculum: Plate It Up! Kentucky Proud recipes
Inputs: FCS Agent, 2nd grade teachers
Date: Monthly during school year
Audience: Youth
Project or Activity: Mental Health Series
Content or Curriculum: 4-H GEM
Inputs: 4-H Agent, teachers, parents
Date: Fall
Audience: Youth
Project or Activity: 4-H Health Workshop
Content or Curriculum: 4-H Health Rocks
Inputs: 4-H Agent, teachers, schools
Date: Fall