Hopkins County CES

County Emphasis:

Enhancing health and well-being throughout the lifespan.

Concentration 1:

Mental Health and Well-Being

Concentration 2:

Health and Wellbeing

Situation:

Kentuckians are facing increasing challenges when it comes to their mental and physical well-being. More than 1 in 5 adults in the U.S. lives with a mental illness, and in Kentucky, 43% of adults report symptoms of anxiety or depression across their lifespan. Alarmingly, suicide is one of the leading causes of preventable death for individuals aged 10–34 and those over the age of 59 in the state. These mental health concerns are deeply intertwined with broader health disparities that impact quality of life. 

Opportunities and resources to support overall health and well-being vary widely across the Commonwealth. Disparities in access to care, health-promoting knowledge, infrastructure, and environmental supports have contributed to elevated rates of chronic disease and mental health challenges. Too often, the responsibility for navigating complex healthcare and public health systems falls on individuals—many of whom are also grappling with limited access to nutritious foods, safe environments, and adequate education. 

The 2023 UK Cooperative Extension Community Needs Assessment reflects these concerns. Respondents ranked “improved access to mental health and well-being resources” among the top six priorities, alongside “ensuring individuals and families have access to affordable nutritious foods” (#4) and “reducing youth obesity through nutrition education and/or exercise” (#8). 

Guided by the Cooperative Extension’s National Framework for Health Equity and Well-being, UK Extension is uniquely positioned to serve as a public health partner that addresses both mental and physical health disparities. Through comprehensive, evidence-informed programming in nutrition, wellness, and mental health, Cooperative Extension can reduce stigma, connect individuals to care, promote prevention and early detection, and empower communities to advocate for systems that support healthier, more resilient lives for all Kentuckians. 

 Youth  

 

Kentucky’s youth deserve safe, nurturing environments that support their growth and well-being. Yet, many face serious challenges. Seventeen percent of youth aged 6–17 experience mental health disorders, with only half receiving treatment. In 2022 alone, Kentucky lost 800 lives to suicide. Youth are also struggling with physical health—41% of teens are overweight or obese—and emotional well-being, reporting high levels of stress, low self-esteem, and a lack of hope for the future. 

Surveys from the Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service in 2019, 2023, and 2024 consistently identified mental health, youth obesity, bullying, school violence, and the need for stronger parenting and relationship-building skills as top community priorities. Additionally, 45% of 4-H youth nationally report experiencing high stress. 

In response, Kentucky 4-H delivers evidence-based programming that promotes mental, physical, emotional, social, and intellectual health. Through self-care education, critical thinking development, and opportunities for connection and engagement, 4-H helps youth build resilience, make healthier decisions, and thrive in all areas of life. 

County Situation:

Hopkins County faces several important health and wellness challenges. As of 2022, 36% of adults are obese and 28% are smokers—both equal to or higher than Kentucky averages. Additionally, 7% of residents are uninsured and 7% face limited access to affordable, nutritious food. Reports of physically inactive days match the statewide rate. 

Healthcare is a major economic sector, employing 16% of the county’s workforce, mainly in general hospitals (44%), offices of physicians (19%), and nursing care facilities (19%). The Nursing Care Facilities sector has a notably high location quotient of 3.0, indicating strong concentration compared to the national average. However, Hopkins County saw a 1% decline in healthcare employment over five years, contrasting with Kentucky’s 6% growth. Despite this, healthcare wages ($78,419) remain well above the state average, suggesting strong demand for skilled professionals. 

Community assessments confirm that health concerns are top priorities. Residents identified minimizing youth substance use, strengthening mental health resources, improving access to affordable food, and enhancing youth life skills as critical needs. Together, these findings highlight the urgency for targeted wellness initiatives, preventive health strategies, and investment in healthcare workforce development to improve overall community health outcomes. 

Long-Term Outcomes:

• Routinely meeting guidelines and recommendations for health behaviors that promote wellness and quality of life
• Community environments that equitably support health-promoting behaviors where people live, learn, work, and play
• Increased availability and accessibility to community-based health resources
• Reduced rate and burden of non-communicable chronic diseases and injury
• Decreased health disparity prevalence in Kentucky counties
• Improved quality of life

Intermediate Outcomes:

• Increased health-promoting behaviors that support family, community, and occupational health and safety
• Increased and/or strengthened partnerships to address community health or safety issues
• Increased organizational/site/community support for health-promoting behaviors that equitably address community health or safety issues

Initial Outcomes:

Health promoting behaviors include but are not to, regular physical activity, safe preparation and consumption of nutritious foods, vaccinations, moderate or no consumption of alcohol, avoiding/reducing/eliminating tobacco use, health screenings, sleep, stress management, health literacy, pest prevention/reduction/management, and occupational safety.

• Increased knowledge about health-promoting behaviors.
• Increased awareness of community resources to support health-promoting behaviors.
• Increased confidence in making decisions related to health-promoting behaviors.
• Improved skills related to health-promoting behaviors

Evaluation:

Outcome: Increased knowledge about health-promoting behaviors (e.g., how to prepare nutritious foods, benefits of routine vaccinations/screenings) (initial)

Indicator: Number of participants who reported/demonstrates improved knowledge, skills, opinions, or confidence regarding a health-promoting behavior as a result of a participating in a health and well-being program

Method: Observation by Agent or self-reported surveys

Timeline: Post-program/curricula survey administration 

Outcome: Increased confidence and motivation to engage in health-promoting behaviors (e.g. add physical activity, consume more nutritious foods, receive vaccination or screen) (initial)

Indicator: Number of participants who reported/demonstrates improved knowledge, skills, opinions, or confidence regarding a health-promoting behavior as a result of a participating in a health and well-being program

Method: Self-reported surveys

Timeline: Post-program/curricula survey administration or follow up evaluation

Outcome: Increased intentions to employ health-promoting behaviors (e.g. vaccinations, screenings, preparation/consumption of nutritious foods, active living, pest prevention) (initial)

Indicator: Number of participants who reported intentions to implement a behavior learned from a health and well-being program

Method: Demonstration or self-reported surveys

Timeline: Post-program/curricula survey administration

Outcome: Increased health-promoting behaviors that support family and community health (e.g., physical activity, consuming nutritious foods, routine vaccinations and screenings) (intermediate)

Indicator: 

Number of physical activity minutes recorded by a participant

Number of participants who reported consuming more nutritious foods and/or beverages

Number of participants who reported a change in a health-promoting behavior as a result of participating in a health and well-being program

Method: Self-reported surveys

Timeline: Repeated self-reported surveys and/or follow-up evaluations to capture change over time

Outcome: Increased and/or strengthened partnerships to address community health issues (intermediate)

Indicator: Number of community partners (community organizations, institutions, agencies, or individuals) worked with to offer health and well-being programming in the community

Method: Agent record of community partnerships utilized in programming

Timeline: Ongoing; Each partnership should be reported once per reporting period

Outcome: Increased organizational/site/community supports for health-promoting behaviors (intermediate)

Indicator: Number of volunteers who supported health and well-being programming in the community

Method: Agent record of volunteers utilized in programming

Timeline: Ongoing: Each volunteer should be reported once per reporting period

Outcome: Increased organizational/site/community supports for health-promoting behaviors that equitably address community health and safety issues (intermediate)

Indicator: Number of projects or initiatives working to improve a community health or safety issue

Method: Documentation (direct observation, photo, repeated survey) or interviews

Timeline: Ongoing/as changes are made and projects progress

Learning Opportunities:

Audience: Families and Individuals

Project or Activity: Family & Community Health

Content or Curriculum: Publications, presentations, trainings, demonstrations, Health Bulletins, Pathways to Wellness, resources for early care and education settings, Health Literacy for the Win, Health Family Guides, Healthy Homemakers, Vaccine and on-site clinic opportunities, chronic disease prevention programs and materials, health fairs, hygiene education

Inputs: Programmatic materials, paid staff, volunteers, community partners, health coalitions, healthcare providers, health departments, non-profits, faith-based organizations, schools, company health & wellness, community centers, etc. 

Date: Ongoing

Audience: Families & Individuals

Project or Activity: Physical Activity

Content or Curriculum: Publications, Faithful Families, Story Walks, Health and wellness Ambassadors, Shared Space Agreements, Health Coalitions, WIN, Health Partners, Bingocize, Walk Your Way, Families on the Move, County Walking Challenges, Mindfulness Trails, Fit Tips, Hiking for Health

Inputs: Programmatic materials, paid staff, volunteers, community partners, facilities, health coalitions, healthcare providers, health department, non-profits, schools, company health & wellness, faith-based organizations, Homemakers, community centers, etc. 

Date: Ongoing/seasonal

Audience: Families & Individuals

Project or Activity: Nutrition Education

Content or Curriculum: Nutrition Education Program, SNAP-Ed toolkit, Publications, Faithful Families, Cook Together Eat Together, Savor the Flavor, Dining with Diabetes, Plate it up! Kentucky Proud, Cook Wild Ky, Food as Health Toolkit, Recovery Garden Toolkit, Family Mealtime, maternal and child health program materials,

Inputs: Programmatic materials, paid staff, community partners, volunteers, faith-based organization, health coalitions, healthcare Providers and local clinics, health department, non-profits, schools, company health and wellness, Homemakers, farmers’ markets, local farms/growers/producers, commodity groups, community centers, etc. 

Date: Ongoing

Audience: Families & Individuals

Project or Activity: Physical, Environmental, and Occupational Safety

Content or Curriculum: Publications, presentations, trainings, demonstrations, In the Face of Disaster, Pest Control Short Course, Stop the Bleed, … … …

Inputs: Programmatic materials, paid staff, community partners, businesses, creative entrepreneurs, local farms/growers/producers, commodity groups, housing authorities

Date: Ongoing/seasonal

Audience: Communities

Project or Activity: Policy, Systems, and Environmental (PSE) Approaches

Content or Curriculum: Pathways to Wellness, Faithful Families, Story Walks, Shared Space Agreements, parks and trail development, Active Community Toolkit, resources for early case and education settings, food system work (e.g. farmers’ markets, backpack programs, community gardens), SNAP-Ed toolkit, creating and Maintaining Health Coalitions, Arts in Health publications, CEDIK Healthy Communities toolkit

Inputs: Programmatic materials, paid staff, community partners, volunteers, grant funds, local organizations and community partners, health coalitions, Nutrition Education program, local farms/growers/producers, key stakeholders, elected officials, Department of Transportation, employee health and wellness, schools, etc. 

Date: Ongoing

Evaluation:

Outcome: Increased knowledge about health-promoting behaviors (e.g., how to prepare nutritious foods, benefits of routine vaccinations/screenings) (initial)

Indicator: Number of participants who reported/demonstrates improved knowledge, skills, opinions, or confidence regarding a health-promoting behavior as a result of a participating in a health and well-being program

Method: Observation by Agent or self-reported surveys

Timeline: Post-program/curricula survey administration 

Outcome: Increased confidence and motivation to engage in health-promoting behaviors (e.g. add physical activity, consume more nutritious foods, receive vaccination or screen) (initial)

Indicator: Number of participants who reported/demonstrates improved knowledge, skills, opinions, or confidence regarding a health-promoting behavior as a result of a participating in a health and well-being program

Method: Self-reported surveys

Timeline: Post-program/curricula survey administration or follow up evaluation

Outcome: Increased intentions to employ health-promoting behaviors (e.g. vaccinations, screenings, preparation/consumption of nutritious foods, active living, pest prevention) (initial)

Indicator: Number of participants who reported intentions to implement a behavior learned from a health and well-being program

Method: Demonstration or self-reported surveys

Timeline: Post-program/curricula survey administration

Outcome: Increased health-promoting behaviors that support family and community health (e.g., physical activity, consuming nutritious foods, routine vaccinations and screenings) (intermediate)

Indicator: 

Number of physical activity minutes recorded by a participant

Number of participants who reported consuming more nutritious foods and/or beverages

Number of participants who reported a change in a health-promoting behavior as a result of participating in a health and well-being program

Method: Self-reported surveys

Timeline: Repeated self-reported surveys and/or follow-up evaluations to capture change over time

Outcome: Increased and/or strengthened partnerships to address community health issues (intermediate)

Indicator: Number of community partners (community organizations, institutions, agencies, or individuals) worked with to offer health and well-being programming in the community

Method: Agent record of community partnerships utilized in programming

Timeline: Ongoing; Each partnership should be reported once per reporting period

Outcome: Increased organizational/site/community supports for health-promoting behaviors (intermediate)

Indicator: Number of volunteers who supported health and well-being programming in the community

Method: Agent record of volunteers utilized in programming

Timeline: Ongoing: Each volunteer should be reported once per reporting period

Outcome: Increased organizational/site/community supports for health-promoting behaviors that equitably address community health and safety issues (intermediate)

Indicator: Number of projects or initiatives working to improve a community health or safety issue

Method: Documentation (direct observation, photo, repeated survey) or interviews

Timeline: Ongoing/as changes are made and projects progress