Extension
It Starts With Us
Benificial Lifestyle Choices
Leadership Development
Heather Cheek, Mary Jane Little, Macy Fawns, Tad Campbell
Faithful Families
Promoting Healthy Homes and Communities (general)
Securing Financial Stability (general)
Accessing Nutritious Foods (general)
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. Thirty percent of individuals in the Commonwealth report no leisure-time physical activity. Increased consumption of unhealthy food, stress, and built environments that promote physical inactivity are largely responsible for the obesity epidemic. As a result, Kentuckians are dying from heart disease and cancer at higher rates than all Americans and they have a lower life expectancy, 75.5 years, compared to 78 years for Americans. In Mason County the obesity rate is 24% with the lack of physical activity being at 36%, and only 18.3% of Mason County residents are receiving their daily recommended amount of fruits and vegetables.
A decrease in the number of obese and overweight children, youth, adults and elderly
•Increase in the practice and promotion of physical activity and healthy eating daily
•Improvement in the built environment to promote physical activity and healthy eating
•Improvement in the mental health and wellbeing of residents of Mason County
•Manage and prevent the risk, debilitation, and premature death related to diabetes, cancer, heart disease, stroke and hypertension
•Increase the estimated health savings in dollars for chronic disease.
•Increase policies that address obesity, physical inactivity and promotion of poor nutrition
Decrease in # of accidents on farm and in homes.
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
•Community members advocate for policy Changes related to obesity, physical activity and healthy eating.
•Strengthen community coalitions or partnerships to address obesity, physical inactivity and chronic disease.
•Practice healthy lifestyle decision-making that strengthen individuals’ ability to cope with normal life stressors.
Youth learn safety around firearms, home and equipment (farm and lawn)
Healthy lifestyle choices
•Childhood and youth obesity
•Adult & youth weight management
•Healthy aging
•Practice and promotion of daily physical activity
•Policies that that reduce the level of obesity
•Reduction of chronic disease
Youth physical activity program
Farm / Home safety day camp
Initial Outcome: Knowledge Gained
Indicator: Participants are able to recognize the difference between good and bad habits
Method: Written or Oral Evaluation, Pre and Post Test
Timeline: Immediate
Intermediate Outcome: Behavior Change
Indicator: Making the choice to practice good behaviors including eating nutritious foods, Increasing Physical activity, avoiding substance abuse, etc.
Method: Oral and Written Evaluations, Pre and Post Tests.
Timeline: 1-3 Years
Long-term Outcome: Changes in the health and lifestyles of Mason County residents
Indicator: Lower obesity rates, higher life longevity, increased physical activity, lower substance abuse rates
Method: Noticeable changes in census data, health organizations data, and policy changes that promote healthy lifestyles.
Timeline: 10 years
Audience: Middle School Students
Project or Activity: WIN: Wellness in Kentucky
Content or Curriculum: WIN: Wellness in Kentucky
Inputs: Curriculum, samples, publications, and incentives
Date: August 2016-May 2017
Audience: 8th grade students
Project or Activity: Truth & Consequences
Content or Curriculum: Truth & Consequences
Inputs: Agents, community partners, extension volunteers, and curriculum
Date: October 2017
Audience: High school freshmen
Project or Activity: Farm to School
Content or Curriculum: Farm to School
Inputs: Curriculum, agents, and local farmers
Date: Fall 2017
Audience: The aging population
Project or Activity: Health Forums
Content or Curriculum: Diabetes, Alzheimer's Disease, Depression, Stand up to falling, UK health care
Inputs: Agents, community partners, local doctors and specialists, incentives
Date: Fall & Spring
Audience: Adults
Project or Activity: Health Fair
Content or Curriculum: Various Health topics
Inputs: Agents, Meadowview Hospital, Health Department, community partners, extension volunteers
Date: May 2017
Audience: Adults and Children
Project or Activity: Growing to Cook series and workshop
Content or Curriculum: Learning to grown and then cook various produce.
Inputs: Agents, publications, samples, demonstrations
Date: Summer/Fall 2017
Audience: youth
Project : Physical Activity workshop series
Content: New curriculum from youth Dev. Institute
Date: Annual
Audience: families
Project; Safety day camp
Content: Farm and home safety
Date: spring , early summer
Author: Heather Cheek
Major Program: Promoting Healthy Homes and Communities (general)
The home appliance industry is a multi-billion dollar industry. With the rise in popularity of new kitchen appliances like electronic programmable pressure cookers and air fryers, the Mason County FCS Agent partnered with the Bracken County FCS Agent and two Mason County Extension Homemaker Volunteers to develop a new program called “What’s In My Kitchen?” for the residents of Mason County. The program occurred on the second Thursday from 2:30 pm until 4:30 pm starting in
Author: Mary Jane Little
Major Program: Health 4-H Core Curriculum
According to Lerner and colleagues (2009) , they have consistently found that youth who participated in 4-H programs practiced healthier behaviors compared to youth who participated in similar programs. These behaviors included lower levels of substance abuse and higher levels of physical activity and healthier diets. However, like youth in the larger society, youth in 4-H still are at risk for health-related concerns such as obesity and accidental injury. In response to these risks, 4-H remains
Author: Heather Cheek
Major Program: Weight the Reality Series
Based on statistics gained from Kentucky Health Facts, 36% of adults in Mason County are obese and 75% are overweight. This is well above the state averages of 34% and 68%, respectively. 36% of adults in Mason County (compared to the 32% in Kentucky) report a lack of physical activity. According to the Mayo Clinic, physical activity and a healthy diet has many benefits including reaching and maintaining a healthy weight, preventing or managing health conditions like heart disease, high blood pre
Author: Heather Cheek
Major Program: Food Preparation
Over the past 3 years, Mason County FCS has been fulfilling a need of the county for quick, easy, and cost effective cooking classes. As an added bonus, the recipes used in Cooking Through The Calendar are nutritious as well. Mason County FCS uses the recipes in the calendar released yearly by the Kentucky Nutrition Education Program in this program. This program has been offered during the day and at night in an effort to accommodate many people’s schedules. This program is offered at no
Author: Heather Cheek
Major Program: Nurturing Families (general)
The life of the high school senior is full of “adult” decisions: selecting a college, picking a major, choosing a career path, and moving out! Although today’s adolescents are technologically advanced compared to prior generations, they sometimes lack basic practical living skills. After being approached by school officials with this very same concern, the Bracken County Family Consumer Science Agent and 4-H Youth Development Agent decided a crash course was needed.
