Extension
It Starts With Us
Increase health literacy & activity and encourage nutritious food choices.
Making Healthy Lifestyle Choices
Melissa Goodman, Paula McCuiston, Mattea Mitchell
4-H Leadership Core Curriculum
Making Healthy Lifestyle Choices (general)
Accessing Nutritious Foods (general)
Building Healthy Coalitions
Lifestyle and behavioral risk factors contribute greatly to the onset of the chronic diseases that are the leading causes of death for Kentuckians. On overall health indicators a national report card ranks Kentucky 44th out of 50 states (United Health Foundation State Health Rankings, 2015). According to the County Heath ranking, Hickman County ranks 73 out of 120 counties in the state for health outcomes and 23 out of 120 for health factors with greatest challenges being adult obesity (35%), physical inactivity (32%) diabetic monitoring (88%), and access to exercise opportunities (53%).
Youth in Hickman County are at risk for being obese and developing diabetes. Other challenges that face the youth of Hickman County are lack of physical activity and the overall health related issues including disease. When children become overweight at a young age, they are more likely to continue being overweight into adolescence and adulthood. Our Extension Council and County Issues Forum in Hickman County agrees with this assessment and supports this program plan.
•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 Kentuckians
•Manage and prevent the risk, debilitation, and premature death related to diabetes, cancer, heart disease, stroke and hypertension
•Increase policies that address obesity, physical inactivity and promotion of poor nutrition
•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
•Participants will understand importance of and learn how to be physically fit.
•Participants will aspire to include exercises in daily life.
•Participants will learn the differences between portion sizes and serving sizes
•Participants will learn to prepare or choose a healthy snack
•Participants will gain knowledge of the relationship between disease and weight
•Participants will learn how to read food labels
•Participants will understand relationship between caloric intake and energy output
•Participants will understand health related terminology
•Participants will increase knowledge of the benefits of physical activity
Initial Outcome: Youth will understand the importance of and learn how to be being physically fit
Indicator: Increase in knowledge of physical activity
Method: Observation, Surveys
Timeline: 2019-2020 Program Year
Intermediate Outcome: Youth will practice healthy living skills
Indicator: Youth will participate in physical activities
Method: Observation, follow up surveys
Timeline: 2019-2020 School year
Intermediate Outcome: Youth will increase time spent doing physical activity
Indicator: Positive Response of 30 minutes of physical activity
Method: Self-Reports through surveys/questionnaires
Timeline: 2019-2020 School year
Initial Outcome: Participants will increase knowledge related to eating less foods that are eaten in excess.
Indicator: Number of individuals who reported increase in knowledge related to eating less of foods/food components which are commonly eaten in excess (sodium, saturated fats, trans fat, cholesterol, SoFAS, refined grains
Method: Evaluation from Weight the Reality Series and Making Healthy Lifestyle Choices Curriculum
Timeline: Fall 2019
Intermediate Outcome: Participants will make lifestyle changes.
Indicator: Number of individuals who made lifestyle changes (diet, exercise, managing stressors, etc.) for the purpose of improving their health
Method: Evaluation and Surveys Pre and Post
Timeline: Spring 2020
Audience: Pre-K-Elementary to 4th grade
Project or Activity: Germ Busters
Content or Curriculum: CDC Hand Washing Resources, American Cleaning Institute Materials
Inputs: Extension Staff, Youth, HCES, FRYSC
Date: Fall 2019
Audience: Elementary / High School
Project or Activity: Health Fair
Content or Curriculum: UK Curriculum, Think Your Drink, SOFA's
Inputs: Extension Staff, SNAP Ed Assistant, HEEL Program, KAPS Family Resource Center, Community Education Coordinator, Hickman County School System, and other community organizations
Date: 2019-2020 School Year
Audience: Youth
Project or Activity: Bullying
Content or Curriculum: Safe and Caring Schools Curriculum
Inputs: 4-H Agent, School Guidance Counselor, School Facility
Date: 2019-2020 School Year
Audience: Elementary and Middle School Students
Project or Activity: Ready Set Run! Club
Content or Curriculum: Ready, Set, Run! Program, National Alliance for Youth Sports (NAYS), Get Moving Kentucky Youth
Inputs: FCS Agent, 4-H Agent, Extension Volunteers, PE Teacher, School Staff, Local Running Club, Business and Community Support
Date: 2019-2020 School Year
Audience: Youth
Project or Activity: Professor Popcorn
Content or Curriculum: Professor Popcorn
Inputs: 4-H Agent, Youth, SNAP Ed, Elementary School Facility
Date: 2019-2020 School Year
Audience: Preschool and Primary Students
Project or Activity: LEAP - Preschool and Primary
Content or Curriculum: LEAP Curriculum
Inputs: Extension Staff FCS, 4-H and Ag, Pre-K and Head Start, SNAP Ed
Date: Spring 2020
Audience: Youth, Afterschool Program Participants
Project or Activity: Falcon Fit
Content or Curriculum: SPARK, Get Moving KY
Inputs: 4-H Agents, FRYSC Coordinator
Date: Fall 2019-Spring 2020
Audience: Adults
Project or Activity: Get Fit Hickman County
Content or Curriculum: Weight the Reality Series, Making Healthy Life Style Choices, General FCS Nutrition Publication
Inputs: FCS Agent, Challenge Runner, Social Media- Facebook Group, UK Health and Wellness
Date: 2019-2020 Program Year
Audience: Adults
Project or Activity: Weight the Reality Series
Content or Curriculum: Weight the Reality Series Curriculum
Inputs: FCS Agent, Purchase District Health Department
Date: Fall 2019
Audience: General Adult Population
Project or Activity: Holiday and Summer Zero Weight Gain Challenge
Content or Curriculum: UK Health and Wellness, FCS General Health Publications
Inputs: FCS Agent, Social Media- Facebook Group
Date: Thanksgiving to Christmas Holiday Break/ Summer Break
Audience: Adults with Diabetes or Family with Diabetes
Project or Activity: Taking Ownership of Diabetes
Content or Curriculum: Taking Ownership of Diabetes
Inputs: FCS Agent, Purchase District Health Department, Diabetes Coalition
Date: Support Group Once a Month through 2019-2020 program year
Audience: Older Adults and Caregivers
Project or Activity: Dementia Awareness/Caregiver Support
Content or Curriculum: Know the 10 Signs w/ the Alzheimer’s Association
Inputs: FCS Agent, JOY Group, Alzheimer's Association, Hickman County Senior Center
Date: Fall 2019
Audience: Families
Project or Activity: Families on the Move
Content or Curriculum: Families on the Move UK Extension FCS Curriculum
Inputs: FCS Agent, Purchase District Health Department, Purchase Area Health Coalition
Date: Spring 2020
Author: Melissa Goodman
Major Program: Making Healthy Lifestyle Choices (general)
In 2013-2015, 31.9% of adults in Hickman County age 20 and over reported no leisure-time physical activity. At the same time, only 69.2 children entering kindergarten are ready to learn. Physical activity, healthy local food choices, and early community literacy opportunities were strategically combined through the Story Walk experience. The Hickman County 4-H, FCS, and ANR agents collaborated with the Family Resource Youth Service Cent
Author: Melissa Goodman
Major Program: Accessing Nutritious Foods (general)
Extension Day Camp in a BoxOn March 16, 2020, the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service began a quick transition to remote working conditions due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Hickman County Cooperative Extension Service quickly looked for ways to continue programming and reaching youth and families in our community. One of these ways was to create two-day camp boxes; one titled “Extension Explorers” and the other “Extension Day Camp in a Box.”
Author: Melissa Goodman
Major Program: Making Healthy Lifestyle Choices (general)
Low levels of physical activity, unhealthy nutrition, and poor mental health are all determinants of several chronic diseases. These behaviors are now considered major public health concerns and require effective behavior change interventions. Building physical activity into the day does not require special equipment or a certain location. However, the World Health Organization (Jane et al., 2018) has recognized the importance of social resources as a valuable agent for behavior change in health
