Extension
It Starts With Us
Healthy Lifestyle Choices
Nurturing Families and Individuals by Promoting Healthy Lifestyle Choices
S. Campbell, T. Yankey
Promoting Healthy Homes and Communities (general)
Mastering Food Choices
4-H Leadership Core Curriculum
Improving health and reducing poverty are the two top goals of FCS and 4-H programming.
Health at every stage of life is a national goal of Extension. We are working on chronic disease prevention.
Kentucky adults rank among the 10 highest for poor consumption of fruits and vegetables in the US.
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. Kentucky now ranks #5 in obesity (2014), up from #10 in 2012. Kentucky youth rank among the 10 highest for obesity in the US.
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.
Minorities and individuals residing in Appalachia bear a heavier brunt of the obesity and chronic disease burden. The goal of the Making Healthy Lifestyle Choices Initiative is to reverse these trends by working with various organizations, agencies, and groups to promote the health and wellness in all Kentuckians.
Poorly controlled diabetes too often results in complications such as heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, blindness, kidney disease, nervous system disease, dental disease, and amputations. Individuals have the ability to make lifestyle changes as a means of managing their diabetes
Increased quality of life for individuals with diabetes
Decrease in the number of individuals with diabetes-related complications
Increase the potential calculated health savings in dollars for participants in the program. Individuals will continue to take steps to manage their diabetes
Reduce Chronic Disease Risk and Debilitation and Premature Death by Practicing Healthy Lifestyle Choices
•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 well-being of Kentuckians
•Manage and prevent the risk, debilitation, and premature death related to diabetes
•Increase the estimated health savings in dollars for chronic disease.
•Increase policies that address obesity, physical inactivity and promotion of poor nutrition
Individuals will see their health care providers and follow their prescribed regimen as a means of managing their diabetes. Implement at least 3 healthy eating practices and will utilize a meal plan to manage their diabetes.
Individuals will improve in their ability to set goals and solve problems related to diabetes management.
•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 stress.
Increase awareness of diabetes and the problems associated with not managing the disease
Improve knowledge and attitudes related to managing and taking ownership of the disease. Develop skills that would improve self management
Change in awareness, knowledge, opinions, skills, and attitudes needed to make informed choices regarding:
• Healthy lifestyle choices
•Practice and promotion of daily physical activity
1. Number of people who took part in physical activity for 30 or more minutes on five or more days of the week (may be completed by a minimum of three 10 minutes of physical activity)
Taking Ownership of Your Diabetes
1. Number of individuals who lost 5 to 7 percent of body weight
2. Number of people who took part in physical activity for 30 or more minutes on five or more days of the week (may be completed by a minimum of three 10 minutes of physical activity)
3. Number of people seen by a health professional as a means of managing their diabetes one or more times during the year
4. Number of people who checked their blood glucose 1 or more times per day
5. Number of people who had their A1C checked in the past year
6. Number of people who utilized a diabetes meal plan (Think your plate/Plate Method, Carbohydrate Counting)
7. Number of people who implemented at least 3 healthy eating practices to help address their diabetes as a result of the program
8. Number of people who had a foot exam in the last year
Family Mealtime
1. Number of individuals and families who reported increase in knowledge related to the benefits of family mealtime
2. Number of individuals and families who reported having family meals on three or more nights of the week
3. Number of individuals and families who reported making healthier choices or choosing more nutrient dense choices as a result of having family meals
4. Number who increase the total number of vegetables in their diet
5. Number who increase the number of dark green leafy, red and yellow/orange, and beans and peas in their diet
6. Number who increased access to vegetables through Farmers Markets, farm-to-institution and community supported agriculture programs
Youth Fruit and Vegetable Access
1. Number of children grades K-2 who could identify vegetables
2. Number of children grades K-2 who could identify fruits
3. Number of children grades 3-5 who report eating vegetables
4.Number of children grades 3-5 who report eating fruit
5. Number of children grades 3-5 who report intention to ask their family to buy their favorite fruit of vegetable
6. Number of children grades 3-5 who report the intent to ask their family to keep fruits in a place where they can reach them
7. Number of children grades 3-5 who report intention to ask their family to keep cut-up vegetables in a place where they can reach them
Initial Outcome: Family mealtime, Taking Ownership of Your Diabetes listed above
Indicator: As listed above in outcomes
Method: Post Survey
Timeline: at end of program
Initial Outcome: Youth Fruit and Vegetable Access
Indicator: Increase in youth fruit and vegetable consumption
Method: Monthly survey of youth and quarterly survey of parents, observations reported by teachers and teaching assistants monthly
Timeline: monthly and quarterly as described in method
Intermediate Outcome: Taking Ownership of Your Diabetes
Indicator: As indicated above
Method: Class discussion, pre/post surveys, diabetes checklist
Timeline: end of program and 3 month followup
Audience: Families with children ages 0 - 18
Project or Activity:
Content or Curriculum: Family Mealtime
Inputs: Agents 4-H, Ag, FCS, teachers in pre-K, Head Start, Kindergarten
Date: August, Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec, February, April, May
Audience: Adults with Type 2 Diabetes
Project or Activity: 6 session program
Content or Curriculum: Taking Ownership of Your Diabetes
Inputs: FCS Agent, doctor, pharmacist
Date: April, May
Audience: pre-K, Kindergarten, and Head Start youth
Project or Activity: classroom visits, literacy activity
Content or Curriculum: LEAP, SNAP for youth
Inputs: 4-H, FCS, Ag agents, teachers and teacher assistants
Date: Sept - May
Audience: Youth in Anderson County
Project or Activity: Longest Day of Play
Content or Curriculum:SNAP for youth
Inputs: 4-H,volunteers, community
Date: June
Author: Susan Campbell
Major Program: 4-H Family and Consumer Science Core Curriculum
Anderson County Clover Chefs was planned, implemented and evaluated by the Cooperative Extension Service. It is an after school cooking club. The club meets once per month and at each meeting the participants prepared one or two recipes and received a nutrition lesson. Due to the age of the participants, it was required that an adult assistant accompany the child to the workshop. Within days of the club being advertised, there were thirty four youth registered. Before the end of the program year
