Making proactive choices for a healthier lifePlan of Work

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Jefferson County CES

Title:
Making proactive choices for a healthier life
MAP:
Healthy individuals
Agents Involved:
C. Durr, C. Hall, V. Holland, A. Holt, S. Lewis, W. Long, B. Pratt, M. Pearce and K. Smith
MAJOR PROGRAM 1:
Local Food Systems
MAJOR PROGRAM 2:
Making Healthy Lifestyle Choices (general)
MAJOR PROGRAM 3:
Local Food System Development and Mapping
MAJOR PROGRAM 4:
4-H Youth Development Programming
Situation:
According to the 2014 Louisville Metro Health Equity Report, Jefferson County residents are experiencing chronic diseases at a higher rate than the national average. 29% of Louisville residents live in neighborhoods that experience higher death rates due to stroke compared to the US rate (41.9%). If interventions can bring these neighborhoods down to the national level, we would be able to save 33 people every year. Louisville is experiencing heart disease-related deaths at a higher level (212.4%) than the national average (194%). In fact, if we could bring these neighborhoods down to the national rate, we could save 155 people every year.

Poverty is one of the strongest social determinants of health. Louisville has a slightly higher proportion of adults in poverty (13.3%) compared to the national rate (12.4%). In Louisville, 24% of children live in poverty compared to the national average (20%) and Kentucky (25.1%).

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% 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.
Long-Term Outcomes:
• 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.

• Manage and prevent the risk, debilitation, and premature death related to diabetes, cancer, heart disease, stroke and hypertension.
Intermediate Outcomes:
• Increased adoption and mastery of healthy behaviors that lead to a healthy lifestyle that include making healthy lifestyle choices.

• Practice healthy food choices, physical activity, and strengthen individuals’ ability to build healthy eating plans and patterns.

• Strengthen community coalitions or partnerships to address obesity, physical inactivity and chronic disease.
Initial Outcomes:
• Youth and adults will learn the importance of healthy lifestyle choices.

• Youth and adults understand the benefits of making proactive healthy choices.

• Youth and adults will gain an understanding in healthy lifestyles and the necessary skills for a healthy lifestyle.
Evaluation:
Initial Outcome: Strengthen community coalitions or partnerships to address obesity, physical inactivity and chronic disease.
Indicator: Increase in coalitions and partnerships
Method: Extension records and observation
Timeline: After programs and coalition building

Intermediate Outcome: Youth and adults understand the benefits of making proactive healthy choices.
Indicator: Reported understanding of benefits
Method: Pre- and post-surveys
Timeline: Before and after programs

Long-term Outcome: Increase in the practice and promotion of physical activity and healthy eating daily.
Indicator: Reported increase in physical activity and healthy eating
Method: Pre- and post-surveys
Timeline: Before and after programs
Learning Opportunities:

Audience: Home & Commercial Producers

Project or Activity: Certification & training

Content or Curriculum: GAP training manual, Farmers Market Sampling

Certificate

Inputs: Agent, curriculum, classroom, garden site(s)

Date: July 1, 2017 – June 30, 2018


Audience: Youth & Adults

Project or Activity: Community Garden implementation; school garden

Content or Curriculum: Master Gardener; Extension publications

Inputs: Master Gardener volunteers; specialists; content

curriculum

Date: July 1, 2017 – June 30, 2018


Audience: Youth & Adults

Project or Activity: Food Demonstration, Nutrition Education, Food

Preservation

Content or Curriculum: Making Healthy Lifestyle Choices, Plate It Up

Inputs: CES Staff, CES Agents, Specialists, CES publications,

community partners

Date: July 1, 2017 – June 30, 2018


Audience: Youth

Project or Activity: Reality Store

Content or Curriculum: Health Rocks, Exploring the Treasures of 4-H, My

Financial Future, Step Up to Leadership, Moneywise,

MITT, STEPS to a Healthy Teen

Inputs: Paid staff, volunteers, facilities, outside funding

Date: September 2017 – April 2018


Audience: Youth

Project or Activity: Dollars & Sense

Content or Curriculum: Health Rocks, Exploring the Treasures of 4-H, My

Financial Future, Step Up to Leadership, Moneywise,

MITT, STEPS to a Healthy Teen

Inputs: Paid staff, volunteers, facilities, outside funding

Date: September 2017 – April 2018


Audience: Youth

Project or Activity: Jr. MANRRS

Content or Curriculum: Health Rocks, Exploring the Treasures of 4-H, My

Financial Future, Step Up to Leadership, Moneywise,

MITT, STEPS to a Healthy Teen

Inputs: Paid staff, volunteers, facilities, outside funding

Date: September 2017 – April 2018


Audience: Youth

Project or Activity: Wondergirls

Content or Curriculum: Health Rocks, Exploring the Treasures of 4-H,

My Financial Future, Step Up to Leadership,Moneywise,

MITT, STEPS to a Healthy Teen

Inputs: Paid staff, volunteers, facilities, outside funding

Date: September 2017 – April 2018


Audience: Youth

Project or Activity: In-School Club

Content or Curriculum: Health Rocks, Exploring the Treasures of 4-H,

My Financial Future, Step Up to Leadership,

Moneywise, MITT, STEPS to a Healthy Teen

Inputs: Paid staff, volunteers, facilities, outside funding

Date: September 2017 – April 2018


Audience: Youth

Project or Activity: SPIN Clubs

Content or Curriculum: Health Rocks, Exploring the Treasures of 4-H,

My Financial Future, Step Up to Leadership,

Moneywise, MITT, STEPS to a Healthy Teen

Inputs: Paid staff, volunteers, facilities, outside funding

Date: September 2017 – April 2018


Audience: General Public

Project or Activity: Weight Management, Food Demonstrations, and

Nutrition Education

Content or Curriculum: Making Healthy Lifestyle Choices, Weight the

Reality Series

Inputs: Kentucky CES publications and resources

Date: July 1, 2017 – June 30, 2018


Audience: Extension Homemakers

Project or Activity: Economical Food Entrees

Content or Curriculum: Kentucky Extension Homemakers Association (KEHA)

Inputs: Kentucky CES publication and resources

Date: September 2017 – May 2018


Audience: General Public

Project or Activity: Cooking Matters

Content or Curriculum: Making Healthy Lifestyle Choices

Inputs: Kentucky CES publication and resources and My Plate

Date: July 2017 – June 2018



Success Stories

Fun with Foods After School Program at Bloom and Hawthorne Elementary

Author: Chanda Hall

Major Program: 4-H Family and Consumer Science Core Curriculum

In Jefferson County, there are limited occasions for inner-city youth to participate in hands-on cooking programs.  Improving cooking skills and knowledge of foods helps to promote healthy eating habits. According to Thomas & Irwin, food and cooking skills/food preparation are important for several reasons related to health, knowledge, empowerment, engagement, culture, food security, and fun.  An engaging cooking skills program targeting youth builds self-efficacy, food knowledge a

Full Story

Caregivers are Heroes

Author: Louis "Jenie" Carter

Major Program: National Dining with Diabetes

During the COVID-19 Pandemic, I gained first hand knowledge about being a caregiver.  I was thrust into a whole new world, with my 87 year old Mother. My mother had some underlying health conditions: diabetes, COPD and hypertension and became ill and was hospitalized with pancreatitis.  She had a 14 day stay in the hospital.  It was very hard due to the pandemic I could not visit her while she was there.  Along with the other conditions she had tested positive for the Corona

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Food & Nutrition

Author: Valerie Holland

Major Program: Making Healthy Lifestyle Choices (general)

Statistics continue to show the West Louisville population consumes too much fat, salt, and sugar and too little high fiber fruits, vegetables and whole grains. For this population to maintain optimal health, they must have healthy diets. To assist in this need, the Jefferson County Extension Service collaborated with Dare to Care to provide the nutrition portion of the Cooking Matters program at four of their West Louisville sites. The Family & Consumer Sciences agent presented three progra

Full Story

Understanding Diabetes

Author: Valerie Holland

Major Program: Making Healthy Lifestyle Choices (general)

Jefferson County Family and Consumer Sciences Extension Agent collaborated with KEHA leaders to offer the Healthy Homemakers series to a total of 40 participants. 90 percent of participants identified terms related to diabetes. 93 percent of participants examined the different types of diabetes. 93 percent of participants discussed the various ways to manage diabetes and went for a 10-minute walk. A follow-up evaluation revealed that 75 percent of participants have taken steps to minimize risk o

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