Embracing a Healthy Lifestyle
Embracing a Healthy Lifestyle
4-H, FCS, ANR, assistant(s)
Health
Family and Consumer Science
Active Living and Health Promotions General
Food Preparation and Preservation
Healthy living encompasses many aspects including physical activity, personal safety, mental health, and addiction prevention. Russell County’s data profile shows that we exceed state and national incidence rates in obesity, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, cancer, substance abuse, and overall healthy days (Kentucky Health Facts). Implementation of savings and retirement planning can also lead to overall life satisfaction and reduce stress in the family.
- Clientele maintaining positive health habits.
- Clientele lower their risk for serious illness and disease.
- Clientele lower their physical and emotional distress.
- Lower number of reported drug, alcohol, and tobacco use.
- Reduced fatalities on family farms and in the community.
- Clientele increase personal financial savings for emergencies and future needs.
- Clientele adopt behaviors that lead to a healthy lifestyle.
- Clientele report improved ability to cope with daily stress and distress.
- Clients adopt a physical activity plan.
- Clients choose healthy foods.
- Clients reduce risky behaviors.
- Clients develop and implement a personal and/or family savings plan.
- Clientele learn the consequences of risky behavior.
- Clientele can identify healthy ways to handle stress.
- Clientele can identify healthy foods and/or the three components of physical activity.
- Clients gain knowledge on budgeting, saving, investing, and long-term financial planning.
Outcome: adoption of healthy lifestyle and stress coping practices
Indicator: 1/3 of participants implement some aspect of healthy living and stress reduction
Method: self-evaluation and observation
Timeline: post-program
Outcome: adoption of safety practices
Indicator: 1/3 of participants implement knowledge gained on personal, farm, and internet safety
Method: observation, self-evaluation
Timeline: post-program
Outcome: gain skills in food preparation and food preservation
Indicator: 1/3 of participants learn and/or implement skills to prepare food for home consumption
Method: observation; self-evaluation
Timeline: post-program
Outcome: personal and family savings plans are implemented
Indicator: 1/3 of participants implement a financial management plan
Method: self-evaluation
Timeline: throughout and after the program
Outcome: substance abuse decreases
Indicator: reduction in drug and alcohol usage rates
Method: analysis of KIP data
Timeline: over many years
Outcome: Youth practice safety procedures and environmental stewardship
Indicator: Accident and environmental measures
Method: Observation, verbal and written evaluations
Timeline: Yearly
Audience: Youth
Activity/Project: Youth cooking programs
Content/Curriculum: KSF recipes; 4-H Cooking curricula
Inputs: volunteer leader, curricula, meeting space and cooking materials
Date: throughout year
Activity/Project: Youth nutrition education
Content/Curriculum: 4-H core curricula
Inputs: volunteers, curricula, materials, snack items
Date: September - February
Activity/Project: Resiliency and mindfulness
Content/Curriculum: 4-H health and fitness curricula; Mind Matters resources
Inputs: participants, meeting space, curriculum
Date: throughout year
Activity/Project: physical activity
Content/Curriculum: 4-H health core curriculum
Inputs: participants, meeting space, curriculum
Date: school year and/or summer
Activity/Project: money management
Content/Curriculum: Kentucky 4-H and FCS financial management resources
Inputs: participants, meeting space, curriculum
Date: as requested
Activity/Project: hygiene
Content/Curriculum: 4-H Health curricula
Inputs: participants, meeting space, curriculum
Date: during school year
Activity/Project: Health Rocks
Content/Curriculum: Health Rocks curriculum
Inputs: participants, volunteer leaders, curriculum
Date: school year and/or summer daycamp
Activity/Project: Farm Safety Day
Content/Curriculum: Various Topics
Inputs: Participants, volunteers and Progressive Ag Foundation
Date: Fall Yearly
Audience: Adults
Activity/Project: Addiction training and prevention programs
Content/Curriculum: Addiction 101 and other CES resources
Inputs: agent, volunteers, curriculum
Date: TBD
Activity/Project: Healthy Living programming
Content/Curriculum: Health Bulletins, cooking resources, Plate it Up, WIN, Kick KY Cancer, health partners, Keys to Embracing Aging, Fit Blue, Faithful Families, etc.
Inputs: agents, curriculum, community partners
Date: TBD
Activity/Project: Disease Prevention programs
Content/Curriculum: Keys to Embracing Aging, Alzheimer’s resources; Stand Up to Falling, Fit Blue, Dining with Diabetes, other FCS resources
Inputs: agents, volunteers, community partners
Date: throughout year
Activity/Project: Financial Education
Content/Curriculum: Money Habitudes, Recovering Your Finances, etc.
Inputs: agent, publications and financial resources, community partners
Date: TBD
Activity/Project: Estate Planning
Content/Curriculum: FCS estate planning resources
Inputs: agent, publications and resources, community partners/presenters
Date: TBD
Author: Christina A. Martin
Major Program: Family and Consumer Science
Nutrition education and healthy lifestyles were identified by local leadership councils to be an educational priority for youth to help combat the obesity issue in Kentucky. According to the Trust for America’s Healthy Survey and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Kentucky’s obesity rate for children ages 10-17 has increased to over 21%. Instructing children with the aspects of healthy nutritional choices at a young age is critical to addressing issues of weight. T
Author: Jonathan Oakes
Major Program: Local Food Systems
Russell County has always had a strong heritage in vegetable production, whether it be commercial or home garden production. This year, in conjunction with Russell County Health Department, and an community volunteer, we were able to start another community garden in Russell County. What started as a single garden, more than 10 years ago has flourished into 3 community gardens in the county. With one being located at the extension office, one at a local volunteers home, and another a