Improve Physical and Mental HealthPlan of Work

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Logan County CES

Title:
Improve Physical and Mental Health
MAP:
Making Healthy Lifestyle Choices
Agents Involved:
Rachel Hance, Carrie Derossett, Leann Martin
MAJOR PROGRAM 1:
Active Living and Health Promotions General
MAJOR PROGRAM 2:
Health
MAJOR PROGRAM 3:
Local Food Systems
MAJOR PROGRAM 4:
Cook Together, Eat Together
Situation:

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. 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.

Healthy living is one of three 4-H mission mandates and encompasses: physical activity, personal safety, mental health, addiction prevention, and diversity and inclusion. In Kentucky, 37% of youth 10-17 are overweight or obese, and 51% report not exercising regularly. 25% of youth report some form of emotional or behavioral condition and suicide rates are at record high (KY suicides per 100,000 people: 15.3, 10th highest in the nation). Substance Use Disorder and Mental Health disease can affect anyone, with 1,160 reported opioid-involved deaths (a rate of 27.9 deaths per 100,000 persons) in Kentucky and Vaping nearly doubled among middle and high school students - with 27% of high school seniors reporting they had tried the product in 2018.

Long-Term Outcomes:

-Increase in the practice and promotion of physical activity and healthy eating daily

-Reduced fatalities

-Reduced number of children in foster care

-Reduced incarceration

-Increased number of youth maintaining positive healthy habits

-Increased number of youth at a lower risk for serious disease and illness

-Increased number of youth at a lower risk for physical and emotional distress

-Reduce the number of youth reporting drug, alcohol, and tobacco use

- Increased number of families continuously finding ways to purchase locally grown fruits and vegetables

- Families continue traditions of home gardening

- Families utilizing Extension education to preserve garden produce

Intermediate Outcomes:

-Changes related to obesity, physical activity and healthy eating

-Increased adoption and mastery of healthy behaviors that lead to a healthy lifestyle

-New coalitions developed to address suicide and mental health

-Improved access and utilization of resources

-Improved perceived stress and ability to cope

-Youth will practice refusal skills

-Youth will intervene to prevent use/abuse

-Agents train in Youth Mental Health First Aid

- Residents grow their own fruits and vegetables in home gardens

- Residents seek out additional Extension programming in garden production

Initial Outcomes:

-Change in awareness, knowledge, opinions, skills, and attitudes needed to make informed choices regarding:

-Healthy lifestyle choices

-Adult weight management

-Practice and promotion of daily physical activity

-Improved in awareness of health concerns for youth

-Improved education about suicide and mental health

-Improved education about diversity and inclusion

-Reduced stigma of individuals with suicide and mental health disease

-Improved understanding of the consequences of risk behaviors

-Promote optimal physical, social, and emotional health habits

- Increased number of families purchasing locally grown fruits and vegetables

- Increased awareness of local food options 

- Increased number of youth and adults participating in gardening programs and projects

Evaluation:

Initial Outcome: Change in awareness, knowledge, opinions, skills, and attitudes needed to make informed choices regarding:

Healthy lifestyle choices

Adult weight management

Practice and promotion of daily physical activity

Indicator: Individuals will show more knowledge and a more positive attitude toward making healthier lifestyle choices including more physical activity and healthier eating habits

Method: Survey and verbal question/answer session

Timeline: At end of program


Intermediate Outcome: Changes related to obesity, physical activity and healthy eating

Indicator: Individuals will show more involvement in physical activity and incorporating healthy eating choices into their diets

Method: Mail out or email survey

Timeline: 3-6 weeks following program


Long-term Outcome: Increase in the practice and promotion of physical activity and healthy eating daily

Indicator: Individuals will show more involvement in physical activity and incorporating healthy eating choices into their diets daily

Method: Mail out or email follow up survey

Timeline: 8-10 weeks following program


Outcome to be evaluated

Number of youth who indicated they learned about healthy food choices through 4-H programs

Method of Evaluation

Number of youth who were educated on health and well-being through 4-H programs? (KOSA)

Number of youth who indicated they made healthy lifestyle choices as a result of what they learned through 4-H Programming? (Practice)

Number of youth who indicated they increased their daily number of servings of fruits and vegetables eaten as a result of 4-H programs? (Practice) Number of youth who indicated "yes or usually" to the Common Measures Experience Survey Question #6 "Is 4-H A place where you get to figure out things for yourself?" (SEEC)

Number of youth who indicated "yes or usually" to the Common Measures Experience Survey Question #13 "Is 4-H a place where you have a chance to be a leader?" (SEEC)

Learning Opportunities:

Audience: General Public
Project or Activity: Get Fit Logan County
Content or Curriculum: UK publications and resources
Inputs: Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service (CES) agents, program assistants, specialists and volunteers; Kentucky CES publications and resources, United States Department of Agriculture
Date: July 2021-June 2022


Audience: Extension Homemakers
Project or Activity:  How Secure Are You?
Content or Curriculum: UK publications and resources
Inputs: Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service (CES) agents, program assistants, specialists and volunteers; Kentucky CES publications and resources, United States Department of Agriculture
Date: October 2021


Audience: Extension Homemakers
Project or Activity:  Healthy Bladder Habit Might Help You
Content or Curriculum: UK publications and resources
Inputs: Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service (CES) agents, program assistants, specialists and volunteers; Kentucky CES publications and resources, United States Department of Agriculture
Date: January 2022


Audience: Extension Homemakers
Project or Activity:  Communication Essentials for Good Impressions
Content or Curriculum: UK publications and resources
Inputs: Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service (CES) agents, program assistants, specialists and volunteers; Kentucky CES publications and resources, United States Department of Agriculture
Date: April 2022


Audience: Extension Homemakers
Project or Activity:  Scam Red Flags and Avoiding Fraud
Content or Curriculum: UK publications and resources
Inputs: Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service (CES) agents, program assistants, specialists and volunteers; Kentucky CES publications and resources, United States Department of Agriculture
Date: June 2022


Audience: General Public

Project or Activity: Cook Together Eat Together

Content or Curriculum: UK publications and resources

Inputs: Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service (CES) agents, program assistants, specialists and volunteers; Kentucky CES publications and resources, United States Department of Agriculture

Date: July 2021 – June 2022


Audience: Everyone

Project or Activity: Mental Health

Content or Curriculum: Building Character and Social-Emotional Learning, Mindful Me, Centering on me, Youth Mental Health First Aid

Training: Agent In-services


Audience: Everyone, Safety Day (all 4th graders in public schools)

Project or Activity: Personal Safety

Content or Curriculum: Code name: Home Alone, Keeping Fit and Healthy-First Aid in Action, Headlines for Health

Training: Agent In-services


Audience: School-aged youth

Project or Activity: Physical Health

Content or Curriculum: 4-H DanceFit, Get Moving Kentucky, Keeping Fit & Healthy, SPARK, Steps to Healthy Teen, Bicycling for fun, wheels in motion, Outdoor Adventures

Training: Agent In-services


Audience: all youth

Project or Activity: Diversity and Inclusion

Content or Curriculum: Building Character and Social-Emotional Learning, Essential Elements, Diversity; The source of Our Strength, Be SAFE: Safe, Affirming, and Fair Environments, Black History, 4-H LIFE

Training: Agent In-services


Audience: everyone

Project or Activity: Addiction Prevention

Content or Curriculum: Health Rocks!, Youth Mental Health First Aid, Truth and Consequences

Training: Agent In-services


Audience: Residents

Project or Activity: Community gardens and Home gardening Courses

Content or Curriculum: Home Gardening, Home gardening pest control, Gardening in small spaces,

Training: Agent In-services

Inputs: Agent time, community partners, Elementary Schools, Sponsors, USDA conservation Office

Dates: Spring/Summer 2020; Spring/Summer 2021



Success Stories

BARN Farmers' Dinner Theater

Author: Carrie Derossett

Major Program: Substance Use and Mental Health – 4-H Youth Development

Farmers and farmworkers consistently report high levels of stress associated with commodity production and rural living. The culmination of rural living, farm work, and stress is associated with elevated rates of suicide in farming occupations. A mutual partnership was created between the UK Cooperative Extension Service and the UK College of Nursing to develop the BARN Farm Camp and Dinner Theater on mental wellness and suicide prevention in response to farmer stress and suicide. UK Cooperative

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Logan/Warren BARN Dinner Theater

Author: Leann Martin

Major Program: Substance Use and Mental Health - ANR

Farmers and farmworkers consistently report high levels of stress associated with commodity production and rural living. The culmination of rural living, farm work, and stress is associated with elevated rates of suicide in farming occupations. A mutual partnership was created between the UK Cooperative Extension Service and the UK College of Nursing to develop the BARN Farm Camp and Dinner Theater on mental wellness and suicide prevention in response to farmer stress and suicide. UK Cooperative

Full Story

BARN Farm Dinner Theatre

Author: Rachel Hance

Major Program: Substance Use and Mental Health - FCS

Farmers and farmworkers consistently report high levels of stress associated with commodity production and rural living. The culmination of rural living, farm work, and stress is associated with elevated rates of suicide in farming occupations. A mutual partnership was created between the UK Cooperative Extension Service and the UK College of Nursing to develop the BARN Farm Camp and Dinner Theater on mental wellness and suicide prevention in response to farmer stress and suicide. UK Cooperative

Full Story

The Life Cycle Project

Author: Carrie Derossett

Major Program: Substance Use and Mental Health – 4-H Youth Development

One substantial bi-product of the pandemic was that in many instances the fun was taken away. With social distancing and limited access to things, we found ourselves in a world that seemed to be summed up as – CANCELLED. The fun was taken out of our lives and taken away from our youth. As schools were closed to visitors in 2021, Logan County Extension partnered with our Family Resource Youth Service Centers to try to bring some of that happiness and fun back to the classroom. We began gard

Full Story
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