Making Healthy Lifestyle Choices
Family and Consumer Sciences
Nicole Gwishiri
Truth and Consequences: The Choice is Yours
Making Healthy Lifestyle Choices (Curriculum)
Get Moving Kentucky (Physical Activity Based Programs)
In Bath County there are great concerns for the citizens when it comes to their health and welfare. Garnering from statistics from Kentuckyhealthfacts.org, the numbers depict the picture of an unhealthy county when it comes to diet and drugs. 14% of the county has diabetes when compared to 11% of the state of Kentucky. 46% of the people living here have hypertension, 73% of Bath County members are overweight, and only 14% of the county takes in the recommended fruit and vegetables on a regular basis. Drug arrests are higher here as well. 1,430 people are arrested for drugs when compared to 100,000 people.
•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 the estimated health savings in dollars for chronic disease.
•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.
Change in awareness, knowledge, opinions, skills, and attitudes needed to make informed choices regarding:
• Healthy lifestyle choices
•Childhood and youth obesity
•Adult weight management
•Healthy aging
•Practice and promotion of daily physical activity
•Policies that that reduce the level of obesity
•Reduction of chronic disease
Initial Outcome: Healthy Lifestyle Choices
Indicator: choices participants use to determine healthy lifestyles, exercising more, purchasing healthier food options
Method: formal and informal sessions (at extension office)
Timeline: 2016-2017
Intermediate Outcome: Practice of physical activity in families and communities and decreased time spent on sedentary behaviors
Indicator: Increase in participants participating in Walking Challenges throughout the year.
Method: Using the Couch Potato Challenges, Get Moving Kentucky, Activities in the Park (weekly walking, yoga, dancing, etc)
Timeline: 2017-2018
Long-term Outcome: Lifestyle Changes will occur and will stick with clientele.
Indicator: Participants will continue to exercise, eat healthy, and monitor outcomes regardless of their health indicators.
Method: formal and informal sessions, Take Charge of Your Diabetes Program, a combination of other programs
Timeline: 2017-2018
Audience: All families
Project or Activity: Increasing Physical Activity
Content or Curriculum: Community Walking Programs, Couch Potato, Get Moving Kentucky
Inputs: Community and faith based organizations, UK Extension, Bath County Schools
Date: 2017-2018
Audience: Pre-K-1st Grade students
Project or Activity: Healthy Lifestyle Choices
Content or Curriculum: LEAP- Pasttime Playdates orogram
Inputs: Bath County Pre-K, Gateway Head Start
Date: September 2017-May 2018
Audience: KEHA, Older Adults
Project or Activity: Reducing Chronic Disease Risk
Content or Curriculum: Primetime Nutrition, Take Charge Of YOur Diabetes
Inputs: Extension, local health care professionals
Date: September 2017-May 2018
Author: Nicole Gwishiri
Major Program: Keys to Embracing Aging
A healthy brain is crucial to survival, growth and everyday successes (Smith, 2010). Similar to the rest of the body, the brain needs exercise and maintenance in order to optimize and protect its current and future health. In particular, the brain needs socialization, mental stimulation, physical activity, nutrition and sleep (AARP/Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives, 2009; Alzheimer’s Association, 2011).Bath County presented Keys to Embracing Aging: Brain Activity to 7 participants.  
Author: Nicole Gwishiri
Major Program: Food Preparation
According to Pew Research, 37 percent of Americans reside in their hometown and have never moved. The same research study says the percentage is much higher for individuals who have a mental, social, or physical disability. Because 26.4 percent of Bath County citizens live at or below the poverty line, along with only 23 percent of the citizens intaking the daily recommendation of fruits and vegetables, the Family and Consumer Sciences Agent decided to host this Cooking Around the World program.
Author: Nicole Gwishiri
Major Program: Keys to Great Parenting
Nurturing Families is one of the seven initiatives of Family and Consumer Sciences Extension in Kentucky. Parenting education is an active component of this initiative. In April of 2016, an estimated 13 percent of children in Kentucky have an incarcerated parent, nearly double the national average of seven percent, according to a survey conducted by Kentucky Youth Advocates. Another study was done that same year states that almost 20 of every 1000 children in the state were abused, according to
Author: Terence Clemons
Major Program: Arts and Community Health
This year the Bath County Extension Council and agents organized a community health screening program. This is the first time extension has led this type of program in our community. The extension agents and leaders actively recruited health care agencies in the region to provide free health screenings in the areas of vision, hearing, circulation, balance, blood pressure, healthy eating, glucose and foot care. St. Clair medical, the Gateway Regional health department, local pha
Author: Nicole Gwishiri
Major Program: Money Habitudes
While identifying needs through the Bath County's Extension Council, one topic that was talked about is the need for financial literacy programs. 63% of Americans have no emergency savings for things such as a $1,000 emergency room visit as reported by Bankrate.com. The FCS Agent hosted a series of educational programs that identified different aspects of financial education, such as savings versus investing, developing a spending plan and evaluating the process, using apps that automate fin