Knott County CES

Title:

Healthy Families

MAP:

Family Health and Wellness

Agents Involved:

Dora Centers, and Chad Conway

MAJOR PROGRAM 1:

Nutrition and Food Systems General

MAJOR PROGRAM 2:

Local Food Systems

MAJOR PROGRAM 3:

Health

MAJOR PROGRAM 4:

Active Living and Health Promotions General

Situation:

With the unemployment rate in the county on the rise, community leaders through surveys, council meetings, and one-to-one face meetings have directed Extension programming to focus on areas dealing with the health and well-being of families.  Children, who start kindergarten with delayed development and fewer assets, are far more likely to repeat grades, get tracked into lower-tier classes, and drop out of high school.  27.5% of children live in poverty.  Knott County’s population of seniors is 13.4%, a number that is expected to increase due to aging baby boomers.  Nutrition Education programs help families gain access to food and stretch food dollars.  Due to the increasing trend of chronic disease and obesity in Kentucky, individuals, families, and communities need tools and environments that support healthful dietary decisions.  Knott County ranks 117 out of 120 KY counties for poor health.  Obesity and chronic diseases in Knott county were highlighted as a need in the 2019 needs assessment.

Long-Term Outcomes:

• Knott County families are able to:
• Care for the physical, mental health, and well-being of each individual over the long term
• Foster the optimal development of children and youth
• Practice parental leadership skills
• Embrace people from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds
• Access community resources when needed
• Decrease the number of individuals with chronic disease
• Decrease obesity
• Access to local foods in our community throughout the year

Intermediate Outcomes:

• Practice healthy food choices and food preparation
• Practice physical activity
• Access community agencies and resources when needed
• Plant, harvest and preserve produce
• Change behavior to reduce risk of falling
• Improve mental health
• Healthy aging
• Access to fresh produce at the local farmers market
  
  

Initial Outcomes:

• Intend to practice healthy lifestyle choices
• Intend to manage stress, self-care, improve communication skills
• Learn to grow, prepare and preserve food
• Increase knowledge and understanding of healthy eating, food safety, and food resource management
• Increase healthy lifespan behaviors
• Understand age-related issues
• Practice daily physical activity
• Gaining knowledge and access to the local farmers market

Evaluation:

Observation and the use of pre and post-test results

Learning Opportunities:

Audience: Adults

Project or Activity: Sharing Meals Together: A Guide to Smarter Potlucks

Content or Curriculum: UK Extension Curriculum 

Inputs: Agents

Date: On-going

Audience: Adults

Project or Activity: Plate it Up: KY Proud

Content or Curriculum: UK Extension Curriculum 

Inputs: Agents

Date: March 2023

Audience: Families

Project or Activity: Nutrition/Food Classes

Content or Curriculum: UK Extension Curriculum 

Inputs: Agents

Date: On-Going

Audience: Youth/Adults

Project or Activity: Managing Lifestyle Choices

Content or Curriculum: UK Extension Curriculum 

Inputs: Agents

Date: On-Going

Audience: Adults/Youth

Project or Activity: Knott County Farmers Market

Content or Curriculum: Extension Agents, Farmers Market Committee, FFA, Community Partners, and KDA 

Inputs: KDA, Hindman Settlement School, and Extension Service

Date: March-October

Success Stories