Extension
It Starts With Us
Active Living and Health Promotions
Promoting Healthy Homes and Communities
Alissa Ackerman, Ashley Adkins, Emily Boggs
Nutrition and Food Systems General
Active Living and Health Promotions General
Health
Food Preparation and Preservation
Clay County, a small rural county in Eastern Kentucky, families make choices to improve health and wellbeing, incorporate nutritious food into their diet, participate in physical activity, and chronic disease (including diabetes, heart disease stroke, cancer) prevention. With the increased trend of chronic disease and obesity in KY, individuals, families, youth and communities need tools and environments that support healthy and active lifestyle choices. CES Agents are encouraged to reach audiences to help combat chronic disease and obesity in KY communities. Focusing on a foundation of overall direct health education to increase health literacy and ability to make healthy lifestyle choices. A foundation of nutrition knowledge, skills and competencies in topics such as food safety, handling and preparation, cooking methods and techniques, feeding practices, are essential to changing dietary behaviors. According to statistics 38% of our county is obese with 18% of our adults being diagnosed with diabetes, and 33% of the adults don’t meet the standard activity level and 48% have high blood pressure. Lifestyle choices impact the quality and years of life.
-Increase the physical activity and dietary recommendations that promote health and wellness for families and youth.
-Reduce the rate of chronic disease and obesity.
-Generate positive attitude toward lifestyle choices to be healthy.
-Increase intake of fruit, vegetables, and other nutrient dense food.
-Improve self-efficacy in physical activity and movement.
-Increase awareness of healthy lifestyle choices and chronic disease.
-Improve food and nutrition related skills preparation and safe food handling.
-Increase physical activity.
Long-Term Outcome: Increase the consumption of healthy foods and increase physical activity.
Indicator: number that reported spending time together in physical activity, number that report eating more healthy foods, leading to improvement of quality of life.
Method: Word of mouth, formal/informal evaluation.
Timeline: 2020-2024
Intermediate Outcome: Families practice healthy food choices to build healthy eating plans. Family practice physical activity.
Indicator: number that reported spending time together in physical activity; number that report eating more healthy foods leading to improvement of quality of life.
Method: word of mouth, formal/informal evaluation.
Timeline: 2020-2024
Initial Outcome: Families will increase knowledge, skills and attitude related to healthy life skill choices and weight management.
Indicator: Number that gained knowledge about eating healthy food. Number that reported understanding the benefits of spending time together in physical activity.
Method: Word of mouth, formal/informal evaluations.
Timeline: 2020-2024
Audience: Adults
Project or Activity: Diabetes Support Group
Content or Curriculum: Diabetic Shoes
Inputs: Family & Consumer Science Agent
Date: Quarterly 2023-2024
Audience: Youth
Project or Activity: NEP Super Star Chef Camp
Content or Curriculum: NEP Recipes
Inputs: Family & Consumer Science Agent
Date: Summer 2023
Audience: Adults
Project or Activity: Plate It Up Cooking School
Content or Curriculum: Plate It Up Recipes
Inputs: Family & Consumer Science Agent
Date: 3 times a year
Audience: Families
Project or Activity: Cook Together, Eat Together
Content or Curriculum: Cook Together, Eat Together
Inputs: Family & Consumer Science Agent/Agencies
Date: 2023-2024
Audience: Adults
Project or Activity: Holiday Cooking School
Content or Curriculum: Recipes
Inputs: Wilderness Trail Area Family & Consumer Agents
Date: November 2023
Audience: Homemakers
Project or Activity: Make Ahead Meals
Content or Curriculum: UK Publication
Inputs: Family & Consumer Science Agent
Date: Fall 2023
Audience: Homemakers
Project or Activity: Using What’s In Your Pantry
Content or Curriculum: UK Publication
Inputs: Family & Consumer Science Agent, Curriculum
Date: Spring 2024
Audience: Middle School 7th Grade
Project or Activity: Truth and Consequences
Content or Curriculum: Truth and Consequences
Inputs: All Agents, Community
Date 2023-2024
Audience: Families
Project or Activity: Preserving Food
Content: UK Publications
Inputs: Agents
Date: 2023-2024
Audience: Families
Project or Activity: Dehydrating Food
Content: UK Publication
Input: Family & Consumer Science Agent
Date: 2023-2024
Audience: Families
Project or Activity: Knife Skills
Content or Curriculum: UK Publication
Input: Family & Consumer Science Agent
Date: 2023-2024
Audience: Families
Project or Activity: Recipes for Life
Content or Curriculum: UK Publications
Inputs: Family & Consumer Science Agent
Date: 2023-2024
Audience: Families
Project or Activity: Recipe of the Month
Content or Curriculum: Plate It Up Recipes/ Calendar Cooking
Input: Plate It Up Recipes Grocery Stores, Family & Consumer Science Agent
Date: All year
Audience: Homemakers
Project or Activity: Educate Before You Medicate
Content or Curriculum: UK Publication
Input: Homemaker Leader’s Training
Date: Mailout
Audience: Youth
Project or Activity: 4-H Cooking 101
Content or Curriculum: 4-H Cooking 101 Curriculum
Inputs: 4-H Agent
Date: 2023-2024
Audience: Youth
Project or Activity: Health Rocks
Content or Curriculum: 4-H Curriculum
Inputs: 4-H Agent
Date: Fall 2023
Audience: Youth
Project or Activity: Mental Health Education
Content or Curriculum: Mental Health 4-H Curriculum
Inputs: 4-H Agent
Date: 2023-2024
Audience: Youth
Project or Activity: Professor Popcorn
Content or Curriculum: FCS/4-H Curriculum
Inputs: 4-H Agent
Date: 2023-2024 School Year
Audience: Youth
Project or Activity: Middle School Enrichment
Content or Curriculum: Team Building With Youth
Input: 4-H Agent, Teachers
Date: Spring 2024
Audience: Youth
Project or Activity: Hygiene 101
Content or Curriculum: Staying Healthy – National 4-H Curriculum
Input: 4-H Agent, Teachers
Date: Fall 2023
Audience: Adults/Teens
Project or Activity: Disaster Preparedness
Content or Curriculum: UK Publication
Input: Agents/Volunteers
Date: Spring 2024
Author: Alissa Ackerman
Major Program: Family and Consumer Science
According to Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, “Cooking is a valuable skill that teaches children about nutrition and food safety, as well as building math, science, literacy and fine motor skills.” However, with limited access to grocery stores in Clay County, busy schedules and convivence of fast food restaurants, many youth are at a disadvantage when it comes to gaining skills in the kitchen and acquiring knowledge about the importance of nutrition. When assessing the needs and
