Kenton County CES

Title:

2023 Nutrition, Food Systems, and Health

MAP:

2023 Physical and Mental Health

Agents Involved:

Joan Bowling, Dan Allen, Diane Kelley, Denise Donahue, Brandon George, 3rd 4-H Agent

MAJOR PROGRAM 1:

Health

MAJOR PROGRAM 2:

Nutrition and Food Systems General

MAJOR PROGRAM 3:

Active Living and Health Promotions General

Situation:

       According to Kentucky By the Numbers, nearly 13% of Kenton County adults have diabetes, 33% suffer with hypertension, 37% are obese, and nearly 17% report poor or fair health. According to “Kentucky Health Facts”, Kenton County citizens on average report four days per month (13%) as “physically unhealthy days, and 4% of citizens reported “mentally unhealthy days” per month.  
       37% of youth 10-17 are overweight or obese, and 51% of Kentucky youth report not exercising regularly.  In addition, the rate of both fatal and nonfatal overdoses doubled during 2015-2017 in Kenton County and vaping rates nearly doubled among Kentucky middle and high school students.  25% of youth in Kentucky report some form of emotional or behavioral condition, and suicide rates are at a record high.
         Kenton County citizens are fortunate to have 5 farmers markets throughout the county. Food deserts in certain communities, however, still remain, with 13% of Kenton County citizens considered food insecure, and over 17,000 receiving food stamps.        
         The recent county needs assessment report, County Extension Council, plus other local advisory councils have identified the high number of overweight youth and adults, the need for increased physical activity, a foundation of nutrition knowledge and skills, along with the necessity of tools to address positive mental health and substance use prevention as vital for our community.  

Long-Term Outcomes:

• Routinely employ healthy dietary and physical activity practices that promote health and wellness (e.g. consume recommended daily fruits and vegetables, 150 minutes a week of moderate activity, improve food management skills)
• Reduce the rate of chronic disease and obesity in both youth and adults
• Increased use of local farmer’s markets
• Decreased number of youth and adults feeling emotional distress, and/or seeking answers through the use of drug, alcohol and tobacco use. 

Intermediate Outcomes:

• Generate positive attitudes toward changing lifestyle choices to be healthier
• Increase intake of fruits, vegetables, and other nutrient-dense foods, while decreasing intake of solid fats, added sugars, and sodium
• Increased adoption and mastery of health behaviors that lead to a healthy lifestyle (decrease substance use, increased physical activity)
• Employ healthful and safe cooking methods, feeding practices, and food preservation techniques

• Improved perceived stress and ability to cope in both youth and adults

• Increase awareness of healthy food via local farmers markets and/or home gardens, and improve knowledge and skill on preparation techniques for these foods.

Initial Outcomes:

• Increase awareness about relationships between food and nutrition practices and overall health in both youth and adults. 
• Increase confidence in ability to employ healthy eating practices and increase suitable physical activity.
• Improve food and nutrition-related motivation and skills to safely choose, handle, prepare, store, and consume healthier foods.
• Improved physical, social, and emotional health habits
• Increase awareness about lifestyle choices and chronic disease 
• Improved education about substance use disorder and mental health disease
• Increase awareness of local farmers markets & needed micro-processing training 

Evaluation:

Outcome:   Nutrition knowledge, skills, competencies, and dietary intake

Indicator:   Number of individuals who reported: use knowledge and skills to improve food-shopping management; utilize the food label to make healthy choices.
 Number of individuals who reported: eating 4-6 servings of fruits and/or vegetables daily, increased consumption of other nutrient dense food, and decreased consumption of low nutrient foods.

Method: Self-report surveys; specific curricula or program evaluations

Timeline:   Pre-post implementing curricula or program

Outcome: Safe preparation and preservation of food 

Indicator:   Number of individuals who reported: preparing more home-cooked meals; modifying ingredients and/or preparation techniques to improve nutrition; increased food preservation knowledge, amount of food preserved at home through canning, freezing, or drying. 

Method: Self-report survey; specific curricula or program evaluations

Timeline:  Pre-post implementing curricula or program

Outcome:   Chronic Disease Prevention

Indicator:   Number of individuals reporting one or more health indicators (cholesterol, bp, body mass index, blood glucose) improved.

Method: Self-report surveys about dietary intake or improvements; specific curricula or program evaluations

Timeline: Pre-post implementing curricula or program

Outcome:  Local availability and fresh food usage

Indicator:   Number of individuals who reported: utilizing delivery systems/access points (e.g., farmers’ markets, CSAs, WIC, food pantries) that offer healthy foods; supplementing diets with healthy foods grown, preserved, or purchased locally; dollar value of vendor-reported sales or EBT, WIC, or Senior benefits redeemed at farmers’ markets; increased use of these foods to prepare meals.

Method: Self-report survey

Timeline:   Pre-post implementing curricula or program such as plate it up

Outcome:   Increased knowledge of ways to control stress   

Indicator:   Number of individuals participating in programs 

Method:   Survey

Timeline: Pre-post test

Outcome: Physical activity knowledge, skills, and competencies 

Indicator:   Number of individuals who reported: knowledge and skills gained about the benefits of physical activity; adoption of physical activity practices; increase in physical activity levels

Method: Self-report survey

Timeline:   Pre-post implementing curricula or program

Learning Opportunities:

 Audience: Kenton County Youth
 Project or activity: Junior and Senior Culinary Challenge
 Content or Curriculum: 4-H Food Curriculum
 Inputs: Agents, volunteers, 4-H Assistants
 Date: August - September 2024

 Audience: N. KY. Area Extension Homemakers/general public
 Activity:Essential Ingredients: Baking Up Leadership
 Content or Curriculum:Superstar Chef, KEHA
 Inputs:N. KY. area FCS agents
 Date: August 2023

 Audience:SeniorCenter participants/ Life Learning Center attendees
 Activity: SNAP lessons
 Content or Curriculum: UK publications
 Inputs: FCS Agents
 Date: September 2023 through June 2024

Project or Activity: Hands on Food Preservation for Adults
Content or Curriculum: UK Publications and Trainings, FCS Agents
 Inputs: FCS Agents, extension facilities, programmatic materials
 Date: July 2023

Project or Activity: Food, nutrition, and safety news articles

Content or Curriculum: UK exclusives, nutrition publications

Inputs: FCS Agent developed

Date: Weekly articles-rotate topics

Project or Activity: Farmers Markets CES information booth

Content or Curriculum: Plate It Up, FCS preparation and safety information, Victory garden, Plan-Eat-Move

Information Inputs: UK NEP and FCS specialists, Agent designed, SNAP incentives

Date: May-October 2023, May-June 2024

 Project or Activity: SNAP program collaboration

Content or Curriculum: UK SNAP

Inputs: Kenton Program Funds

Date: All Year

 Project or Activity: Nutrition education programs
 Content or Curriculum: MyPlate, Plate It Up 
 Inputs: SNAP Ed curriculum, Agent designed
 Date: Monthly beginning August 2023

 Project or Activity: Readyfests and Health Fairs
 Content or Curriculum: SNAP, MyPlate, Plate It Up

Inputs: Agent designed, SNAP incentives
 Date: August 2023

 Project or Activity: Life Learning Center - Nutrition Education for Recovering Adults
 Content or Curriculum: SNAP curriculum, MyPlate
 Inputs: FCS Agent and center staff designed
 Date: Monthly beginning September 2023

Project or Activity – Area Homemaker Learning Seminar
 Content –BARN curriculum & Wellness Day
 Inputs – Agent, area homemaker designed
 Date – August 2023 - January 2024

Audience:  Kenton County 4-H Youth
Project or Activity: Adulting 101 Cooking Bartlett Alternative School
Content: 4-H Health
Inputs: Agent designed
 Date:  2023/2024

Audience:  4-H Youth
Project or Activity: Expressive Art

Content or Curriculum: National 4-H Art Curriculum
Inputs:   Agents & Assistants
Date:  July 2023 - June 2024

Audience: Farming Community

Project or Activity: Healthy Farmer Program

Content: UKL Wellness and USDA

Inputs: Local medical professionals and Agents

Date: June 2023 Publications distributed

Success Stories