Daviess County CES

Title:

Healthy Lifestyles

MAP:

Healthy Lifestyle/Wellness

Agents Involved:

Alexander, Hardy, Heisdorffer, Potts, and Clingenpeel

MAJOR PROGRAM 1:

Super Star Chef

MAJOR PROGRAM 2:

Plate It Up! Kentucky Proud

MAJOR PROGRAM 3:

Nutrition and Food Systems General

MAJOR PROGRAM 4:

Active Living and Health Promotions General

Situation:

Due to the increasing trend of chronic disease and obesity in Kentucky, individuals, families, and communities need tools and environments that support healthy and active lifestyle choices. The Daviess County Extension Council met with the Extension Agents to identify programs to reach the needs of Daviess County. 

According to Kentuckyhealthfacts.org (2019), 27% of adults 18 years and older in Daviess County were classified as obese and 67% as overweight, which is equivalent to the state percentage. In addition, 29% of individuals in Daviess County reported lack of physical activity and 39% have hypertension. Increased consumption of unhealthy food, stress, and lack of physical activity are largely responsible for the obesity epidemic among adults and youth. 

Long-Term Outcomes:

• Maintain or improve health, physical activity 

• Reduce impact of substance abuse 

• Access to healthy foods 

Intermediate Outcomes:

• Eat 1 or more fruit and vegetable a day 

• Plant a garden 

• Plan a meal, prepare with healthy alternatives 

• Be physically active for 30 minutes, 3 days/week 

• Calculate the cost of negative behaviors 

• Make 1 or more behavior changes to reduce risk of chronic illnesses 

• Apply stress management practice 

Initial Outcomes:

•  Match foods to MyPlate groups 

• Name 3 ways to be physically active with no money 

• Recognize consequences of negative behaviors 

• Discuss long term risks for health 

• Describe 2 or more ways to reduce stress 

• List 3 cool-season vegetable crops to plant in the garden 

Evaluation:

Initial Outcome: able to complete activities during programs and answer post evaluation questions. Increase in knowledge, continuing to attend programs, using healthy recipes.  

Indicator: Able to answer questions and complete activities 

Method: Oral feedback, paper surveys and activities 

Timeline: July 2024 - 2025

Intermediate Outcome: Increase in consumption of fruits and vegetables, put into practice cooking and food safety skills, increased physical activity. Number of individuals reporting increased consumption of fruits and vegetables, utilizing healthier recipes for meals and meal planning, and the number of people increasing daily or weekly physical activity. Increased number of people with own garden, purchasing produce at farmers market, begin trying to discuss mental health. 

Indicator: Use of skills in follow up classes/programs, answer post evaluations  

Method: follow-up surveys and evaluations, follow-up programs 

Timeline: July 2024 - 2025

Long-term Outcome: Improved Health, and healthy choices. Participants report better health, consume more healthy recipes/foods, complete Steps challenges, open discussions among family about health, continue using resources like diabetes support groups, healthy cooking classes and steps challenges, continue gardening and help others. 

Indicator: Improved overall health 

Method: Observations, inquiry 

Timeline: July 2024 - 2025

Intermediate Outcome:  Improve Outcomes during substance abuse recovery

Indicator: Improved wellbeing through participating with the garden.

Method: Observation, inquiry

Timeline: July-November 2024 and April-June 2025

Learning Opportunities:

Audience: Adults

Project or Activity: Steps Challenge and Cooking Classes

Content or Curriculum: Dining with Diabetes, Plate it Up KY Proud, SNAP 

Inputs: FCS Agent, SNAP Assistant, 4-H Agents

Date: 2024-2025

Audience: Adults with Diabetes

Project or Activity: Diabetes Support Group

Content or Curriculum: Dining with Diabetes, Hospital/HealthPark Diabetes Educator Resources

Inputs: FCS Agent, Diabetes Educator, Healthy Horizons Health Coalition, Diabetes Coalition

Date: 2024-2025

Audience: Youth ages 9-15

Project or Activity: Super Star Chef

Content or Curriculum: Super Star Chef Curriculum, SNAP handouts

Inputs: FCS Agents, 4-H Agents, SNAP Assistant

Date: Summer 2024

Audience: Preschool and Kindergarten Age Youth; Youth ages 9-18

Project or Activity: Introduction of various healthy food and snack choices

Content or Curriculum: LEAP (Literacy, Eating, Activity for Primary Youth Health); Healthy Choices monthly bulletin; MyPlate; 4-H Choose Health; 4-H Teen Cuisine

Inputs: FCS Agent, SNAP Assistant, 4-H Agents, Program Assistant, Extension Volunteers

Date: 2024-2025

Audience: Owensboro Regional Recovery Residents

Project or Activity: Raised Bed Gardening

Content or Curriculum: Home Vegetable Gardening in Kentucky publication

Inputs: Extension Agent

Date: Summer-Fall 2024, Spring-Summer 2025

Audience: General Public

Project or Activity: Home Vegetable Gardening Topics

Content or Curriculum: Home Vegetable Gardening in Kentucky publication

Inputs: Extension Agent, Extension Master Gardeners, Seed Library at the Daviess County Public Library

Date: Summer 2024 and February-May 2025

Audience: Farm Families

Project or Activity: Annie's Project Alumni Curriculum

Content or Curriculum: UK Agricultural Economics

Inputs: Suzy Martin, Cheryl Witt

Date: 2024-2025

Success Stories

NEP Super Star Chef Camp

Author: Sharayha Clingenpeel

Major Program: Super Star Chef

According to 2017 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website, the obesity rate for children ages 9-12 in Kentucky is 20.2%. The Daviess County Extension Council has identified childhood obesity as an important health issue facing their community. Recent research has indicated that teaching cooking skills to children encourages healthier food choices, which can lower obesity rates. In an effort to address this problem, this summer the Daviess County 4-H and Family Consumer S

Full Story

POP Club

Author: Katherine Alexander

Major Program: Nutrition and Food Systems General

POP (power of produce) Club was designed for participants to experience fresh fruits and/or vegetables each week, encourage trying new foods, use recipes that are healthy and budget friendly, and assist with closing the gap in access to fresh fruits and vegetables by providing funding to purchase items from local producers in the community. Over eight weeks this summer, POP Club participants had the opportunity to visit the Owensboro Regional Farmers’ Market once a week, complete an activi

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POP (Power of Produce) Club

Author: Sharayha Clingenpeel

Major Program: Nutrition and Food Systems General

POP (power of produce) Club was designed for participants to experience fresh fruits and/or vegetables each week, encourage trying new foods, use recipes that are healthy and budget friendly, and assist with closing the gap in access to fresh fruits and vegetables by providing funding to purchase items from local producers in the community. Over eight weeks this summer, POP Club participants had the opportunity to visit the Owensboro Regional Farmers’ Market once a week, complete an activi

Full Story

Progressive Ag Youth Safety Day

Author: Stacey Potts

Major Program: Health & Wellbeing

Unintentional injury, while declining, remains the leading cause of death among children ages 19 and under.  (Source: Safekids.org)  To raise awareness and demonstrate techniques children can use to prevent unintentional injury, the Daviess County Cooperative Extension Service applied for and received a grant from the Progressive Agriculture Foundation to host a Progressive Agriculture Youth Safety Day.  The grant provided access to training, along with educational and planning ma

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Food Preservation at the White Chateau

Author: Katherine Alexander

Major Program: Food Preparation and Preservation

Home food preservation has become popular again and with so many ways (Tik Tok, Instagram, Facebook pages etc.) for people to find recipes and instructions on preserving food, not all are safe. The Daviess County Family and Consumer Sciences Extension Agent needed to provide a food preservation class and targeted beginners. The food preservation class taught and discussed methods of food preservation, using the correct and research-based methods and resources. Researched based methods were discu

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