Healthy in the Home
Healthy Families, Healthy Communities
Wayne Kirby, Renata Farmer, Kelsee Dewees
Family and Consumer Science
Horticulture, Consumer and Home
Nutrition and Food Systems General
Health & Wellbeing
A foundation of nutrition knowledge, skills and competencies in topics such as food safety, handling and preparation, cooking methods and techniques, feeding practices, food science, and food systems are essential to changing dietary behaviors. With the increased trend of chronic disease and obesity in Kentucky, individuals, families, and communities need tools and environments that support healthful dietary decisions. Health is more than one's physical being. It also encompasses physical activity, personal safety, mental health, addiction prevention, and diversity and inclusion. Moreover, substance use was the focal point of the CES Advisory Council Meeting in early 2019. Taken together, youth KIP survey data and data from the CES needs assessment demonstrate the need to address substance use prevention, recovery, stigma, and impact on families and communities. It is the goal of Knox County CES to meet the health needs of the individual and family as a whole.
- Routinely employ healthy dietary practices that promote health and wellness (e.g. consume recommended daily fruits and vegetables and improve food management skills)
- Reduce the rate of chronic disease and obesity
- Routinely participate in physical activity
- Reduce the number of youth reporting drug, alcohol, and tobacco use
- Increase intake of fruits, vegetables, and other nutrient-dense foods; Practice healthy eating choices
- Employ healthful cooking methods, feeding practices, and food preservation techniques
- Participate in physical activity
- Youth will practice refusal skills and will intervene to prevent use/abuse
Youth and adults will:
- Increase awareness about relationships between food and nutrition practices and chronic disease.
- Improve food and nutrition-related skills (e.g. gardening, preparation and preservation techniques, safe food handling, food resource management)
- Increase motivation to access and prepare healthier foods
- Learn to read and follow instructions
Initial Outcome: Nutrition knowledge, skills, and competencies
Indicator: Number of youth/adults who reported: use knowledge and skills to improve food-shopping management; utilize the food label to make healthy food choices; choosing smaller portions; increased food preservation knowledge; demonstrated recommended food preservation practices; use knowledge of food safety.
Method: Self-report surveys; specific curricula or program evaluations; 4-H Common Measures Survey Tool
Timeline: Pre-post implementing curricula or program
Initial Outcome: Increased knowledge of substance use
Indicator: Number of individuals attending programs
Method: Testamonials, evaluations, 4-H Common Measures Survey tool
Timeline: Following each program
Intermediate Outcome: Increased ability to use destigmatized language
Indicator: Number of individuals intend to change behavior; Number of youth who indicated they made healthy lifestyle choices as are result of what they learned through 4-H programming
Method: Retroactive pre-post; 4-H Common Measures Survey tool
Timeline: Throughout program
Intermediate Outcome: Preparing and preserving food
Indicator: Number of individuals who reported: preparing healthier dishes; successfully followed a recipe to prepare a dish; preparing more home-cooked meals; modifying ingredients and/or preparation techniques to improve nutrition
Method: Self-report survey; specific curricula or program evaluations, 4-H Common Measures Survey Tool
Timeline: Pre-post implementing curricula or program;
Intermediate Outcome: Dietary intake
Indicator: Number of individuals who reported: eating 4-6 servings of fruits and/or vegetables daily
Method: Self-report surveys about fruit and vegetable intake or other dietary improvements; specific curricula or program evaluations, 4-H Common Measures Survey Tool
Timeline: Pre-post implementing curricula or program;
Long Term Outcome: Availability and access to healthy food
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 or preserved (e.g., community or backyard gardens, fishing, hunting, farmers markets); dollar value of vendor-reported sales or EBT, WIC, or Senior benefits redeemed at farmers’ markets; number of pints of foods preserved through water bath canning, pressure canning, freezing, or drying. Number of youth who report successfully preparing a meal for their families one more days per week.
Method: Self-report survey, 4-H Common Measures Survey Tool
Timeline: Pre-post implementing curricula or program;
Audience: General Public
Project or Activity: 4-H clubs, Homemakers clubs, Farmers Market sampling
Content or Curriculum: 4-H publications, FCS publications, ANR publications
Inputs: Extension Agents, Local resources. trainings
Date: September- June
Audience: General Public
Activity: Cooking Through the Calendar
Content/Curriculum: FCS Curriculum
Inputs: FCS/4-H Agent, Program Assistant, NEP Assistant, local resources, trainings
Date: September-April
Audience: Youths
Activity: Youth Nutrition Lessons (Preschool – 6th grade)
Content/Curriculum: 4-H/FCS/NEP/LEAP/Health Rocks curriculum/publications
Input: Extension Agents, Local Resources, trainings, NEP Assistant, Program Assistant
Date: Throughout school year
Audience: General Public
Activity: Food Preservation Bootcamp
Content: FCS curriculum on Food Safety, Canning, Drying and Freezing Techniques, NEP Assistant, FCS Agent, AG Agent, NEP Assistants
Date: Summer
Audience: General Public
Activity: Adult Lessons on Nutrition (meal planning, understanding food labels, food guide pyramid, farmer's market and gardening).
Content or Curriculum: FCS, AG and 4-H agent, NEP Assistant. NEP, 4H and FCS curriculum.
Date: Fall 2024/Spring 2025
Audience: General Public
Activity: Area-Wide Cooking School
Content or Curriculum: Area FCS Agents (FCS curriculum, HEEL) /Specialists
Date: November 2024
Audience: Youth
Activity: Super Star Chef & Other 4-H Nutrition programs (like Taste of Week Spin Club & Food and Culture After-school)
Content: 4-H Curriculum, FCS Curriculum
Date: Summer 2024/2025, Some throughout year
Audience: Youth & Families
Activity: Farm Fresh Kits
Content:4-H Curriculum, NEP curriculum
Date: July-September 2024
**All activities may be completed virtually in an on-line format (if needed) or in the tradition in-person format