Whitley County CES

Title:

Active Living and Health Promotion

MAP:

Improve Physical and Mental Health

Agents Involved:

Moses (Community Arts), Burgard (FCS), Jones (4-H), White (ANR), Prewitt (Horticulture)

MAJOR PROGRAM 1:

Active Living and Health Promotions General

MAJOR PROGRAM 2:

Health & Wellbeing

MAJOR PROGRAM 3:

Nutrition and Food Systems General

MAJOR PROGRAM 4:

Arts and Community Health

Situation:

With the increased trend of chronic disease and obesity in Kentucky, individuals, families, and communities need tools and environments that support healthy and active lifestyle choices. Cooperative Extension thrives on reaching diverse audiences to help combat chronic disease and obesity in Kentucky communities by focusing on direct health education to increase literacy and ability to make improved lifestyle choices. According to Whitley County Data, 35.6% of Whitley Countians are obese and over 12.6% have Diabetes. Whitley county is higher than the state average for food insecurity, meaning over 17% our citizens may not know where their next meal is coming from compared to the state average of 15%.

Long-Term Outcomes:

·   Include more programming and awareness of mental health and positivity

·   Community environment promotes healthy behaviors where people live, learn, work, and play 

·   Reduce the rate of chronic disease and obesity by promoting dietary and physical activity recommendations

Intermediate Outcomes:

Intermediate Outcomes: 

·   Generate positive attitudes toward changing lifestyle choices to be more healthy 

·   Increase intake of fruits, vegetables, and other nutrient-dense foods 

·   Improve self-efficacy in physical activity, movement, and active routes to destinations 

·   Decrease tobacco/ substance use 

Initial Outcomes:

·   Increase awareness about lifestyle choices and chronic disease (e.g. tobacco use, poor nutrition, & lack of physical activity) 

·   Increase confidence in ability to employ healthy practices 

·   Improve food and nutrition-related skills (e.g. preparation techniques, safe food handling) 

·  Increase motivation to be active 

·  Increase awareness of accessible safe places for activity 

Evaluation:

Outcome:  Nutrition knowledge and dietary intake 

Indicator:  Number of individuals who reported: eating 4-6 servings of fruits and/or vegetables daily; utilize the food label to make healthy food choices; choosing smaller portions 

Method: Self-report surveys 

Timeline:  Pre-post implementing curricula or program 

  

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 

  

Outcome:  Substance Use 

Indicator:  Number of individuals who reported: gained knowledge of the resources that are available for substance use in the community as a result of Extension programming 

Method: Self-report survey 

Timeline: Pre-post implementing curricula or program 

  

Outcome: Chronic Disease Prevention 

Indicator:  Number of individuals who reported: participants who had one or more health indicators (cholesterol, blood pressure, body mass index, blood glucose) improved. 

Method: Self-report survey 

Timeline:  Pre-post implementing curricula or program 

  

Outcome:  Availability / Access to healthy lifestyle choices 

Indicator:  Number of communities, health coalitions, or organizations who reported: implemented policy, system, and/or environmental changes to promote healthy eating and active living 

Method: Self-report survey 

Timeline:  Pre-post implementing curricula or program 

Learning Opportunities:

Audience: Whitley County Residents

Project or Activity:  Food preparation workshops

Content or Curriculum: UK Publications, KY Proud Recipe Database, NEP Calendar

Inputs: FCS Agent

Date: Ongoing year round

Audience: Whitley County Senior Residents

Project or Activity:  Wits Workouts

Content or Curriculum: Wits Workout Curriculum used in conjunction with cooking demonstrations using NEP Calendar, and various stress-relief activities

Inputs: FCS Agent, FCS Program Assistant

Date: Monthly year round

Audience: Whitley County Extension Homemakers

Project or Activity:  Understanding Diabetes

Content or Curriculum: UK Publication

Inputs: FCS Agent, Homemaker Club Lesson Leaders

Date: October, 2024-2025

Audience: Communities 

Project or Activity:  Policy, Systems, and Environmental Approaches 

Content or Curriculum:  Health Coalitions, Advisory Councils

Inputs: Agents, Volunteers, grant funds, faith-based organizations, community partners, key stakeholders, elected officials, Department of Transportation, Health Coalitions, Employee Health and Wellness, SNAP-Ed Toolkit 

Date: Ongoing projects throughout the year 

  

Audience: Whitley County Area Seniors

Project or Activity:  MOVE workshops

Content or Curriculum: UK Publications

Inputs: FCS Agent

Date: Spring 2024-2025

Audience: Whitley County Residents

Project or Activity:  Yoga For Every Body workshops

Content or Curriculum: Yoga workshops led by certified yoga instructor

Inputs: FCS Agent, Community Partner

Date: Spring 2024, Fall 2024

  

Audience: Whitley County Extension Homemakers

Project or Activity:  Promoting Healthy Lifestyle Choices 

Content or Curriculum: Health Bulletins, Monthly Leader Lessons

Inputs: FCS Agent

Date: August-May yearly

Audience: Whitley County Residents 

Project or Activity:  Heritage Skills Classes - Sewing, Quilting & Fiberwork 

Content or Curriculum: UK publications

Inputs: FCS Agent, qualified community teachers

Date:  Continuous 

 
Audience: Whitley County Residents 

Project or Activity: Nutritional Programming

Content or Curriculum: NEP and SNAP Ed Curriculum 

Inputs: FCS Agent, NEP Assistants 

Date: Continuously

 

Audience: Whitley County Residents 

Project or Activity: Hort/Art Hiking program

Content or Curriculum: UK, books 

Inputs: Community Arts, 4-H, Ag, Hort

Date: Summer-Fall 2024-2025

 

Audience: General Public/Families 

Project or Activity: Dance Classes: Line Dancing, Belly Dancing, Choreography  

Content or Curriculum: Artist Curriculum, KET Dance toolkit 

Inputs: Community Arts, Volunteers, Artists 

Date: Spring-Fall 2024- spring-fall 2025

Audience: General Public 

Project or Activity: Yoga/ Chair Yoga 

Content or Curriculum: Healthy Activities, SNAP 

Inputs: Qualified Community teachers, Agents, 4-H Camp 

Date: 6-8 weeks series twice a year starting back 2022, Summer 2025 4-H Camp

Audience: General Public/Artists

Project or Activity: Art and Mental Health

Content or Curriculum: Community Arts, University of Kentucky, FCS resources, CDC

Inputs: Artists, Volunteers, Community Arts Agent, FCS Agent, community input, Community Arts Assistant

Date: summer-fall 2024, spring 2025

Audience: Youth

Project or Activity:  Outdoor Cooking

Content or Curriculum: SNAP-ED

Inputs: 4-H Agent, 4-H Assistant

Date: 2024-2025

Audience: Communities 

Project or Activity:  Heath Walk 

Content or Curriculum:  Health Coalitions

Inputs: Agents, Volunteers, community partners, faith-based organizations, community partners, key stakeholders, Department of Transportation, First Responders, Health Coalitions, Employee Health and Wellness

Date: March 23, 2024, 2025 (yearly)