Extension
It Starts With Us
Increase physical and mental health literacy & activity.
Making Healthy Lifestyle Choices
John David Tucker, Mike Keller, Melissa Goodman
Health & Wellbeing
Active Living and Health Promotions General
Nutrition and Food Systems General
Building Healthy Coalitions
Lifestyle and behavioral risk factors contribute greatly to the onset of the chronic diseases that are the leading causes of death for Kentuckians. On overall health indicators, a national report card ranks Kentucky 43rd out of 50 states (United Health Foundation State Health Rankings, 2019). According to the 2020 County Heath ranking, Hickman County ranks 30 out of 120 counties in the state for health outcomes and 56 out of 120 for health factors with greatest challenges being physical inactivity (35%), adult obesity (30%), adulting smoking (22%), and insufficient sleep (38%).
Top priority issues or health and wellness according to the Kentucky Extension Community Assessment for Hickman County were improved affordability of health insurance and fewer chronic diseases. We know that prevention is key when it comes to chronic diseases, especially for youth. Youth in Hickman County is at risk of being obese and developing diabetes. Other challenges that face the youth of Hickman County are lack of physical activity and the overall health-related issues including disease. When children become overweight at a young age, they are more likely to continue being overweight into adolescence and adulthood. Our Extension Council and County Issues Forum in Hickman County agrees with this assessment and supports this program plan.
- Routinely meeting physical activity and dietary recommendations that promote health and wellness (e.g. 150 minutes a week of moderate activity and consuming recommended daily fruits and vegetables)
- Community environment promotes healthy behaviors where people live, learn, work, and play
- Reduce the rate of chronic disease and obesity
- Routinely employ healthy dietary practices that promote health and wellness (e.g. consume recommended daily fruits and vegetables and improve food-management skills)
- The prevention and/or reduction of substance use and its related consequences.
- Changed public perception of substance use via stigma reduction.
- 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
- Generate positive attitudes toward changing dietary decisions to be more healthful.
- Increase intake of fruits, vegetables, and other nutrient-dense foods
- Decrease intake of solid fats, added sugars, and sodium
- Employ healthful cooking methods, feeding practices, and food preservation techniques
- Reduced stigma from local community members
- Increased Opioid Stewardship (less rx’ing by doctors, appropriate Rx disposal, drug takebacks, etc.)
- Delayed age of first use among Kentucky youth
- Increase awareness about lifestyle choices and chronic disease (e.g. tobacco use, poor nutrition, & lack of physical activity)
- Increase confidence in the 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
- 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
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
Outcome: Nutrition knowledge, skills, and competencies
Indicator: Number of individuals 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
Method: Self-report surveys; specific curricula or program evaluations
Timeline: Pre-post implementing curricula or program
Outcome: Preparing and preserving food
Indicator: Number of individuals who reported: preparing more home-cooked meals; modifying ingredients and/or preparation techniques to improve nutrition
Method: Self-report survey; specific curricula or program evaluations
Timeline: Pre-post implementing curricula or program
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
Timeline: Pre-post implementing curricula or program
Outcome: Increased knowledge of substance use
Indicator: Number of individuals attending programs
Method: Retroactive pre-post
Timeline: Following every addiction 101 training
Outcome: Improved social skills and/or self-efficacy in KY Youth
Indicator: Number of students undergoing Botvin
Method: Retroactive pre-post
Timeline: Following Botvin LifeSkills
Outcome: Youth will understand the importance of and learn how to be being physically fit
Indicator: Increase in knowledge of physical activity
Method: Observation, Surveys
Timeline: 2024-2025 Program Year
Outcome: Youth will practice healthy living skills
Indicator: Youth will participate in physical activities
Method: Observation, follow up surveys
Timeline: 2024-2025 school year
Outcome: Youth will increase time spent doing physical activity
Indicator: Positive Response of 30 minutes of physical activity
Method: Self-Reports through surveys/questionnaires
Timeline: 2024-2025 School year
Audience: Youth
Project or Activity: Germ Busters
Content or Curriculum: CDC Hand Washing Resources, American Cleaning Institute Materials
Inputs: Extension Staff, Youth, HCES, FRYSC
Date: Fall 2024
Project or Activity: Health Fair
Content or Curriculum: UK Curriculum, Think Your Drink, SOFA's
Inputs: Extension Staff, SNAP Ed Assistant, HEEL Program, KAPS Family Resource Center, Community Education Coordinator, Hickman County School System, and other community organizations
Date: 2024-2025 School Year
Project or Activity: Bullying
Content or Curriculum: Safe and Caring Schools Curriculum
Inputs: 4-H Agent, School Guidance Counselor, School Facility
Date: 2024-2025 School Year
Project or Activity: Ready Set Run! Club
Content or Curriculum: Ready, Set, Run! Program, National Alliance for Youth Sports (NAYS), Get Moving Kentucky Youth
Inputs: FCS Agent, 4-H Agent, Extension Volunteers, PE Teacher, School Staff, Local Running Club, Business and Community Support
Date: Spring 2025
Project or Activity: Professor Popcorn
Content or Curriculum: Professor Popcorn
Inputs: 4-H Agent, Youth, SNAP-Ed, Elementary School Facility
Date: 2024-2025 School Year
Project or Activity: LEAP - Preschool and Primary
Content or Curriculum: LEAP Curriculum
Inputs: Extension Staff FCS, 4-H and Ag, Pre-K and Head Start, SNAP Ed
Date: Spring 2025
Project or Activity: Dance Fit
Content or Curriculum: 4-H Dance Fit
Inputs: 4-H Agents, FRYSC Coordinator
Date: 2024-2025 School Year
Project or Activity: Prevention Program
Content or Curriculum: Botvin LifeSkills, Adolescent Brain Health
Inputs: Coordinate with Hickman Co. School Staff
Date: 2024-2025 School Year
Audience: Communities
Project or Activity: Policy, Systems, and Environmental Approaches
Content or Curriculum: Faithful Families, Health Coalitions, Story Walk, Shared Space Agreements, Active Community Toolkit, Be More Guide, resources for early care and education settings
Inputs: 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: Families and Individuals
Project or Activity: Chronic Disease Prevention
Content or Curriculum: Publications, Health Bulletins, Cook Together Eat Together, Mastering Food Choices, Dining with Diabetes, Fit Blue, Faithful Families, Plate It Up! Kentucky Proud Resources, Keys to Embracing Aging, Dementia 101
Inputs: Programmatic materials, paid staff, community partners, faith-based organizations, health coalitions, Healthcare Providers, Health Department, Non-profits, Schools, Company Health & Wellness, Homemakers, Community Centers, etc.
Date: Ongoing projects throughout the year
Project or Activity: Get Fit Hickman County- Social Media, Challenges (Holiday and Summer)
Content or Curriculum: Weight the Reality Series, Fit Blue, General FCS Nutrition Publication, UK Health and Wellness, FCS General Health Publications
Inputs: FCS Agent, Challenge Runner, Social Media- Facebook Group, UK Health and Wellness
Date: 2024-2025 Program Year
Project or Activity: Physical Activity
Content or Curriculum: Publications, Faithful Families, Story Walk, Shared Space Agreements, Health Coalitions, Fit Blue, WIN, Keys to Embracing Aging
Inputs: Paid staff, volunteers, facilities, health coalitions, Healthcare Providers, Health Department, Non-profits, Schools, Company Health & Wellness, FBOs, Homemakers, Community Centers
Date: Periodically each year
Project or Activity: Food Preparation for Better Health
Content or Curriculum: Cook Together Eat Together, Mastering Food Choices, Dining with Diabetes, Super Star Chef, Champion Food Volunteer, Faithful Families, Body Balance, Plate It Up! Kentucky Proud Resources, plans for prenatal- and infant/toddler-specific curriculum, resources for early care and education settings
Inputs: Programmatic materials, paid staff, community partners, faith-based organizations, health coalitions
Date: Ongoing projects throughout the year
Project or Activity: Food Preservation
Content or Curriculum: Publications, Trainings, Home-Based Micro-Processing Training, Champion Food Volunteers
Inputs: Paid staff, volunteers, facilities, programmatic materials, NEP
Date: July – September for adults and youth
Audience: Kentucky Extension Homemakers Association/Volunteers
Project or Activity: Promoting Healthy Lifestyle Choices
Content or Curriculum: Health Bulletins, Monthly Leader Lessons
Inputs: Volunteers, paid staff, community partners
Date: Monthly
Project or Activity: Promoting Nutrition with Volunteers
Content or Curriculum: Champion Food Volunteers, Mastering Food Choices, International Cuisine publications, Food preservation workshops, Monthly Leader Lessons
Inputs: Volunteers, paid staff, community partners
