Author: Alethea Price
Major Program: Making Healthy Lifestyle Choices (general)
Adult How To was created to teach basic life skills programming to adults. This program is offered for free at the Boyle County Public Library. The series is held monthly with topics ranging from car maintenance, basic tools and budgeting skills to green cleaning, time management, and decluttering. This program is a great opportinity for hands on learning. It's held in the evening to accommodate schedules. Occasionally, the FCS Agent would call in expert guest speakers to share knowledg
Author: Natalie Jones
Healthy eating in childhood and adolescence is important for proper growth and development and to prevent various health conditions. Consuming the recommended amount of vegetables each day is linked to a reduced risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, some cancers, and obesity. This equals 2 to 3 cups of vegetables a day, depending on age and gender. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only 6.3% of adults in Kentucky meet the daily vegetable intake recommendations and mo
The Cooperative Extension Service (CES) infrastructure and subject matter expertise are well suited for harnessing the autonomy and self-sufficiency commonly found in rural communities to create healthier people and environments through policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) approaches. Similar to public health nutritionists, CES agents, specifically Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) agents and program assistants, are accustomed to providing direct education activities for individuals,
Author: Rachael Price
In March of 2020 the COVID-19 pandemic forced new regulations on individuals and businesses forcing many families and Individuals to increase their time at home and away from others. We felt it was important that we find new and exciting ways to continue to reach clientele and serve the community in Grant County. The Grant County Family and Consumer Science Program offered several new programs, and adapted others to continue to serve the residents of Grant County.Remote programming t
Author: Valerie Holland
Jefferson County Family and Consumer Sciences Extension Agent collaborated with KEHA leaders to offer the Healthy Homemakers series to a total of 40 participants. 90 percent of participants identified terms related to diabetes. 93 percent of participants examined the different types of diabetes. 93 percent of participants discussed the various ways to manage diabetes and went for a 10-minute walk. A follow-up evaluation revealed that 75 percent of participants have taken steps to minimize risk o
Research is starting to show a clear link between increased sugar consumption and poor health outcomes such as being overweight, obesity, and developing diabetes. The recommendation is that no more than 10 percent of daily calories should come from sugar. On average, almost 20 percent of the calories in a typical American adult’s diet comes from sugar and sweeteners, with the most common sources being beverages, snacks, and sweets. In addition, the arrival of several non-nutritive swe
Statistics continue to show the West Louisville population consumes too much fat, salt, and sugar and too little high fiber fruits, vegetables and whole grains. For this population to maintain optimal health, they must have healthy diets. To assist in this need, the Jefferson County Extension Service collaborated with Dare to Care to provide the nutrition portion of the Cooking Matters program at four of their West Louisville sites. The Family & Consumer Sciences agent presented three progra
Author: Rita Stewart
In January, this Family and Consumer Sciences Agent, along with the Nutrition Education Program Assistant and the Program Assistant initiated the Healthy Heart Jump Start 2020 program. The goal of the program was to empower participants to make healthy lifestyle practice changes in order to improve their overall health and well-being. Program emphasis included nutrition, physical activity, stress management and mindfulness. Pre-program health screenings for participants were sponsored and
Author: Tiffany Bolinger
In March of 2020 COVID-19 hit fast and furiously shutting down businesses and making social isolation necessary. The amount of information coming out through all media outlets was often overwhelming and unclear. The University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service has always taken pride in being a reliable source of research-based information and 2020 has been no exception. The University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension service quickly addressed the need to provide timely educational mater
Author: Lora Davidson
Low levels of physical activity, unhealthy nutrition, and poor mental health are all determinants of several chronic diseases. These behaviors are now considered major public health concerns and require effective behavior change interventions. Fit Blue is a community-based campaign to increase physical activity and health awareness in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Building physical activity into the day does not require special equipment or a certain location. As participants take part in Fit Bl
Author: Hazel Jackson
Social distancing measures during the Covid 19 pandemic has caused Extension Agents to need new ways to reach families with educational information. The Rockcastle County Extension FCS program has made 'Pick up and Go Program bags' to reach families with needed educatonal resources. Starting April 1, at least one "Go Bag" was assembled and distributed each week. Most weeks, an adult and a youth bag was assembled. Due to the popularity of the bags, the
Author: Danielle Barrett
According to County Health Rankings and Roadmaps, McCreary County ranks 120 of 120 Kentucky counties in health behaviors. The report states the county adult obesity rate is 40% and the level of physical inactivity is 39%. Obese individuals are at an increased risk for many chronic health conditions, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some types of cancers. Increased consumption of unhealthy food, stress, and a built environment that divides the communities and makes it difficu
Author: Joan Bowling
Teenagers in limited resource families are faced with nonacademic barriers to learning that may carry over into adulthood impacting future success unless programs are in place to assist in the transition. In a continuing joint effort to address these barriers the Kenton County Family and Consumer Sciences agent and the Youth Service Center coordinator at a local high school have partnered to offer monthly programs throughout the school year for a group of 11 referred students. The program
Author: Ashley Board
In the middle of March 2020, many businesses, restaurants, and schools in Kentucky closed to in-person traffic because of a global pandemic. Families and community members were encouraged to stay home except for essential business and items. Families were suddenly working from home, keeping up with non-traditional school instruction for their children, maintaining social distancing when in public, trying to avoid the public, and running a
Author: Kelly Burgess
Allen County falls below state averages in a variety of health indicators, therefore nutrition and physical activity are key focuses for promoting healthier lifestyles in the county. In Allen County, the obesity rate is higher than the state average, 41% and 35%, respectively, according to kentuckyhealthfacts.org. In addition, 24% of adults age 20+ report participating in no leisure time physical activity (County Health Rankings 2014). Due to the challenges of the COVID-19
Author: Courtney Luecking
The COVID-19 pandemic turned the world as we knew it upside down. Caregivers of young children were particularly vulnerable because of rapid shifts in caregiving and educational responsibilities that likely occurred within the context of other evolving professional and personal obligations. Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) Agents at the University of Kentucky remained an instrumental resource for families with young children by adapting and continuing to respond to the most pressing needs.&nbs
Author: Alyssa Cox
On March 6, 2020, it was reported that the first case of the novel coronavirus had been confirmed in Kentucky. As the state began to shut down, Extension efforts and outreach stepped up. When we started transitioning to this new “normal,” the Wolfe County Extension Office sought out new and innovative ways to reach the needs of our clientele while they were #HealthyAtHome.In response to this issue, Wolfe County Family and Consumer Sciences Agent put together “grab and go&
Author: Heather Cheek
Time together as a family was hard to find before the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic has given families a blessing in disguise as they now are spending a lot of time together. During the healthy at home period, many holidays passed including St. Patrick’s Day, Easter, and even Mother’s and Father’s Day. In an effort to support families during Mother’s and Father’s Day, the Mason County FCS Agent put together Programs On The Go to promote family time at home. The Mo
