PARTNERSHIPS MATTER

According to the Kentucky Department of Health’s 2020 Kentucky Diabetes Fact Sheet, 14.6% of adults in northern Kentucky have been diagnosed with diabetes, and another 9.7% have been diagnosed with prediabetes.  In the fall and spring several community partners joined together with the Kenton County Cooperative Extension Service’s Nutrition Education Program (NEP) Senior Assistant to offer education and other resources to adults who are living with diabetes or prediabetes.  Faith Pharmacy, a non-profit agency that provides necessary prescription drugs to people who cannot afford them, Be Concerned, one of the largest food pantries in northern Kentucky, and St. Elizabeth Hospital, the hospital in northern Kentucky, partnered with the NEP Senior Assistant to offer two Healthy Choices for Every Body 7-session series to adults affected by diabetes or prediabetes.

The participants in each series received vital education presented by the NEP Senior Assistant on preparing food safely, planning meals to save money, preparing healthy meals, and reading food labels in order to make healthier choices.  The Director of Faith Pharmacy obtained a grant to supplement the financial needs of the program and provide a $25 gift card to class participants at each session of the series.  A portion of the grant money was used by the Director of Be Concerned to purchase healthy foods for the participants to make meals at home.  St. Elizabeth Hospital provided a registered dietician at some of the classes to present relevant dietary guidelines for the participants and to answer any questions they had about their diabetes. All of these agencies partnered together to make the series successful.

The series greatly impacted the 38 individuals who completed it.  According to a web-based National Reporting System (WebNEERS), at the end of the series, 100% of participants showed improvement in one or more diet quality indicators (eating more fruits and/or vegetables, drinking less soda, and cooking dinner at home).  Ninety-four percent showed improvement in one or more food resource management practices such as planning their meals more frequently, using a written food spending plan, checking for food items on sale at the store, and budgeting enough money for their food purchases.  Seventy-nine percent increased the amount of physical activity they were undertaking, and ninety-two percent showed improvement in their food safety practices such as thawing food at room temperature less often, using a meat thermometer more frequently, and washing their hands more often.  According to data from a University of Kentucky Food and Nutrition Specialist, every person who receives education regarding some aspect of food borne illness prevention, saves their state an estimated $1,000.   Potential savings to Kentucky citizens, businesses, and government due to food safety education included in this Healthy Choices for Every Body series is $35,000. 

Participants in the series commented, “I have heard some of this information before, but some of it was new to me.  All of it was beneficial.”  “I have learned so much, and I am cooking more meals at home.”   “This program is the best thing that Extension offers for people who need help.”  

The series would not have been nearly as successful without the partnership of these agencies working together.