Success StoryMoney Habitudes



Money Habitudes

Author: Deborah Messenger

Planning Unit: Cumberland County CES

Major Program: Securing Financial Stability (general)

Plan of Work: Unrelated to a specified County Plan of Work

Outcome: Initial Outcome

Financial and health outcomes have often been used as indicators for child well-being and potential. Children are more likely to succeed when they are surrounded my families who are financially secure; however, the state of Kentucky consistently ranks in the bottom 20% of states, with children living in families with incomes at or above the poverty line. Research continuously has linked financial security with child’s health safety. For example, children from low-income families are often exposed to increased risk factors, such as poor housing with greater exposure to poor air quality (National Institute for Health Care Management Research and Educational Foundation, 2007). Aside from risk due to financial insecurity, Kentucky children also face an increased risk of health risk related to obesity. In the National Conference of State Legislators report on childhood overweight and obesity trends, Kentucky ranked 7th in childhood obesity rates, indicating that 35.7% of children in Kentucky have a body mass index above the 85th percentile. The prevalence of financial and health concerns suggest that Kentucky youth are not receiving personal financial education as part of the required school curriculum nor at home due to limited financial resources. Kentucky does not require courses in economic education or personal finance in the public school setting. To meet this need, the Cumberland County Cooperative Extension Service utilized the Building a Health, Wealthy Future: Youth (BHWF) curriculum. BHWF is an innovative six-session approach designed to help youth understand the relationship between personal behaviors and health and financial success. Emphasis was placed on understanding the reciporcial relationship between positive health behaviors and wealth outcomes. Seventy-five fifth grade students participated in the workshop series. Participants were surveyed following the classes, with seventy-five students responding. Statistically significant mean differences were reported in regards to knowledge gained in how to track eating habits, how to track spending habits, understanding the USDA My Plate guidelines, the importance of physical activity, and the relationship between health and finances. Furthermore, as a result of the program, 92% of participants reported they plan to pay closer attention to their environment and how it influences their actions. Ninety percent of participants plan to become more physically activity, and 92% plan to begin working on one goal related to positive financial behaviors. Additionally, participants responded with the following comments: "The lessons helped me to keep track of my eating better", "the lesson on how much I cost was my favorite", "we learned cool ways to advertise", "I learned ways to stop bad financial habits".







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