Author: Natalie Jones
Planning Unit: Family and Consumer Sciences
Major Program: Making Healthy Lifestyle Choices (general)
Outcome: Initial Outcome
Partnerships between The University of Kentucky Family Consumer Science Extension and faith-based organizations is a relatively new concept. Faith-based organizations are trusted entities within many Kentucky communities. They provide spiritual refuge and renewal and have served as powerful vehicles for social, economic and political change. These communities provide inherent benefits for successful FCS Extension programming, including infrastructure and dedicated membership. Programming focused on healthy eating and physical activity seems like a natural fit within an organization that focuses on improving the overall well-being of not only its congregation but community. In addition, positive changes within the faith-based organization's policies, systems, and environment could have a large impact on Kentucky communities healthy behaviors over time. As a result, Family Consumer Science Extension provided an agent training utilizing the Faithful Families – Eat Smart, Move More (Faithful Families) curriculum. Faithful Families promotes healthy eating and physical activity in communities of faith. The goal of this program is to make the connection between healthy lifestyle choices and policy, systems, and environmental changes in faith-based communities across Kentucky. Resources for the program include a 9-session Faithful Families curriculum and detailed planning guide. Fifty-seven people participated in the in-service training. Following the training, participants were surveyed. As a result of the training, 98% of agents gained knowledge related to policy, systems, and environmental work within faith-based communities to improve healthy eating and physical activity behaviors and 98% reported they were likely to apply the knowledge to their programming and marketing efforts. Ultimately, 96% of agents reported they will incorporate this program into their county programming efforts. Furthermore, 100% of participants found the teaching methods organized, 95% reported the content was relevant to their county needs, and 100% found the content of the training based on credible, up-to-date information.
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