Author: Nancy Owens
Planning Unit: Allen County CES
Major Program: Accessing Nutritious Foods (general)
Outcome: Intermediate Outcome
In Allen County the youth do not get the recommended physical activity. According to the State of Kentucky Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity profile 28.8% youth watch 3 hours of television on an average school day. In order to increase physical activity. A partnership with the Allen County Girl Scouts and the Allen County Cooperative Extension Service, Over a two week period six classes were conducted to demonstrate with eighteen youth at the Allen County Cooperative Extension Facility. Classes included food demonstration focusing on healthy snacks, such as fruit pies, mini fruit and vegetable pizzas, chocolate pumpkin snack cake, orange smoothie in a bag, yogurt strawberry smoothie. During these demonstrations each youth participated in making their healthy snack. At the end of the week an elevation was conducted with the participants to see if they were eating and making the snacks at home. After the first week sixteen out of the eighteen participants eating and making the snacks. After the second week all eighteen participants were trying and making the healthy snack for their family. To increase physical activity levels. After the healthy snack demonstration thirty minutes of different physical activities were conducted at each session. Activities including jumping rope, walking and measuring steps, myplate game with different cardio, flexibility and strength building activities. At the end of the first week an elevation was conducted to measure group physical activity. Only one out of eighteen was participating in at least thirty minutes of physical activity at home. A walk this way challenge was given to increase physical activity at home. The participants were provided with a pedometer and a walk this way activity form to document their steps. The participants had to walk for a week and document their steps. Ten out of eighteen evaluations were returned with 100% increase in physical activity level at least thirty minutes per day five or more days. The steps that were reported for that week were 128,737 steps. Several parents reported that 8 children during that week watched no T.V or played a game systems.
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