Spotlight Series: Adair County

Our continuing "Spotlight Series": Adair

Cooperative Extension Service provides a range of educational programing and activities to support the well-being of Kentuckians. One good example is in Adair County where they collaborated with local agencies to hold a community baby shower focusing on infant health, safety, and environment during pregnancy through six months of age. Almost forty people, all with limited resources, attended the program. Participants received information on gestational diabetes, poison prevention, the importance of reading to your child, and children’s environmental health issues. Parents received $115.00 worth of home safety devices and child care materials in an effort to improve the health and well-being of their child(ren).

For more information about the needs of families in Adair County and how UK Cooperative Extension is providing services, please click here to see the full Adair County Family and Consumer Sciences Extension Profile

UK Extension helping to fight diabetes in teens through innovative physical activities and community action

This post is in relation to Senate Bill 17

Diabetes can be an extremely debilitating disease. Working to increase physical activity and establishing healthy habits in youth may provide important steps towards preventing the rates and onset of diabetes. In Pike County, UK Cooperative Extension Service is utilizing innovative techniques to engage with teens to help increase physical activity.

Here are some highlights of their activities:

Pike County Diabetes partnership is a made up of local businesses and other individuals working to improve health

• The partnership has purchased games such as Dance Dance Revolution to be placed in all county libraries. Competitions are held at each library for teens.
• Walking trails have been developed in town to promote physical activity.
• Diabetes cooking schools and educational presentations are held throughout the county.
• Individuals have reported improved blood sugar control and weight loss.

Weight the Reality - partnership with local YMCA

• 10 week program meeting at Pikeville, KY YMCA.
• For 5 weeks, the group will have time to participate in physical activity during class.
• Every other week a trainer will work with the group.
• If they attend weekly meetings, participants will get a pass for the last 5 weeks of the program to attend the YMCA.
• This class promotes physical activity and healthy lifestyles.

The connection between physical activity and student performance

This post is in relation to Senate Bill 17

There have been a number studies whose purpose is to determine if there is a connection between physical activity and student performance. The goal of many of these studies was to determine if increases in physical activity positively impact academic performance. A recent published literature review examined the available research to determine if there were consistent results across studies.

Review results:

• There was a consistent trend throughout the majority of studies that showed some short-term improvements in areas such as concentration.
• Long-term improvements could not be well substantiated.
• More research is recommended in order to determine if there are long-term academic benefits to increased physical activity.
  

This review offers important insight into the academic benefits of increased physical activity. At the very least, there are some likely short-term improvements. However, more research is needed in order to determine if there are long-term benefits, as well.

Evidence-based recommendations for physical activity in children

This post is in relation to Senate Bill 17

Childhood obesity is a serious concern for the future of the nation’s health. Attempts to combat this epidemic must be guided by sound scientific research. A recent published literature review examined 850 relevant articles and consulted with experts in the field to develop evidence-based recommendations for physical activity in school-age youth.

Evidence-based recommendations:

1. The majority of intervention studies that utilized moderate to vigorous physical activity of 30-45 minutes, 3-5 days per week showed significant promise.
2. The expert panel recommended at least 60 minutes daily in order to maximize the potential benefits.

The results suggest evidence-based recommendations for physical activity in school-age youth. Children should have at least 30-45 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity, 3-5 days per week. The expert panel, after examining the evidence, recommended that this should probably increase to 60 minutes of physical activity daily in order to maximize the potential benefits. The difficult task ahead is to find interesting and innovative ways for implementing these recommendations into practice in order to help prevent childhood obesity.

The impact of financial education in high school and college

This post is in relation to House Bill 51

In order to secure the financial future of our nation’s families and citizens, people need to make sound money managing decisions. Financial education can serve to help increase financial literacy and awareness. A recent study investigated the impact of finance education on investment knowledge and household savings rates years after the financial education was delivered from 1,039 alumni of a large Midwestern university.

Results:
Participation in college level course in personal finance was associated with higher levels of investment knowledge and savings rates.

This study found that financial education in college can have a positive impact on financial decision making. Individuals and families who make sound financial decisions are more likely to have secure financial futures. Educating people in college may be at least one important avenue for helping to build a financially secure nation.

The connection between lack of financial knowledge and credit card debt

This post is in relation to House Bill 51

Future financial security depends on making sound financial decisions today. Financial awareness is important to making financial decisions and managing money. College students are at particular risk for accumulating credit card debt and making other poor financial decisions that may have long-term negative consequences. A recent study of 448 students from 5 different college campuses found a connection between lack of financial knowledge and credit card debt.

Results:
Lack of financial knowledge was related to increased credit card debt.
Students reporting greater debt reported greater stress and decreased financial well being.

Recommendation:
There is a need for comprehensive financial literacy education among college students.

The authors of this research article recommend that college students be exposed to comprehensive financial literacy education in order to safeguard their future financial security. Their results show that a lack of financial knowledge is at least one important factor that needs to be addressed in order to help people make more sound financial decisions for their future. Financial literacy can be an important part of helping people and college students in particular make good choices.

UK Extension Engaging Families to Prevent Childhood Obesity

These posts are in relation to Senate Bill 17:

Unhealthy diet and physical inactivity are strong contributing factors to illness and debility. Patterns of diet and activity are often learned and continued in the home with family. In order to help prevent childhood obesity, University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Services in Perry, Harrison, Scott, Fayette, and Carroll counties are engaging with families to increase physical activity and nutritional health.

In Perry County, Extension Service partnered with the KY River District Health Department to have a “Family Fun Day” to educate parents, increase physical activity within the family, and decrease the likelihood of childhood obesity.

Activities included:
Sack races
Jump rope
Hula hoops
Frisbees
Hopscotch
Basketball toss
Dancing

120 participants learned that:
Increasing physical activity can be fun
Spending time with children is important
Increased physical activity can lead to decreased weight
Healthy snacks promote overall good health

In Harrison County, Extension Family and Consumer Services partnered with other community leaders to sponsor their fifth annual 1 mile walk in conjunction with the adult 5 k run to encourage those who do not run to be active. Additionally, the activity encouraged life-long habits of physical activity for all ages. The event provided an opportunity for families to participate in this physical activity together.

• 120 adults and 95 youth completed the 1 mile course to receive their metal award necklace.
• Media coverage of the event helped to increase community awareness about the importance of physical activity.
• One parent said “This is an event our whole family does together. I’m glad they made it later this year so dad can now walk with us too.”

In Scott County, Cooperative Extension partnered with WEDCO, District Health Department, and the Scott County Public School System to conduct a family nutrition and physical activity seminar for families in the Stamping Ground Community.

• The program consists of four sessions.
• 14 families enrolled with a total of 50 participants.
• By educating parents, the program hopes to influence the nutritional choices and physical activity of children.

Elementary school age students and parents jump to health! In Fayette County, Cooperative Extension collaborated with UK College of Medicine and LFUCG Health Department to present the “Jumpin Jaguar” program.

• Partnership identified 50 highest BMIs in limited resource school (indicator of health risk).
• Program developed with emphasis on physical activity, nutrition and asthmatic diagnosis.
• Parent workshops were provided to educate and reinforce the need for parental involvement and oversight. 100% of parents reported knowledge gained.

Young Parents Love It! - Parents of Head-Start students in Carroll County have met bi-monthly for the past 4 months to learn about healthy meals, nutrition, food, and exercise. These parents are concerned about their children’s weight, the prevalence of obesity in children, and the cost of eating out instead of eating home-cooked meals.

• So far, twelve parents have learned to plan and prepare simple, healthy meals that children love.
• More parents have joined the group since it began.
• Children are asking for meals and foods that parents learned to prepare.
• Parents have commented that they are now spending more time with their children and the outdoor time spent together is an easy way to exercise.

Parents are concerned about the welfare of their children, and obesity is a significant health concern for our nation and our commonwealth. Providing healthy guidance to young parents and children may be an important step towards dramatically altering the health care future of Kentuckians.