National Health Outreach and Engagement Conference 2024

Speakers
Taylor Crumpler, Family and Consumer Sciences Agent
Taylor Crumpler is the Family and Consumer Science Extension Agent for Wilson County, North Carolina. She has a bachelor's degree in Public Health with a concentration in Community Health and a master's degree in Health Education, both from East Carolina University. Her academic background, combined with her hands-on experience, allows her to effectively address a wide range of issues affecting rural communities. With over eight years of experience working in community outreach, education, and policy, system, and environmental changes, she is dedicated to fostering positive change and improving health outcomes for individuals and populations. 

Stephanie Stevenson, Family and Consumer Sciences Agent
Stephanie Stevenson is the Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) Agent for the NC Cooperative Extension - Carteret and Craven County Centers. Stephanie is a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES®) and will complete a master's degree in Health Education and Promotion from East Carolina University in July 2024. Her passion lies in fostering healthier lifestyles in the counties through various programs, including nutrition and physical activity, health and wellness, food safety, home food preservation, and local food systems. In her free time—when she is not cooking—Stephanie enjoys spending time with her dog at the Crystal Coast beaches.

Description
Chronic diseases, such as cancer, heart disease, hypertension, and stroke, are among the leading causes of mortality within our community. Extensive evidence supports the fact that a healthy diet and enhanced physical activity can significantly reduce the incidence of these chronic conditions. Unfortunately, individuals with a lower socio-economic status face an elevated risk of developing such health issues due to a lack of local resources. Therefore, it becomes imperative to reduce these barriers by delivering education and programming directly to this demographic.

To foster a stronger connection, higher participation rates, and increased success in chronic disease prevention, place-based programming becomes a pivotal strategy. Family and Consumer Sciences Agents, recognizing the need, strategically utilized local library branches and senior citizen HUD Housing complexes as venues for impactful food and nutrition programming. In response to National Nutrition Month, a county FCS agent collaborated with the local library branch to initiate an adult food and nutrition program. The senior citizen HUD Housing complex sought a nutrition education program, leading to an 8-week chronic disease prevention program facilitated by a county FCS agent.

Following the initial programming, agencies continued to engage Agents for ongoing food and nutrition education, as well as for policy, system, and environmental changes. The partnership with the local library branch enabled additional programming focusing on reducing sodium, decreasing added sugar, exploring the Mediterranean Diet, addressing food safety with popular kitchen appliances, and implementing evidence-based home food preservation methods. Likewise, the collaboration with the senior citizen HUD Housing complex resulted in the establishment of a community garden, walking trail, and the incorporation of health and wellness signage within their on-site senior center. These initiatives not only enhanced the well-being of the residents but also positioned the Agents as trusted community resources.

Evaluation methods, including pre-post surveys and site director feedback, validated the effectiveness of these interventions. Direct education programs demonstrated a noticeable increase in knowledge and behavioral change. The library site expressed satisfaction with the FCS programming, expressing a desire to continue these programs in the upcoming years. Site director feedback from the senior citizen HUD Housing complex indicated a rise in the utilization of policy, system, and environmental interventions by tenants. Participants will learn a comprehensive approach to successfully implement placed-based interventions in low-resource areas for chronic disease prevention.