Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
Mississippi residents suffer from health disparities across the state--primarily individuals with lower incomes who live in underserved rural areas. Health inequities affect communities through adverse health outcomes, lost productivity, and increased healthcare costs. They arise from an unequal distribution of social determinants of health--the conditions in which people are born and live. Health outcomes, tied to behaviors and health care, also are rooted in location and social status. To combat this issue, more research is required to address various health determinants such as housing, food, and financial security, and overcome barriers. The HELIX Initiative: Healthy Lifestyles with Extension program plans to target these key areas, we aim to empower communities, families, and individuals to achieve improved health and long-term well-being to prevent health disparities.The HELIX Initiative: Healthy Lifestyles with Extension seeks to target entire families through innovative programming integrating family and consumer sciences along with 4-H youth development; we aim to tackle these disparities head-on. Our initiative aims to establish sustainable, long-term collaborations to enhance health equity, specifically focusing on observed and quantified outcomes. Cooperative Extension provides culturally appropriate programs that target health disparities in underserved communities. A history of promoting democracy through education makes Extension uniquely positioned to address health inequities and foster greater equality among groups that experience hardships due to differences in social, economic, and environmental determinants of health.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
The overarching goal of this project is to create a model for a comprehensive, integrated approach to delivering health and wellness education to youth, adults, and families through Extension in Mississippi. The objective of the HELIX Initiative is to maximize existing programs' impact by leveraging the influence of adults as role models, empowering youth as agents of change, and fostering collaborative learning experiences. It creates sustainable pathways to improved health and well-being for all.Evaluation Objectives:Assess the performance of the HELIX Initiative in meeting the health, wellness, and nutrition needs of targeted communities.Measure the impact of integrated programs on health literacy, nutrition, wellness education, healthy homes, and community engagement.Identify areas of success and areas needing improvement within the HELIX project.Provide feedback to stakeholders for continuous HELIX project enhancement and effectiveness.
Project Methods
A sequential mixed methods approach will enable data analysis from diverse perspectives, throughout the HELIX project. Quantitative data, including participation numbers, survey responses to closed-ended questions, pre/post-tests, and other assessments, will primarily be utilized for quantitative analysis. Qualitative data will be obtained through open-ended survey questions and observations of program-related activities, such as curriculum revision meetings, implementation of the Jr. Master Wellness Volunteer program, Preservation 101, online Canvas courses, virtual cooking demonstrations, nutrition education sessions, and community service projects conducted by youth across selected counties in the state. Data will be collected by needs assessment meeting, qualitative methods, standard surveys, process evaluations, and overall evaluations.The team will prepare comprehensive project performance assessment reports, including output, outcome, and impact data, for the grant administrators and share findings on social media platforms.Phase 1 evaluation focuses on planning, participant recruitment, hiring project personnel, preparing overall project activities, conducting a baseline survey/assessment, and refining project training materials and tools. Data collection and evaluation activities developed for this phase will be concentrated on participant recruitment and the HELIX project training modules' alignment to meet the needs of the selected participants, including participants' awareness of the project timelines, and required project fidelity.Phase 2 evaluation will assess the impact of the HELIX project on participants, families, and communities, focusing on two main areas: 1) the effectiveness of training and learning in implementing project activities and 2) the application of acquired knowledge, skills, and information.Phase 3 evaluation focuses on the adoption and diffusion of knowledge and skills delivered in the HELIX project within the greater community. Data collection and evaluation activities developed for this phase will concentrate on how the knowledge and skills provided in the modules and related activities have been integrated into participants' daily lives.Mississippi residents suffer from health disparities across the state--primarily individuals with lower incomes who live in underserved rural areas. Health inequities affect communities through adverse health outcomes, lost productivity, and increased healthcare costs. They arise from an unequal distribution of social determinants of health--the conditions in which people are born and live. Health outcomes, tied to behaviors and health care, also are rooted in location and social status. To combat this issue, more research is required to address various health determinants such as housing, food, and financial security, and overcome barriers. The HELIX Initiative: Healthy Lifestyles with Extension program plans to target these key areas, we aim to empower communities, families, and individuals to achieve improved health and long-term well-being to prevent health disparities.The HELIX Initiative: Healthy Lifestyles with Extension seeks to target entire families through innovative programming integrating family and consumer sciences along with 4-H youth development; we aim to tackle these disparities head-on. Our initiative aims to establish sustainable, long-term collaborations to enhance health equity, specifically focusing on observed and quantified outcomes. Cooperative Extension provides culturally appropriate programs that target health disparities in underserved communities. A history of promoting democracy through education makes Extension uniquely positioned to address health inequities and foster greater equality among groups that experience hardships due to differences in social, economic, and environmental determinants of health.