Progress 09/01/16 to 08/31/19
Outputs
Target Audience:
Nothing Reported
Changes/Problems:Participant retention for the year-long in-person program was incredibly challenging, as we anticipated. Although satisfaction and behavior change reports were high, many participants cited that it was difficult to manage their time to attend one session per month consistently. However, the 30-day behavior challenges did prove to be successful. Perhaps in the future an online program can be implemented so that the program can be accessed at any time by participants, while still implementing the 30-day behavior improvement challenge approach. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Overall, all 42 participating Extension agents were trained in the specific curriculum utilized for this grant opportunity. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?One journal article has been published and an additional article has been submitted to a journal. Progress and final reports were sent to participating Extension agents to review and distribute to their participants if desired. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
G1: Rural Extension agents were trained and equipped on the Keys to Embracing Aging program, recruitment and retention strategies, and suceeded in their endeavors. All agents that participated in the Keys to Embracing Aging program (n = 42) enrolled at least 10 participants and we had a total of 763 unique participants and reported implementing the program with fidelity. G2 and G3: 91% of participants reported increased knowledge at the end of each lesson and intentions to improve their health behaviors. This exceeded our overall goals by 1%. Knowledge improvement ranged from 91.9% to 99.3%, intentions ranged from 88.1% to 97.5%, and 30-day behavior change ranged from 74.3% to 93.4%. The most commonly reported areas of behavior change were self-care (93.4%), having a positive attitude (89.7%), and safety (87.8%). In these three areas participants specifically mentioned scheduling alone-time or fun activities (i.e., self-care), interacting with more positive people and focusing on a positive mindset (i.e., positive attitude), and building emergency kits and checking their household fire extinguishers (i.e., safety). Finally, 55.4% of participants reported sustaining behavior change for all components of the program at 3-months post-program and 55.2% reported sustaining these behaviors at 6-months post-program. The range of scores is promising for most portions of the curriculum. For example, self-care was reported to be 88.2% at 3-months and 86.7% at 6-months; positive attitude 93.4% at 3-months and 93.2 at 6-months; brain health at 90.8% at 3-months and 89.7% at 6-months; and healthy eating at 89.6% at 3-months and 88.1% at 6-months. The least amount of behavior change was reported in individuals' sleep patterns, at 55.4% at 3-months and 55.2% at 6-months. All other scores ranged from 62.7% to 93.4% at 3-months and 64.4% and 93.2% at 6-months. G4: Keys to Embracing Aging has been continuously adopted by Extension agents across Kanas and Kentucky and several other states. The curriculum is commonly accessed on Kansas State University's website and is requested frequently from the PIs from other Extension professionals across the country.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Kostelic, A., Yelland, E. L., Smith, A., Goss, K. (2020, February). Keys to Embracing Aging: A curriculum to promote healthful living across the life span. Journal of Extension, 58, 1TT5.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Submitted
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Kostelic, A., Yelland, E. L., Smith, A., Shumnan, C., & Cless, A. (2020). Keys to Embracing Aging: A Healthy Aging Intervention. Journal of Prevention & Intervention in the Community.
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Progress 09/01/17 to 08/31/18
Outputs
Target Audience:During the second fiscal year of the grant period, the project trained and collaborated with 46 county-based Extension agents on the Keys to Embracing Aging program expansion. At current count, we have reached 439 unique participants across Kansas and 318 unique participants in Kentucky. Up-to-date demographics will be available upon the finalization of data entry and analysis, but preliminary results revealed that 90% of the participants were female with the majority being between 65 and 74 years of age. Of the participants that reported their race, 93% were white, 4% were Black, 1% were Asian, and 1% were American Indian or Alaskan Native. 1% reported being of mixed race. Finally, 98% of our participants reported not being Latino/Hispanic. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?
Nothing Reported
How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?
Nothing Reported
What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?The next reporting period's activities will consist of finalizing the entry and transcriptionof evaluation data; collecting, entering, and analyzing 3-month follow-up evaluations; disseminating, collecting, entering, and analyzing 6-month follow-up evaluations. Extension agent evaluations will also be evaluated and changes to the curriculum and its structure will be considered based upon agent feedback and recommendations.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
G1:Equip rural Extension agents with the skills, knowledge, and tools necessary to: (a) successfully recruit and retain a cohort of rural community members; and (b) implement the KTEA Challenge. Accomplishments: All participating Extension agents were trained and provided with ongoing support and professional development. The Challenge curriculum was implemented across all participating counties in Kentucky (n=20) and most participating counties in Kansas (n=20). G2: Increase and sustain knowledge among rural Kansans and Kentuckians that healthy behaviors and choices across the lifespan affect overall health, well-being, life quality, and longevity. Accomplishments: Preliminary data indicate that knowledge objectives were met across both states. The complete analysis will be forthcoming upon the completion of data entry and transcription. At this time, 95% of data entry and transcription has been completed. G3: Improve and sustain positive health and safety behaviors among rural Kansans and Kentuckians. Accomplishments: Follow-up surveys to assess sustained positive health and safety behaviors have been developed and 3-month post surveys have been distributed. We are currently awaiting the returnof those results. 6-month follow up surveys will be distributed according to the appropriatetimeline. G4: Sustain Keys to Embracing Aging as an ongoing cross-state Extension curriculum. Accomplishments: This curriculum's preliminary results for the first half of its Challenge implementation was presented at a National conference in 2017. A subsequent nationalconference presentation has been accepted for the fall of 2018 and will cover the curriculum and its implementation more specifically. Upon completionof evaluation data analysis, further dissemination will take place.
Publications
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Progress 09/01/16 to 08/31/17
Outputs
Target Audience:During the first fiscal year of the grant period, the project trained and collaborated with 46 county-based Extension agents on the Keys to Embracing Aging program expansion. Although participant data is still being collected and analyzed, we can report on the participants we had for our first of twelve programming sessions. In that session, we reached 370 participants across Kansas and Kentucky. 90% of our participants were female with the majority being between 65 and 74 years of age. Of the participants that reported their race, 93% were White, 4% were Black, 1% were Asian, 1% were American Indian or Alaskan Native, and !% reported being of mixed race. Finally, 98% of our participants reported being not Latino/Hispanic. Changes/Problems:The primary challenges associated with this project are not uncommon to Extension. First, agent turnover and retention, and secondly, evaluation fidelity. Since beginning the project, we have had one Extension agent forego their programming duties due to an administrative promotion and another agent has had to postpone programming due to an unforeseen natural disaster in one community. These issues will be resolved through recruiting another Extension agent to replace the programming in one county and through a delay programming timeline in another. In regards to evaluation fidelity, we have had numerous instances of incomplete evaluations being submitted. In order to address this issue, we have disseminated numerous communications to the involved agents regarding evaluation fidelity. We hope that adherence to the guidelines will continue to improve with time. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Extension agents in Kansas and Kentucky who are participating in the project attended a training webinar in February on the Keys to Embracing Aging Challenge project. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?
Nothing Reported
What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Through our continued programming and administrative efforts, we fully expect to contribute to and/or reach the goals of this project by the end of the funding timeline. To do so, we will continue to abide by our programming timelines and provide support to Extension agents actively programming with this initiative.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
G1: Equip rural Extension agents with the skills, knowledge, and tools necessary to: (a) successfully recruit and retain a cohort of rural community members; and (b) implement the KTEA Challenge. Accomplishments: All participating agents in Kansas and Kentucky were trained on recruiting and retaining participants for the Keys to Embracing Aging Challenge and the details on implementing the program. This in-depth training took place in February, and regular check-ins with the participating Extension agents in each state have been conducted by the corresponding state specialist. G2: Increase and sustain knowledge among rural Kansans and Kentuckians that healthy behaviors and choices across the lifespan affect overall health, well-being, life quality, and longevity. Accomplishments: The data from our first of twelve programming sessions is shows promise towards this goal. Specifically, 98% of respondents indicated that the program increased their understanding of how a positive attitude can impact their overall health and wellness. Further, 95% of respondents indicated that they planned to implement at least one strategy taught in the program to develop a more positive attitude in their daily life. More detailed analyses from the evaluation data are currently being conducted, and further results will be discussed in a future report. G3: Improve and sustain positive health and safety behaviors among rural Kansans and Kentuckians. Accomplishments: Programming is in progress and we currently have nothing to report. G4: Sustain Keys to Embracing Aging as an ongoing cross-state Extension curriculum. Accomplishments: Programming is in progress and we currently have nothing to report.
Publications
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