Statement of Need
Florida has a high obesity rate at 31.6% of adults according to CDC data from 2022, however Charlotte County falls in the fourth quartile in Florida, with an obesity rate of 39.5% (Adult Obesity Prevalence Maps | Overweight & Obesity | CDC, 2023) (County Health Status Summary Profile - 2021, 2022). Adverse Childhood Experiences can severely impact one’s relationship with nutrition, as experiencing instability, violence, or other traumatic experiences can change the information an individual received about nutrition as well as the relationship someone has with food (Secginli, 2022). Adverse Childhood Experiences are potentially traumatic experiences that occur while someone is a minor, and can impact health outcomes in many different ways. Charlotte County also has a relatively high rate of ACE occurrence at 67.9% of adults reporting experiencing at least one ACE in choldhood, and has dedicated a page on their Department of Health website to discussing what ACEs are (Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) Dashboard, 2023). The number of county health department employees is also staggeringly low in Charlotte County, at 35.4 employees, which prevents many of the health and nutrition programs such as SNAP-Ed and WIC from being processed as quickly and effectively as needed (County Health Status Summary Profile - 2021, 2022). Charlotte County needs an improved nutrition education system within the school system, as well as nutritious options available to students outside of school hours to improve the relationships with food individuals can access, and reduce rates of obesity due to ACEs. This project will add in nutrition education that currently needs improvement, and will expand the reach of this education aspect into a larger community. By having a larger expansion, the community will be more capable in reducing obesity rates through improved education and healthier nutrition choices.
Target Audience
This project would focus on the Charlotte County school system, specifically at Marie G. Davis K-8 School and West Charlotte High, to increase nutrition education for students who may not receive it at home. These schools were chosen because they are low performing schools in areas with a lower socioeconomic status. This program will target interventions in all school levels to ensure the knowledge follows the children throughout their lives and can leave an impact on approximately 800 students across 4 grade levels of the 17,000 students in Charlotte County. Leadership roles available would be found in high schools, and would include the ability to serve as teaching assistants, shadow school nutrition providers, and serve as peer role models through acting in outreach events. This would serve as an additional way to counteract ACEs by providing mentorship relationships and help develop healthier relationships with food.
Project Activities
Grant funding will allow for nutrition curriculum to be developed and implemented. The first main action will be creating an assembly to be shared on a quarterly basis. This curriculum will have 4 different age group targets, with early elementary, older elementary, middle, and high school students all receiving age appropriate information. This will allow students to begin receiving education on nutrition early and to anable them to make smart choices when given options at school or home. This curriculum will include skits and more entertaining and engaging information compared, including a skit. Modeling healthy eating behaviors will help to counteract unhealthy relationships with food that have formed due to childhood ACEs. Many children may see adults in their lives stressed over food consumption or access, and modeling a different relationship will help children to deviate from familial experiences. After this program is developed and implemented, a high school culinary curriculum will be updated or adapted to ensure that not only cooking skills but also nutrition education is available in high school coursework. This will equip high school students with the knowledge to make healthy, nutritious meals for themselves and their siblings, which may otherwise not occur if in an unstable home. By educating and empowering these students, they will have the self-efficiency to be able to make educated nutrition decisions regarding what they eat and how to prepare the meals. This will also help students whom may not have a guardian that creates meals for them by providing resources.
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