Thirty-two preschool young children of migrant families increased physical activity after participating in program partnership between CalFresh Healthy Living, UCCE Kern and Las Mariposas Head Start.

The Issue

According to KidsData, Kern County has a food insecurity rate that is higher than the state average at 23.8% compared to California's overall rate of 18%. Obesity rates are also high. Almost 74% of Kern County adults are either overweight or obese. Further, 2018 data from Department of Education Physical Fitness tests indicated that Kern fifth graders overweight or obese rates were 5% higher than the state average at 44.9%.

Kern County also has a large population of migrant families. Las Mariposas Head Start is a state preschool and seasonal migrant head start center located in Delano, California. The seasonal migrant program provides no cost childcare and preschool services to low-income families whose primary income is from agricultural production or harvesting.

How UC Delivers

To proactively address creating health lifestyles, administrators and staff at Las Mariposas Head Start collaborated with CalFresh Healthy Living, UCCE Kern (CFHL, UCCE Kern) and implemented Coordinated Approach to Child Health Early Childhood Education (CATCH ECE). CFHL, UCCE Kern staff provided teachers with a four hour CATCH ECE training and technical assistance twice per month. Teachers expressed their appreciation for the CATCH ECE Kit and technical assistance indicating that the program helped teachers nourish the love for physical activity in their students.

CFHL, UCCE Kern also provided 55 parents with Plan, Shop, Save, and Cook food resource management lessons. During the lessons, parents are reminded about the importance of physical activity, and are given recommendations based on the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. Both the children and the parents receive vital lessons to reduce obesity through physical activity coupled with healthy nutrition.

From October 2019 to August 2020, 32 students received a total of 98.25 hours of structured physical activity using CATCH ECE curriculum. CFHL, UCCE Kern staff also provided five hours of food resource management lessons to parents. Both of the teachers stated they are using CATCH materials during free play to encourage students to stay active. 

Students at las Mariposas ready to start a CATCH ECE activity outdoors.

The Impact

As a result of this program, 32 students increased structured physical activity to 3-5 times per week compared to their initial 2-3 times. Teachers have observed the students increasing their physical activity and the teachers also shared that they have increased their own physical activity. Research has shown that physical activity can provide immediate benefits and reduce the chances of being diagnosed with chronic diseases.  In this way, the program contributes  to improved individual health and the public value of promoting healthy people and communities.

Students performing a CATCH ECE activity inside their classroom.

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Adult participants adopted food and financial resource management practices and improved their food security and household financial stability.

The Issue

The COVID-19 pandemic has increased food insecurity among community's most vulnerable population. Food insecurity is a major public health issue in which low-income individuals are disproportionately affected. While people with limited incomes face many constraints that negatively impact their food resources and access to foods, employing food and financial resource management knowledge and skills may help promote a healthy diet and stretch food budgets, ultimately increasing food security and food resiliency.

How UC Delivers

In 2020, UCCE Tulare Nutrition Educator- Elia Escalante recruited Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program - Education (SNAP-Ed) eligible and limited resource adults from local community-based agencies and schools to administer CalFresh Healthy Living, UC (CFHL, UC) nutrition education programs. Elia implemented two evidence-based CFHL, UC food resource management curricula. The Plan, Shop, Save and Cook (PSSC), is a 4-weeks series-based curriculum through which participants learned how to plan nutritious meals for their family in a budget, and taste a healthy, low-cost recipe. A majority of PSCC participants were female (92%), Hispanic (92%) and in the age range of 18-59 years (88%). Making Every Dollar Count (MEDC) is a 4-weeks series-based curriculum through which participants learned how to set goals and manage resources effectively to eat healthy and stretch food dollars. All MEDC participants (n=44) were female with a majority of participants being Hispanic (98%) and in the age range of 18-59 years (95%). All participants who completed PSSC pre-post and MEDC retrospective surveys received graduation certificate.

Participants attend classes taught by Elia Escalante, Nutrition Educator representing CFHL, UCCE Tulare

The Impact 

PSSC Outcome Assessment: Of the 60 participants who completed the PSSC pre-to-post surveys showed significant improvements in the following areas: plan meals (85%, p<.001), compare unit prices (86%, p<.01), shop with a list (81%, p<.001), think about health choices (95%, p<.001), use nutrition facts label (82%, p<.001), all five behaviors-plan, price, shop, think, fact (61%, p<.001), and use MyPlate (74%, p<.001). As a result of attending PSSC classes, participants shared their successes: “I had several changes- eat healthier; use right portions, less salt, more water; use less sugar and add more fruit and vegetables”; “I have stopped buying sodas; I make more infused waters with fresh fruits and vegetables.”

MEDC Outcome Assessment: Of the 44 participants who completed the retrospective MEDC survey improved behaviors in the following areas: 84% wrote a personal goal, 93% used choice-making steps with decision, 86% identified community resources they can use, 67% checked to see if they are eligible for Earned Income Tax Credit, 100% used one of the easy ways to save on food, and 93% determined using coupon is better than buying store brand. And the fact that 82% saved money demonstrates that improved household financial stability, and 95% reporting that they made food last until they have money to buy more demonstrates improved food security.

As a result of attending MEDC classes, participants shared their successes: “Make better choices, plan my purchases and make my money last longer”; “I learned to compare prices when shopping.”

Overall, the outcome evaluation results indicated that a combination of food and financial resource management education is critical to enable parents to know how to make the best choices with the existing resources and to keep within a limited budget so that the household does not lack money and other resources for food. Collectively, these measured outcomes demonstrated learning and practices adopted by the participants that can lead to improved food security and financial well-being.

Elia Escalante (holding the UCCE board) with her participants who graduated from CFHL, UC program received certificate of completion.

UC 4-H 'Disease Detectives' across California become advocates for health and COVID-19 prevention after learning about epidemiology.

The Issue

With the emergence of the coronavirus, 4-H in-person meetings had to be canceled, along with schools, sports and other youth development programs. Emerging research shows this gap of in-person socializing, disruption to routines, fear of the virus, and the loss of a sense of personal autonomy has led to an increase in social, emotional and mental health issues for teens. Over half of teens in a National 4-H Council/ Harris Poll stated that the pandemic has increased their feelings of loneliness, and 7 in 10 teens report struggling with their mental health.

Cover art for The Junior Disease Detectives - Operation: Outbreak

How UC Delivers

The University of California 4-H Healthy Living Team witnessed that Californians were navigating confusing information about the best way to reduce the spread of the disease, with much misinformation being circulated. So the team decided to address these issues by adapting the Center for Disease Control and Prevention/4-H Junior Disease Detective: Operation Outbreak project for remote instruction.The project focused on concepts of epidemiology and included eight, interactive, virtual sessions covering public health professions, disease investigation, virus transmission, disease outbreaks, vaccines, immunity, prevention (such as how protective actions like handwashing and wearing masks reduce spread) and education. Eighty-nine youth indicated an interest in participating, with more than 45 4-H members from 15 counties across the state enrolling and completing the Virtual UC 4-H Epidemiology Project.

True to the 4-H experiential learning framework, and to address the research showing that teens are currently experiencing high levels of loneliness, the Project Leaders intentionally created a learning environment that included interactive, fun, challenging and social activities to foster a sense of connection. For example, youth learned about the benefits of wearing face masks with an activity where youth were challenged to blow a rolled up tissue from one to six feet away without a mask and then while wearing a mask. Their giggles did not mask the direct learning of how well a mask can contain one's breath.

During June and July 2020, the 4-H youth joined the Healthy Living Team to become "Disease Detectives", participating in the virtual UC 4-H Statewide Epidemiology Project. Youth were challenged to blow a rolled-up tissue from 1 to 6 feet away without a mask and again while wearing a mask.

Dorina Espinoza, Anne Iaccopucci (and Marcel Horowitz) trained the "Disease Detectives".

After completing the UC 4-H Epidemiology Project, youth reported that they were more likely to wash their hands before food preparation (78.1%), after sneezing or coughing (56.2%), and after shopping in a public space (87.5%). The majority (84.4%) of youth also reported that they were more likely to wear a face mask when out in public, compared to before the project. When youth were asked what they learned from the project, one youth stated, “I learned why masks work, I learned how hand sanitizer works, and I learned how I can help my community.” 

Youth reported not only improved health behaviors for themselves, but also reported being leaders in the health of their communities. Many of the young participants (62.5%) reported that they can definitely help control the spread of diseases and 71.9% could envision themselves getting involved in their local community to help slow the spread of disease. Following project participation, over half of all participants picture themselves choosing a career in medicine, public health, veterinary sciences or epidemiology. Participants of the UC 4-H Epidemiology Project have become advocates for health, with 75% reporting that they are discussing disease transmission and prevention with others. 

Research shows that wearing masks and washing hands limits the spread of COVID-19 disease. In this way, these measured outcomes may contribute to improved health for all and the public value of promoting healthy people and communities. 

The best part of the project was learning about how to protect myself and keep my family safe in these troubled times. - Youth participant

This poster is one of the health education materials developed by the 4-H youth as part of the UC 4-H Epidemiology Project.

Participants drew super heroes during the ice breaker socializing and grounding activity.

Strong partnership between CalFresh Healthy Living, UCCE Riverside County and Desert Sands Unified Early Childhood Education has resulted in preschool children developing healthier habits and healthier school environments.

The Issue

The Desert Sands Unified (DSUSD) Early Childhood Education (ECE) Program operates nine Head Start/State Preschool sites to serve limited resource families in Coachella Valley. The District's Head Start Needs Assessment indicates that the majority (80%) of 220 parents/guardians responded to the survey are Hispanic females in their 20s and 30s living in Indio. A large percentage said they are fluent in both English (88%) and Spanish (71%), and only 10.4% of participants speak only Spanish at home. The 2019 Community Health Survey found that one in four (24.9%) of Coachella Valley adults are living at or below 100% federal poverty level (harcdata.org) and over 40% of children have experienced one or more of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). ACEs is an indication of household instability and has been linked to risky health behaviors and chronic health problems in adulthood.

How UC Delivers

Since 2012, the CalFresh Healthy Living (CFHL), UC Cooperative Extension (UCCE) Riverside County has developed a partnership with DSUSD ECE Program. The program has grown over the years to include teacher participation from all nine ECE sites and expanded direct education to comprehensive programming. In 2019-2020, CFHL, UCCE Educator Jackie Barahona provided teacher training for 16 ECE teachers to support delivery of the Go, Glow, Grow (GGG) curriculum with physical activity promotion to 469 preschool students. In addition, she has provided fruit taste-testing and guest speaker presentations in 11 classes before COVID-19 forced school closures.  CFHL, UCCE also reached out to Head Start parents and provided direct education to 37 parents, including 54% that participated in the nutrition series. To stimulate organizational and environmental changes, the CFHL, UCCE Educator attended six Head Start Policy Committee meetings as an active community partner and provided technical assistance to 15 teachers to complete pre-scorecard assessments and plan implementation of Smarter Mealtimes. Moreover, CFHL, UCCE Riverside County participated in the Jackson Preschool Walkathon event by holding an informational booth to educate and distribute indirect resources to families. With the start of the new school year, the CFHL, UCCE program has pivoted to virtual meetings. In September 2020, CFHL, UCCE presented GGG handwashing lesson to preschool children and their families and participated in one policy committee meeting via Zoom.

Raspberry tasting

The Impact

The strong partnership between CFHL, UCCE Riverside County and Desert Sands Unified Early Childhood Education has led to the implementation of healthy environmental changes in the schools, such as making healthy food choices available at school as well as providing consistent health messaging to teachers and parents to foster good food habits in preschool children. Additionally, data collected from 20 participating teachers during 2019 and 2020 shows 84% of teachers strongly agree that more students can now identify healthy food choices; 74% strongly agree that more students now are willing to try new foods at school; and 100% strongly agree that more students now wash hands more often before handling food. All teachers said they now encourage students to eat breakfast and to be physically active. Since children learn food preferences while they are young, research shows it is important to promote the acceptance of healthier foods in early childhood education settings (healthyeatingresearch.org). In this way, the program contributes to improved health for all and the public value of promoting healthy people and communities. 

"Our teachers indicate that incorporating a nutrition curriculum to their instruction is a positive way to introduce the importance of nutrition to our preschool students and their families. The resources we receive from you are age appropriate and very well received. In addition, having you as a nutrition bilingual educator supports the teachers and their families to adequately implement the program." From Dr. J. Rallion, DSUSD ECE Principal

“Great nutrition/healthy curriculum. The children respond and are engaged with the games, recipes and activities. Thank you for your support in creating a healthier generation.” Mrs. Alvarez, DSUSD Child Development Center