Logic Model Overview:

Heather Carter's plan

Situation:

From Individual Staff Professional Development Plans:



From Administrative Time:
Staff need a place to plan for and document administrative time.

From Family & Consumer Resources:
Diet Quality and Physical Activity
Nutrition plays a vital role in overall health. In fact, research has found that diet is associated with the leading causes of death, many of which are preventable heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and several types of cancer. Cardiovascular disease and cancer together account for almost two thirds of all deaths in the United States. Despite the importance of diet, however, Americans fail to achieve recommendations of the Dietary Guidelines which lower the risk of disease. Of interest, are the results of the 2006 New Hampshire Food Stamp Recipient telephone survey conducted with 401 randomly selected recipients.

Overall Health and Nutritional Quality of Food Stamp Recipients' Diet
In the 2006 telephone survey, food stamp recipients were asked to describe the quality of both their general health. Over the last 5 years, respondents have described their overall health less favorably than the general New Hampshire population. In 2006, 16% of respondents described the overall nutritional quality of their diet as excellent (5%) or very good (11%). By comparison, according to the 2000 Centers for Disease Control Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Survey, general population residents in New Hampshire (63%) described their health as excellent or very good. Food Stamp recipients were asked to rate the nutritional quality of their diet. Twenty-eight percent of respondents said the nutritional quality of their diet was either excellent (8%) or very good (20%). More respondents (41%) described the nutritional quality of their diet as excellent (13%) or very good (28%) in 2005.

Adopting a Healthier Diet
Respondents were asked to identify the primary barriers preventing them from eating a more nutritious diet. Over one-third of respondents (37%) mentioned that they can not afford to improve their diet. Others cited allergies or medical reasons (7%) or a lack of time (7%) as barriers to improving their diet.

Money is an especially prevalent barrier among recipients under 62 (41%) and those who currently rate their diet as fair or poor (50%). These results suggest that financial constraints pose an especially strong barrier for younger respondents and those with the greatest need to improve the nutritional quality of their diets.

Healthy Weight
Application of the Body Mass Index formula to self-reported height and weight data shows that less than one-third of Food Stamp recipients (28%) enjoy a healthy weight. Sixty-nine percent of Food Stamp recipients are either overweight (27%) or obese (42%). Only three percent of respondents are underweight according to the Body Mass Index. Nearly three-fourths of obese respondents are currently trying to lose weight. One-half of overweight respondents, and nearly three-quarters (73%) of obese respondents, are currently trying to lose weight. Sixty-three percent of respondents who have a healthy weight are trying to maintain their weight. Recipients under 62 who said they are trying to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight were asked what they are doing to meet their goals. One-half of respondents said they are eating better food, while 46 percent said they are exercising regularly. Approximately one-fourth of respondents (26%) mentioned the South Beach Diet and one-fourth of respondents mentioned eating less. Fewer respondents mentioned a low or reduced fat diet (9%), a low or reduced calorie diet (7%) or the Atkins Diet (2%).

Changing Health Status of New Hampshire Residents
The UNH Cooperative Extension State Advisory Council has requested that obesity prevention be a major focus in the 5 year plan of work. A formal motion was passed on April 5, 2005 to (a) support these programs by making them more clear and evident in the plan of work regardless of client income level, and (b) to continue and enhance the resources dedicated to this critical issue.
More than half of New Hampshire residents describe themselves as overweight or obese. Twenty-two percent of the state's school-age boys and 17 percent of girls are overweight, with another 20 percent at risk for overweight. Since mid-2003, an interdisciplinary team has been meeting and planning a statewide initiative called Lighten Up New Hampshire! that will identify and integrate the vast network of obesity prevention/reduction resources and programs throughout the Granite State.
Shopping Behavior/Food Resource Management
Food resource management applies to the practices related to thrifty shopping for food and management of food dollars. These include such skills as making shopping lists, reading labels for nutritional value, planning menus, and basic cooking. Extremely low incomes can make it difficult for people to buy enough food to meet their minimum nutritional needs, thereby putting them at risk for under nutrition. A consumer's perception of the cost of various foods can also play a role in his or her choices. For example, two barriers that prevent people from adopting healthful eating habits are the beliefs that it would be too expensive and inconvenient. In fact, 40 percent of consumers who answered one survey said that fruits, vegetables, seafood, and other elements of a low-fat diet; nutrient-rich diet would strain their budgets. But some research has shown that switching from a high-fat diet to one that is lower in fat can reduce food costs.
Food Safety
Food borne illness is one of the greatest concerns of public health experts and the food industry. Each year, as many as 76 million Americans experience food borne illness, and an estimated 5,000 deaths are linked to tainted foods. Incredible as these figures are, they probably represent only a fraction of the whole picture.
Many mild cases of food borne illness are never reported for a number of reasons: The victims pass off the symptoms as flu and do not seek medical attention, the illness is misdiagnosed as another problem with similar symptoms, the victim fails to recognize food as the source of the illness, or the physician doesn't report the illness to local health agencies. Diarrhea, nausea, abdominal pain, or vomiting without fever or upper respiratory distress is often taken to be flu, but people who experience such symptoms are highly likely to be suffering from food borne illness.

Stakeholder Input

From Family & Consumer Resources:
Data was collected from stakeholders via county visits, county and state advisory councils; and reviewed by Family & Consumer Resources specialists and educators.

From Administrative Time:


From Individual Staff Professional Development Plans:

Assumptions

From Family & Consumer Resources:
1. A committed and skilled professional staff in Family and Consumer Resources will be retained.
2. Cooperative Extension has the capacity to address the educational needs of the residents of NH.
3. Cooperative Extension is a highly effective educational program development and delivery organization and is a non-biased research-based source of information and education.
4. Educational resources needed to achieve long term outcomes will be supported and developed.
5. Effective collaborations of agencies and organizations, and strategic partnerships will strengthen program development, delivery and evaluation.
6. Funding through CSREES, State of NH, and NH counties remains in place and is enhanced through sustainable grants, contracts and gifts.


From Administrative Time:


From Individual Staff Professional Development Plans:

External Factors

From Family & Consumer Resources:
• Family and Consumer Sciences will become better understood as a discipline.
• Poverty places families and communities under great stress that interferes with their ability to achieve positive outcomes.
• Economic development and stability is a goal for individuals, families, communities and businesses.
• Individuals are challenged to balance personal, family and professional goals and often lack the time to participate in learning opportunities.
• Individuals will choose to make good decisions, be effective parents, choose quality child care, make healthy food choices, handle food safely, and manage their resources with skill if they have the awareness, knowledge, attitudes and skills to do so.

From Administrative Time:


From Individual Staff Professional Development Plans:

   Outputs

      Miscellaneous administrative work    (Show details)

   Inputs:

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   Outputs

      Nutrition Connections - educational courses to income eligible New Hampshire residents'- ability to meet nutritional needs through available resources. Includes EFNEP (Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program) and FSNE (Food Stamp Nutrition Education.)    (Show details)

      Nutrition Connections - Food safety educational courses to income eligible New Hampshire residents on good food safety practices.    (Show details)

   Inputs:

   (Show details)

   Outputs

      Professional development    (Show details)

   Inputs:

   (Show details)