Perception of Food Safety Risk from Animal Contact Questionnaire for Extension Audiences

Animal contact in public settings for both leisure and work increases the odds of infectious diseases. This circumstance is exacerbated by inadequate understanding of the connection between exposure to animals and food safety risks. The purpose of our research was to develop a survey for assessing adults\u27 perceptions of food safety risk from exposure to animals. Results of our study suggest that the survey has acceptable internal structure and reliability. It may prove useful to Extension professionals who are assessing the need for associated programming or seeking to track progress toward relevant outcomes

How voice affects perceptions of relationship wih adults, ownership, and engagement in youth

The purpose of this study was to determine if youth voice affects the ownership and engagement experienced by youth in a county 4-H program. For the treatment group, a youth-led approach was used where having a voice included youth sharing decision-making power with the adults in the program. The comparison group consisted of 4-H members in three other clubs in the county. These youth experienced an adult-led approach where the decisions about the club programming were made strictly by the adults. The Youth Voice Survey instrument was developed to assess youths\u27 perceptions of ownership, engagement, and relationship with adults at both a pre- and post-measurement. Interviews were conducted with six youth in the treatment group to determine if their lived experiences confirmed the factors that emerged from the Youth Voice Survey. Exploratory factor analysis was used to investigate the underlying latent constructs in the instrument. Analysis of covariance was utilized to determine if differences existed between youth participating in the treatment and comparison groups and if differences existed between youth based on race. Findings indicated statistically significant differences between the treatment and comparison groups on all three constructs of ownership, engagement, and relationship with adults. Findings also indicated statistically significant differences between white and non-white youth on all three constructs of ownership, engagement, and relationship with adults. It was concluded that, in programs incorporating voice, youth experience more ownership and engagement and have a more positive relationship with adults. An implication of this study is that adults who work with youth should receive training on the incorporation of youth voice and the support of youth as decision-makers

Program Theory and Quality Matter: Changing the Course of Extension Program Evaluation

As internal evaluators for the 4-H program in two states, we simultaneously yet independently began to change the way we approached our evaluation practices, turning from evaluation capacity building (ECB) efforts that prepared educators to define and measure program outcomes to strategies that engage educators in defining and measuring program quality. In this article, we discuss our similar experiences, how these experiences are changing the ECB work we do, and how changing our evaluation approach ultimately will position 4-H for better evaluations in the future. This shift in evaluation focus has implications for other Extension program areas as well

4-H State Leadership Boards: Measuring Leadership Life Skills and Youth-Adult Relationships

This descriptive correlational study sought to measure the development of leadership life skills and the perceptions of youth-adult relationships by youth serving on the Louisiana 4-H State Leadership Boards. Members of the 2013-2014 Louisiana 4-H State Leadership Boards (N = 153) served as the population for the study. A total of 99 responses were collected yielding a response rate of 65%. Board members reported high levels of youth involvement, adult involvement, and youth-adult interaction. Based on the high levels of involvement and interaction, youth-adult partnerships were present on the Louisiana 4-H State Leadership Boards. Future research should be conducted to determine if there is a difference in youth who serve on the Louisiana 4-H State Leadership Boards and other 4-H members who do not serve on the boards. No statistically significant relationship existed between the development of leadership life skills and youth-adult partnerships. Future research should investigate the subject deeper to determine why the two variables had no significant relationship in this study

Facilitators and Barriers to Implementation of Community-Based Socio-Ecological Approaches to Obesity Prevention Among Cooperative Extension Agents

Perceptions, knowledge, and attitudes of Cooperative Extension Service (CES) Family and Consumer Science (FCS) agents related to the planning and implementation of community-based multi-level ecological obesity prevention strategies were identified through qualitative, exploratory research. Focus group discussions (FGD) were conducted in the five regions of the Louisiana State University CES (LSU AgCenter). Participants included CES FCS Extension agents (n = 35; 97% of agents). Participants were female and responsible for conducting programming in parishes (counties). Thematic analysis of data found principal factors that influenced FCS Extension agents’ perceived ability to plan and implement community-based multi-level obesity prevention approaches to include knowledge of the socio-ecological model, beliefs about roles of CES, funding, human resources, community connectedness, community buy-in, guidance, and internal support. Assessing what FCS agents perceived as barriers and facilitators to implementing community-based obesity prevention approaches provided valuable direction to the state FCS office. Understanding gaps in knowledge, professional development needs, and existing strengths will help make the transition to community-based obesity prevention initiatives more effective. These findings may be beneficial to other CES and public health agencies implementing multi-level, community-based obesity prevention programs in partnership with community coalitions

An Exploratory Study of 4th, 5th, and 6th Grade Summer Camp Participants’ Attitudes and Intentions Towards Physical Activity

Physical inactivity is a growing problem among children, particularly schoolaged youth. Research suggests children are especially prone to inactivity in the summer months when access to structured school-time and extra-curricular activities is reduced. Community programs like residential summer camps offer an excellent environment for engaging children in enjoyable physical activities while also helping them learn to be more physically active when they return home. Pre-existing attitudes often influence how much change a program inspires in an individual. The purpose of this study was to explore 4th, 5th, and 6th grade summer camp participants’ attitudes towards physical activity. Results of this study indicate that youth have a fairly neutral, though positive, attitude towards physical activity and that parental support of physical activity is still extremely important, even at this age. Campers also indicated relatively high intentions to remain physically active in the two weeks after the camp ended

An Investigation of Principals\u27 Social and Emotional Learning Beliefs and Attitudes

With recent educational demands placed on academic accountability, it is difficult for many people to determine or acknowledge where or how focusing on social and emotional learning (SEL) can be beneficial. In this paper we focus on principals’ beliefs and attitudes about social and emotional learning. Principals influence implementation through their school priorities, vision, expectations, and emphases. We used grounded theory techniques and semi-structured interviews with K-8th grade principals of public schools located in a state in the southeastern United States. When describing principals’ beliefs and attitudes, late majority adopters held neutral attitudes and weak beliefs regarding SEL. In addition, a lack of understanding of the SEL concept became evident as principals did not express a clear understanding of SEL. Comprehensive training at the administrative and policy level is needed. Principals should implement targeted staff training providing key strategies for intentionally integrating SEL skills into their current curriculum

Designing an International Experience Program for 4-H Members in Louisiana

In recent years, the U.S. Cooperative Extension Program (CEP) has worked to develop international exchange programs (IEPs) for 4-H members in some states. However, no such program currently exists in Louisiana. As such, the purpose of this descriptive study was to identify the IEP participation preferences held by 4H members in Louisiana to inform future IEP development and implementation. 4-H members in this study preferred to participate in a short-term IEP during the summer of the 11th grade. Thus, it is recommended that IEP recruitment be geared toward students in the 9th and 10th grades. 4-H members preferred to participate in an IEP located in Europe or Australia/New Zealand. Future research should examine which characteristics of these locations appeal to 4-H members to broaden the appeal of IEPs in other locations. Career related courses and hands-on experience were perceived by 4-H members as important activities to include in the IEP design, whereas staying with a host family was not. Future research should assess whether this finding is specific to members in this study or representative of a national trend that warrants reexamination of the overall design of 4-H IEPs employed by the U.S. CEP

Looking for Information: An Exploratory Analysis to Explain Public Information-Seeking Behaviors About Mosquito Control

Mosquitoes pose substantial risks in communities worldwide, and the extent and type of such risk may vary across communities and regions. The integrated mosquito management approach integrates multidisciplinary methods into practical strategies tailored to local communities. Reduction of mosquito larval sources via community engagement in at-home mosquito control behaviors is a key component of this approach. Best methods of communicating information to the public to foster knowledge and motivation to engage in local mosquito control efforts. The purpose of this descriptional, correlational study was to describe the Florida public’s mosquito control information search behaviors, as well as examine factors that may explain those behaviors. Findings revealed statistically significant relationships existed between respondents’ information search frequency and their subjective and objective knowledge, importance of mosquito control, personal responsibility, income and education. Significant relationships were also observed between personal responsibility and homeownership and type of residence. Respondents perceived CDC websites and Florida DOH websites as the most trustworthy of the sources listed, and were most likely to use local mosquito control program websites when searching information. Local mosquito control districts should use the findings of this study to target passive audiences and facilitate their future engagement in mosquito control dialogues. Future research is needed to further examine the directionality and predictive nature of variables examined in this study

Evaluation of Components of Volunteerism in Master Horseman Program Graduates

Providing volunteers with training opportunities affects the overall success of programs with which they are involved. This article describes a study of 98 Louisiana Master Horseman Program graduates. The study addressed their perceived self-efficacy related to equine technical and management skills, their changes in confidence regarding teaching relevant skills to others, and their willingness to teach those skills to others. Results indicated that the training positively affected graduates\u27 horsemanship skills and their confidence and willingness related to teaching such skills. Findings suggest that the Louisiana Master Horseman Program is useful for creating a highly trained volunteer workforce and is a master volunteer program option that could be replicated successfully in other states