Logic Model for the Healthy Lives Initiative

The following is an overview of Morgan County, Alabama, and the proposed Healthy Lives health education program meant to draw awareness and impact change in the levels of obesity within the community.

Healthy Lives

Program overview and alignment with Healthy People 2030

                To align the Healthy Lives Program with Health People 2030, first, consider the goals of Health People 2030 and the goals of Health Lives. These goals are shared among both programs and consist of promoting awareness and “increasing the number of residents who understand their diabetes status and how to manage it” (Healthy People 2030, n.d.). As a result, the program hosts workshops on prevention, management, and risk factors. Another shared goal is to “increase the number of people completing CDC-recognized Diabetes prevention programs” (Healthy People 2030, n.d.). This goal is carried out through the promotion of such programs as the National Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) and advocating healthy eating and adequate exercise. Furthermore, Healthy People 2030 also aims to “Reduce consumption of added sugars by people aged 2 years and over” (n.d.) This goal is met by the program's objective of Implementing a school-based nutrition program to reach all elementary schools within Morgan County within one year. An additional shared goal is to “Increase the proportion of health care visits by adults with obesity that include counseling on weight loss, nutrition, or physical activity” (Healthy People 2030, n.d.). This is met by establishing partnerships with healthcare companies like PrecisionMD, VIP Medical Care of Decatur, and Decatur Morgan HomeCare to offer health fairs to help connect people with providers and nutritionists to provide free or low-cost screenings and support for people with diabetes. Lastly, to reduce the number of diabetes cases diagnosed yearly (Healthy People 2030, n.d.). This is met by promoting support groups and hiking/walking groups.

Purpose Statement

To empower individuals and families to achieve and maintain healthy lifestyles through education, support, and sustainable lifestyle changes, ultimately reducing the prevalence of obesity and its associated health risks.

Target Population

                Morgan County residents are the target population for the Healthy Lives Program. As stated below in the demographics table, the population varies and is approximately 125, 000, with an obesity prevalence of 42.70% (U.S.News, 2024). The majority of its residents are White, followed by Black or African American, then Hispanic, and other races. Obesity trends start while people are young, with 13.9% of 18 and under already considered obese (OAC, 2024).

Demographics Table

Obesity Demographics in Morgan County, Alabama
Demographic Category	Data
Total Population	125,133
Obesity Prevalence	42.70%
Food Environment Index Score	8.66%
Population Within 0.5 Miles of a Park	34.50%
Walkability Index Score	6.10%
Age Obesity Distribution
Under 18 years	13.90%
18 to 64 years	59.40%
65 years and over	26.70%
Gender Obesity Distribution
Male	35.80%
Female	40.60%
Race Obesity Distribution
White	36.40%
Black or African American	49.30%
Hispanic or Latino	36.80%
Asian	0.49%
Median Household Income	$75,028
Poverty Rate	13.70%
Health Insurance Coverage
Uninsured	13.90%

Narrative of Demographics Table

The above table shows the most recent demographics in Morgan County, Alabama. The population varies and is approximately 125, 000, with an obesity prevalence of 42.70% (U.S.News, 2024). One factor known to contribute to obesity is the Food Environment Index Score, which for Morgan County is 8.66% (U.S.News, 2024); the national average is 13.9%. The higher the number, the healthier food options are for county residents. Another contributing factor is the access to green spaces, like parks. In Morgan County, this percentage is 34.5%, is above average for the U.S.; though, the walkability score is 6.1%, lower than the national average (U.S.News, 2024).

A look at how the different age groups are affected by obesity in Morgan County further explains the crisis here; these percentages of 13.9% for those under 18 years of age, 59.40% for adults 18 to 64 years of age, and 26.7% for adults 65 and older (OAC, 2024). Additionally, more females tend to be obese compared to males, but with just a 5% difference, Alabama is the fifth-highest obese populated state in the nation, according to the CDC (2024). The chart further depicts that obesity varies among races, with black or African Americans having the highest percentage and Asians having the smallest. Household incomes and the poverty rate for Morgan County are slightly better than the national averages, but the evidence of low income and obesity is still apparent.

Community

Description

Morgan County is part of Northern Central Alabama. Morgan County is known for its recreational opportunities, hiking and biking trails. The community here loves the advantages of being located on the Wheeler Wildlife Refuge and the banks of the Tennessee River. Morgan County has a great education system and access to several healthcare facilities.

Narrative Overview of Logic Model

The proposed health promotion program and its advocacy agenda will solve the problem of unhealthy eating habits and the lack of nutrition education, break down barriers to physical activity, and improve resources in the Morgan County community, extending life expectancy and helping people live healthy lives. The conceptual framework for this health education program extends from the knowledge and collaboration of the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Census Bureau. The data comes from surveys and census results from 2020 to 2024. Specifically, the data considers obesity percentages of various demographics in Morgan County, Alabama.

References

CDC. (2024, September 12). Adult Obesity Prevalence Maps. Obesity. https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data-and-statistics/adult-obesity-prevalence-maps.html

Diabetes - Healthy People 2030 | odphp.health.gov. (n.d.). https://odphp.health.gov/healthypeople/objectives-and-data/browse-objectives/diabetes

Obesity Action Coalition (OAC) (2024). Alabama Obesity Fact Sheet. https://www.obesityaction.org/wp-content/uploads/AL.2024.pdf

Obesity Trends (Data) | Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH). (n.d.). https://www.alabamapublichealth.gov/awa/trends.html

U.S. News Staff. (2024). How Healthy is Morgan County, Alabama? In U.S. News Healthiest Communities. https://www.usnews.com/news/healthiest-communities/alabama/morgan-county

What is the National DPP? (2024, May 15). National Diabetes Prevention Program. https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes-prevention/programs/what-is-the-national-dpp.html

World Health Organization. (2024, March 1). Noncommunicable diseases: Childhood overweight and obesity. https://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/noncommunicable-diseases-childhood-overweight-and-obesity

Appendix

Introducing a health education program will bring advantages to the community by closing the gaps in knowledge about nutrition and physical activity, making healthy choices when cooking food, and teaching people how to garden and grow fruits, vegetables, and greens. As the Likert- survey below shows with the first question and the final two questions, awareness is the first step to success. The next question assesses how aware of their community's obesity status the residents of Morgan County are. This question is vital due to the strain obesity has on our economy, especially in healthcare, where costs are 34% higher for people with obesity (OAC, 2024). The following three questions consider lifestyle choices and habits that can influence children and the rest of their lives. Questions six and seven establish the benefits to the community and determine what barriers exist so the program can address them. The next three questions are about engagement; without engagement, the program will not succeed. Additionally, it is an essential step in the implementation process to evaluate any barriers to engagement to find a resolution sooner rather than later (SOPHE, 2022).  Please click the link to complete the survey.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/7DPZYJM