Evidence supports the relationship between food literacy – defined as the range of knowledge and skills needed to use food – and the food choices people make. Given the public debate on food choices being driven by a lack of food skills and the lack of data on the island of Ireland, safefood, an all-island body, commissioned research to develop and validate cooking and food skills measures. The measures developed by Lavelle at al (2017) are clearly described, relatable, user-friendly, suitable for different types of studies and applicable across all sociodemographic levels. The measure paper has been cited 128 times since 2017, it has an Altmetric Attention Score of 27, which is in the top 25% of all research outputs scored by Altmetric and has been used in the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the UK, among others. It has also been translated into Portuguese, Japanese, German, Turkish, and used. This research has added to the discourse in this important area and has promoted further research and collaborations to advance this area. Central to the success of this work was the integration of social science perspectives with those of nutrition and gastronomy.

Changes in climate have led to an increase in natural disasters worldwide. A report from the World Meteorological Organization states that there were five times more weather-related disasters in the last 50 years, resulting in fewer deaths but greater damage. Findings indicate the increase was driven by climate change, more extreme weather events, and improved reporting. In 2022, the world was hit with dozens of billion-dollar weather-related disasters. These disasters have the greatest impact on low-income families.

Home economists have a historical role in serving communities and promoting resiliency after disasters. In the United States, they are often found in Cooperative Extension. At the University of (State), they partnered with agriculture and 4-H youth educators to develop an interdisciplinary approach to building organizational capacity for emergency preparedness and recovery from disasters. The teams were cross-trained about issues in each program area. Following an initial 3-day training, quarterly trainings focused on heir’s property, food safety, damage assessment, and health and well-being. Faculty engaged colleagues and partners in exercises to simulate emergency response. This intentional capacity-building approach has allowed the (University) Cooperative Extension to activate and respond at the community-level during natural disasters, an approach that can be implemented worldwide.

Introduction:
This study aims to investigate the impact of NJ Empower to Prevent, an online Prevent T2 National Diabetes Prevention Program (NDPP) intervention, on health outcomes among adults at risk for type 2 diabetes. The primary objective is to assess whether participation in NJEP leads to significant improvements in key health indicators.

Methods:
Quantitative methods were utilized to analyze participant health metrics such as weight and physical activity levels. Qualitative methods were used to analyze survey responses to contextualize quantitative findings.

Findings:
The program’s first cohort lost 97.8 pounds along with a 490-minute increase in weekly physical activity. Final survey data shows that participants increased healthy eating and physical activity habits, in addition to improvements in mindset and empowerment towards improving their health.

Conclusions/Implications/Recommendations:
Participation in the NJ Empower to Prevent Program appears to yield promising health outcomes. With the commencement of the program’s fourth cohort, these findings underscore the potential for scalable online interventions to prevent type 2 diabetes. Future research should focus on expanding program accessibility and inclusivity, as well as exploring the long-term sustainability of these improvements. Public health policies should consider supporting and promoting such online interventions to mitigate the rising burden of type 2 diabetes.

Introduction: Due to the COVID-19, the workcation (work + vacation) trend has arisen among Japanese workers. Since Japanese people do not have the custom of taking long vacations, “Parent-Child Workcation (PCW),” in which the children go to daycare while the parents are teleworking in rural areas, has gained attention recently. PCW has also contributed to the revitalization of rural areas.
The purpose of this study is to identify the trends and the sustainability of PCW by investigating the motivations and challenges of stakeholders, the local government, residents, and people taking PCWs as well as regional experience seekers.
Research Methods: The target areas are Assabu town (population 3,500) in Hokkaido, and other depopulated regions in Japan. The research method is based on the results of field visits and interviews.
Findings: We identified that the stakeholders involved in PCW have proactively engaged with each other to create a unique co-creation experience and enhance well-being. However, there are insufficient regions that can accept PCW.
Conclusions: The results of this research show that in order to promote regions where PCW is available, local governments and private businesses that have the entrepreneurship to operate PCW of an attractive content should be expanded in Japan.

The Human Sciences, in partnership with a diversity of health sciences and professions, are increasingly focused on social determinants of health and preventable chronic diseases that have rapidly emerged over the last century. The balance of health and wellness is largely defined by human choices shaped by household and community settings around the world. We are positioned as human scientists to serve as leaders and key partners in modern approaches to scientific discovery and innovation that enhance health-related quality of life for all.

The Board on Health and Human Sciences (BHHS) fosters a community of university leaders collectively working to advance the mission of public research universities across North America. The organization is committed to unifying disciplines and leaders within and beyond the human sciences to advance our capacity to improve human and environmental health. This session will highlight the BHHS’ work in shifting national priorities to focus on the role of human sciences in addressing the most pressing issues of our time. Participants will explore ways to creatively engage in partnerships that examine emerging opportunities with innovations in artificial intelligence, eliminating health disparities, commerce and environmental health, and development across the lifespan.

The Ohio State University Extension Public Health AmeriCorps (E-PHAC) is a project funded by AmeriCorps and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to support the recruitment, training, and development of the next generation of public health leaders to tackle public health needs in local communities.
Using Cooperative Extension’s Framework for Health Equity and Wellness, E-PHAC members engage communities in service-learning public health projects, collaborate on existing projects, and ensure projects are addressing the social determinants of health (SDoH) in underserved and underrepresented communities.
AmeriCorps members in E-PHAC expand the capacity of OSU Extension professionals to focus on public health issues in local communities and identify existing and new community assets that contribute to the local and statewide public health ecosystem.
The first cohort of AmeriCorps members launched in May 2023. There are currently eight E-PHAC members serving across Ohio. Members are supervised by local Extension professionals providing mentorship and assisting to identifying and connect with community assets.
The E-PHAC members contribute to addressing public health needs of local communities by providing support in communities and work to provide youth a voice in their community to foster change and exposure to public health and health related career opportunities.

Facilitation of independent living in the community is high on the Maltese national agenda for individuals with mental health disorders (MHD). Thus, this research project aimed to create a tailored educational tool to help promote independence and self-care among individuals with MHD.

The study focused on: 1) Comparing food preferences and consumption of adults with MHD to national dietary guidelines; 2) Evaluating the skills of adults with MHD for procuring healthy meals independently; 3) Producing the educational resource. Four social workers who regularly work with adults with MHD were interviewed, exploring their clients’ awareness, practices, and abilities related to independent healthy living. Data obtained served to inform the development of a guidebook/cookbook to meet identified common needs. Key findings revealed that adults inconsistently adhered to dietary guidelines and preferred unhealthy foods. Mental health symptoms and institutionalisation hindered their food sourcing, food storage and cooking abilities. Subsequently, the book produced followed the Transtheoretical model, Self-efficacy theory and andragogy principles. It was highly pictorial, motivational and designed to aid learning. Study limitations, included a small sample of social workers, lack of time for trialing the book and having only a Maltese version. Further research is warranted to assess effectiveness of the tool.

“safefood for life” is an e-learning education tool to teach young people basic food safety skills. The tool covers practical topics including basic food hygiene, food preparation, food allergens and cleaning. For those students who want to take their training further, there’s also the option of an online exam, which enables successful students to receive certification recognised by the food industry. The course was designed as a partnership between safefood and the Environmental Health Association of Ireland for delivery by teachers of Home Economics given their competence in the area. Since 2005, more than 48,000 “safefood for life” exams have been completed with students receiving a certificate in food hygiene endorsed by the Environmental Health Association of Ireland. This enables students to take part-time jobs in businesses where food is handled or served and can also help as a stepping stone to a future career in the food industry. This approach reflects the strength of working with professional Home Economics teachers to optimise the learning in the classroom and equipping young people with skills for practical application in the world of work.