Please consider the following scenario. Lisa is an eighteen year old student who is an undergraduate student at Ferris State University. She comes from a low-income family and is the first one in her family to attend college. Lisa is 5’4” and weighs 180 pounds. She also comes from a family in which her parents and older brother all smoke. As a result, she started smoking when she was 15 years old and has really thought about quitting once she started college. She was able to quit for a month, but soon the stress of balancing college life (e.g. exams, harder classes, bigger workload) with a part-time job really got to her, and she started smoking a pack a day. This was fairly easy to do because she was 18 now and didn’t need a fake ID anymore, and she and her co-workers at the local restaurant enjoyed taking smoke breaks together to commiserate over their stressful lives. Also, due to the new time pressures associated with balancing college and a part-time job, Lisa found herself eating at McDonalds (which is right on campus and was relatively very cheap and quick) every day for lunch and at the fast food restaurant she worked for dinner. She also exercised much less than usual and found herself comfort-eating cookies and other sweet snacks during her study sessions. She found that her friends did the same, so she did not think it was a big deal that she gained 10 pounds within her first semester in college. Also, she thought, she is only 18, and issues like heart disease and diabetes only happened to much older people. On top of everything, she often felt depressed because she was so far away from home and missed her family and high school friends so much. Sometimes, smoking and overeating seemed the only ways to cope. Please look back at Midterm Question #1 and consider Lisa’s situation. Imagine that you are working at the District 10 Health Department, and you are writing a grant to improve long-term chronic disease outcomes for college students, such as Lisa, in Mecosta County. Please describe how you would plan and evaluate an intervention to change one of her health behaviors in this rural setting. Please answer the following questions regarding your intervention: Please summarize your responses in a . Please be sure to cite your sources (both textbook and outside sources) in APA format.

Introduction

This grant proposal aims to address the long-term chronic disease outcomes of college students, specifically focusing on Lisa, a low-income undergraduate student at Ferris State University in Mecosta County. Lisa’s health behaviors, including smoking and unhealthy eating habits, place her at risk for developing chronic diseases. This proposal will outline a plan to intervene and promote healthier behaviors in this rural college setting.

Planning the Intervention

To effectively plan an intervention targeting Lisa’s health behaviors, a comprehensive approach is necessary. This will involve addressing both her smoking and unhealthy eating habits, as well as considering her unique circumstances as a low-income student from a smoking household. The proposed intervention will consist of the following elements:

1. Awareness and Education: Providing information about the health risks associated with smoking and unhealthy eating habits is crucial. Educational sessions and campaigns should be designed to increase knowledge and create awareness among college students, particularly targeting Lisa and her peers.

2. Smoking Cessation Program: Given Lisa’s history of smoking, a specialized smoking cessation program should be implemented. This program should incorporate evidence-based strategies such as cognitive-behavioral therapy, nicotine replacement therapy, and support groups. It should also address the social aspect of smoking by providing alternative stress-reducing activities for Lisa to engage in with her co-workers.

3. Healthy Eating Promotion: A multifaceted approach should be taken to promote healthy eating habits among college students. This could include menu labeling in campus dining facilities, introducing healthier food options, and providing nutrition education to students. In Lisa’s case, it would be beneficial to collaborate with the local fast-food restaurant where she works to introduce healthier menu options and encourage positive eating habits among employees.

4. Mental Health Support: Given Lisa’s feelings of depression and homesickness, it is important to include mental health support in the intervention. This could involve providing access to counseling services, support groups, and promoting stress-management techniques. Addressing Lisa’s emotional well-being is crucial for creating long-lasting behavior change.

Evaluation of the Intervention

To evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention, several methods should be employed. This will allow for a comprehensive assessment of the impact on Lisa’s health behaviors and identify areas for improvement. The evaluation should include the following components:

1. Pre- and Post-Intervention Assessments: Conducting surveys or interviews before and after the intervention will provide valuable insights into changes in Lisa’s health behaviors and attitudes. This data should be collected using standardized questionnaires and analyzed to measure the intervention’s success.

2. Longitudinal Follow-Up: Tracking Lisa and her peers over a period of time will provide information on the sustained impact of the intervention. This could involve follow-up assessments at regular intervals, such as six months and one year post-intervention.

3. Objective Measures: In addition to self-reported data, objective measures such as BMI measurements and smoking cessation rates should be collected. These measures will provide concrete evidence of the intervention’s impact on Lisa’s health outcomes.

4. Qualitative Data: Including qualitative data through focus groups or individual interviews with participants can provide a deeper understanding of their experiences and perceptions of the intervention. This data can help identify barriers and facilitators to behavior change and inform future program improvements.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this grant proposal outlines an intervention plan to address the health behaviors of Lisa, a college student from a low-income background in a rural setting. The proposed intervention includes raising awareness, providing smoking cessation support, promoting healthy eating habits, and offering mental health support. The evaluation strategy encompasses pre- and post-intervention assessments, longitudinal follow-up, objective measures, and qualitative data collection. By implementing this comprehensive intervention and evaluating its effectiveness, we aim to improve long-term chronic disease outcomes for college students in Mecosta County.