Bridge Scholars Program - Bridging Disease Prevention Through Nutrition Focused Education In Community Clinics

Nutrition education is a cornerstone for the prevention of diet-related chronic diseases, making it critical that nutrition researchers and practitioners are adequately trained to improve health of Kentuckians, who have some of the poorest statistics on diet-related diseases. It ranks 7th highest among the nation’s states for type 2 diabetes, 3rd highest for high-school-aged youth obesity, and first in cancer-related deaths. This proposal seeks to prepare 50 undergraduate students through a 2- semester Bridge Scholars Program. The approach for experiential learning in this program focuses on providing disease prevention through nutrition focused education leveraging two existing networks, Cooperative Extension and UK Healthcare. This unique and appropriate interprofessional setting concurrently integrates initial patient care with health assessment and concepts relative to disease prevention. We propose an integrated project with three primary goals (1) to produce undergraduate students with superior research and extension skills capable of successfully matching to a internships, entry-level nutrition education positions and acceptance into graduate programs; (2) to expand experiential learning opportunities for students majoring in dietetics and human nutrition focused on overall wellness and chronic disease prevention by increasing critical thinking and problem solving skills; and (3) assess the acceptance and feasibility of providing science-based cooperative extension resources to patients in a nutrition- and disease prevention-focused community clinic. The program addresses the need for development of higher education programming of Developing Pathways by preparing future nutrition- and disease preventionfocused health professionals. By preparing future nutrition- and prevention-focused professionals we can mitigate the worsening health disparities in Kentucky.