30 April 2004

Science and Health

From Diabetes to Babies, Books Help Narrow Health Disparities

The latest free, consumer-friendly health booklet from AAAS, High Blood Pressure: The Science Inside, explains in plain language what health professionals know about high blood pressure, or hypertension, a leading cause of heart disease and stroke. High blood pressure affects more than 50 million people in the United States alone, and the disorder contributed to some 227,000 U.S. deaths in 1999. Sadly, "there are no clear-cut symptoms for high blood pressure—which is part of the reason it has become known as 'the silent killer,'" according to the AAAS booklet.

Part of AAAS's Healthy People Library Project, the High Blood Pressure booklet helps to demystify the disorder for general readers, by explaining symptoms, treatments, current research, and strategies for combating the problem through life-style choices. "The goal of all the Healthy People booklets is to share, in an accessible way, the science that underlies critical public health issues," said Maria Sosa, editor-in-chief of the AAAS Science Books and Films program. "Understanding the science behind disorders that affect everyday life for so many people can be empowering, and help all of us to make better choices."

High Blood Pressure is the third booklet in a series being published by AAAS. Earlier booklets focused on Diabetes and Having Healthy Babies. Future editions will address HIV/AIDS, biomedical research, fitness and nutrition, and asthma and allergies.

The library project is part of an effort to address disparities reflected in national health statistics. For many people, Sosa noted, good health and access to health care and prevention programs often are relative to economic status, race or ethnicity, gender, education, disability, geographic location, or even sexual orientation.

"High blood pressure does not affect all people, races, or genders alike," the AAAS booklet points out. For example, high blood pressure affects more than 50% of African-American men. Both male and female African Americans are more likely to die from high blood pressure, and women who are older, pregnant, or menopausal are at greater risk. Similarly, African-American women tend to face more significant health risks during pregnancy.

Overall, the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics has noted, death rates from heart disease are more than 40% higher among African Americans than among whites, and death rates from cancer are 30% higher. Among Hispanics, diabetes kills a disproportionate number of people—with their death rate being twice that of non-Hispanic whites. The U.S. federal government's Healthy People 2010 report estimated that 40 million Americans have no physician, health center, or clinic they can turn to regularly for health care and advice.

AAAS is reaching out to many different minority communities to provide understandable health information, and to bring critical information to some 16,000 U.S. librarians. The project is supported by a $1.34-million Science Education Partnership Award from the National Center for Research Resources at the National Institutes of Health.

Each booklet is written for people who have not had the opportunity to study the scientific bases for their illnesses, but want to better understand the advice they are receiving. Ensuring an authoritative yet not "preachy" tone is a key goal for each booklet, Sosa explained:

"In areas that involve life-style choices, such as reducing salt intake for people with high blood pressure, using hard numbers and science to make a point can make the message more objective, and perhaps easier to accept," Sosa said. "Otherwise, readers may interpret the main messages to be, 'You're bad if you do this or that.' Negative messages are less likely to influence the way that people think about their health."

The AAAS library initiative, which may become a national model, uses a Web site to provide libraries with a "tool kit" that includes brochures, posters, and resources to promote public education activities. It also includes profiles of librarians around the country doing successful health outreach work, and tips for librarians on where to find funding.

For information on the Healthy People Library Project, go to the Web site, www.healthlit.org. Click on "The Science Inside" to download books.

–Carol Hoy and Coimbra Sirica

K-12 Education

AAAS Center Fosters Future Leaders, Quality Curricula

Physicist Richard Feynman often spoke of walking in the woods as a child with his father, who awakened in Feynman a sense of wonder and an unquenchable curiosity about the natural world that would last a lifetime. The same excitement and spirit of exploration inspire the first group of postdoctoral fellows and graduate students to join the Center for Curriculum Materials in Science (CCMS), directed by Project 2061 at AAAS.

"I want to share with students the fun and excitement of finding something out yourself—maybe finding an answer to a question no one has ever answered before," said CCMS Fellow Aaron Rogat, a molecular biologist. "I want to show them that science is a creative form of investigating the world around them."

Rogat's enthusiasm is shared by the other eight postdoctoral fellows and 12 doctoral students at CCMS, one of the National Science Foundation's Centers for Learning and Teaching. Launched in 2002, CCMS aims to improve the quality of K-12 science curriculum materials used in U.S. classrooms.

The need for such change became clear when Project 2061 evaluated popular science textbooks and found that they do not serve the needs of students or teachers. Now, the Center's challenge is to promote the development and use of materials that reflect sound research on teaching and learning, said George DeBoer, deputy director of Project 2061 and associate director of CCMS. The Center also will take advantage of effective instructional strategies and technologies, while attempting to meet the needs of diverse populations of learners, and attending to national and state content standards.

By involving young scientists in all aspects of this work, CCMS is helping to develop future leaders in the field, too. For example, Deirdre Black, a physicist and postdoctoral fellow at Project 2061, is concerned with how best to increase the participation levels of girls in science—especially in physics.

"There aren't many female physicists," Black said. "I'm interested in how that happens and at what time in a girl's life she chooses not to do physics. Do curriculum materials appeal more to boys? Or, perhaps girls don't relate to it because of the way it is presented?"

These kinds of questions—into the design of materials and the consequences of that design—drive the research at CCMS, and help prepare fellows to work for change in the future. "I feel it is important to be able to develop a firsthand understanding of how research is done in science education," said Rogat, whose current work at the University of Michigan includes developing a middle-school, inquiry-based physics unit consistent with national science standards. "Scientists need to be immersed in the field of education to make judgments in science education policy. I want to know what is going to be effective in helping kids to understand fundamental concepts in the natural sciences, for example. It takes experience and insight like that gained at CCMS to develop the skills and know-how to address these questions."

The new Center unites Project 2061 with Michigan State University, Northwestern University, and the University of Michigan, and with school districts in Detroit, Michigan; Chicago, Illinois; and Lansing, Michigan "Together, our partners offer innovative opportunities for doctoral students, postdoctoral fellows, and practicing teachers to become leaders in science education, with special emphasis on science curricula," DeBoer said. "Videoconferences, shared courses, internships, and meetings like the annual Knowledge Sharing Institute give participants access to top-notch resources at the partner institutions. They also foster the collaborative approach at the heart of CCMS."

To learn more about the Center for Curriculum Materials in Science and its programs, visit www.ScienceMaterialsCenter.org.

–Patricia McAdams