Premium
Kids’ nutrigenomics website: a community education project for middle school youth
Author(s) -
Ni Amy,
Lu Lucy,
Guan Jonathon,
Johnson Jo Ann,
Staggers Barbara,
Rodriguez Ray,
Wakimoto Patricia
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.20.5.a856
Subject(s) - nutrigenomics , focus group , genomics , animation , multidisciplinary approach , medical education , computer science , medicine , genome , genetics , sociology , biology , social science , gene , computer graphics (images) , anthropology
The long‐term purpose of this project is to educate middle school youth about the fundamentals of nutritional genomics via interactive computer‐mediated technology. A well designed website with youth input during all phases of development holds great promise in disseminating complex and meaningful scientific information. Since the sequencing of the human genome, there has been an explosion in the number of fields of genomics and an increased interest in the role of nutrition and genes in chronic disease. A rapidly emerging field of genomics is nutritional genomics, the study of the interactions of nutrition with the genome. The first phase of the project involved the development of storyboards that highlighted the five principles of nutritional genomics. Topic areas included DNA damage by heterocyclic amines, genetic metabolic disorders, and genetic predisposition variations among different ethnicities. Using Flash animation, storyboards were brought to life in the prototype website. In the second phase, focus groups were conducted to elicit middle school youth input about the website content and graphics. The focus groups concluded that the graphics were designed for a younger age, but the scientific content was both interesting and engaging. Positive and constructive feedback provided insight into improving youth engagement in the sciences. Results also allowed further development and improvement of the audio, visual, and conceptual aspects of the website. This research was funded in part by NIH Center for Minority Health Disparities Grant Center # P60MD00222.