Young Epidemiology Scholars Competition

WASHINGTON, D.C. — A survey of more than 1,000 Tennessee high school students showing that 26 percent of them had engaged in deliberate self-harm - such as cutting or burning their skin - won an Oak Ridge, Tenn., high school senior a share of first prize in the 2006 Young Epidemiology Scholars (YES) Competition. Sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and administered by the College Board, the YES Competition is one of the nation's most prestigious and influential high school science competitions.

Natalia Nazarewicz, the 18-year-old who conducted the self-harm survey, shared first-place honors with Aman Prasad, an 18-year-old senior from Pocatello, Idaho, whose study of more than 800 Idaho high school students suggests that vigorous physical activity may offset the negative effects of minor mood disorders.

The students were each awarded $50,000 college scholarships for finishing in first place. The YES Competition is designed to spur students' interest in epidemiology - the science of studying the causes, distribution, and control of disease among populations. YES competitors had to develop a research project in which they identified a health problem, gathered data about that problem, and addressed the problem based on the data they gathered.

Nazarewicz's survey of Oak Ridge students found that self-harm was often a response to stress generated in school, at home, or among peers. Two-thirds of those who reported a history of self-harm had since stopped the practice. She found strong correlations between the incidence of self-harm and a person's perceptions of school, friends, family as well as themselves. She said the most common reason given for stopping self-harm was "a decrease in stress level or an increase in general mood."

"I talked with some high school guidance counselors and student advisors after completing my study and they were shocked by the scope of the problem," she said. "A few teachers and administrators didn't even know that the self-harm phenomenon existed, and were shocked to hear that students would deliberately injure themselves."

For his project, Prasad conducted a survey of 852 9th and 10th grade students from three Pocatello schools about their moods and their levels of physical activity. On average, he found that students who exercised at a rate of three or more days a week had better mood scores than students who did not exercise. Additional days of exercise each week resulted in even better mood scores, but moderate levels of exercise did not significantly affect mood, he concluded.

"I've become quite interested in depression, specifically in adolescents," Prasad said. "Finding novel means of mitigating the negative effects of mood disorders is essential, and I wanted my research to involve that aspect. After jogging or exercising, I would notice a sudden uplift in my mood and my outlook on the rest of the day. I confirmed this with other friends who agreed that they felt better if they exercised and felt 'down' if they didn't."

Nearly 700 high school juniors and seniors nationwide entered the 2006 YES competition. A total of nearly $450,000 in college scholarships were awarded to 120 of the entrants.

Two second-place winners each received a $35,000 scholarship:

• Elizabeth Baker of Tucson, Ariz., an 18-year-old senior who developed and tested a "bi-orbital rotational" swing that provides an alternative therapy for treating attention deficit hyperactivity in children.
• Emily Lefkowitz of Suffern, N.Y., a 17-year-old senior whose survey of families with autistic children suggests that siblings of children with autism have more behavioral problems, emotional difficulties and lower levels of social competence than children whose siblings are not autistic.

Two third-place winners each received a $20,000 scholarship:

• Nozlee Samadzadeh of Stillwater, Okla., an 18-year-old senior who developed a computer simulation of an influenza outbreak in a residential school setting and used it to test different strategies for containing it. She found that vaccination and limiting the number of people that any student interacts with to be most effective, reducing the total number of cases by approximately 95% and 70%, respectively.
• Soumya Irivinti of Derry, N.H., a 16-year-old senior whose study of 2,568 high school students in the northeastern United States revealed that those who exercised infrequently experienced more psychosocial discomfort (loneliness, shyness, and hopelessness) than adolescents who exercised more frequently.

Six national finalists each were awarded a $15,000 scholarship:

• Christina Badal of Gulf Stream, Fl., an 18-year-old senior, whose survey of 163 Florida high school students suggests a correlation between setting unreasonable weight goals and eating disorders or unhealthy dietary practices.
• Erica Berck of Roslyn, N.Y., a 16-year-old junior who surveyed 68 high school students to learn factors that contribute to sexual permissiveness. She found that peer attitudes toward sex were the best predictor of participants' sexual attitudes, and that a distant relationship with a person's father was a predictor of permissive sexual attitudes.
• Katrina Diaz of Portage, Mich., a 16-year-old junior who surveyed five Michigan daycare centers about the factors that most influence a parent's decision to vaccinate their children for influenza. A doctor's recommendation was the strongest factor, cited by 66 percent of the respondents.
• Amy Gillio of Lancaster, Pa., an 18-year-old senior who compared survey results of high school students in Pennsylvania with those of high school students in Mississippi who had first-hand experience with Hurricane Katrina. She found that 92 percent of Mississippi students exhibited at least one symptom suggestive of emotional problems, but that the rate among Pennsylvania students was also alarmingly high at 40 percent.
• Ashley Richardson of Frederick, Md., an 18-year-old senior who investigated whether there is a connection between increased hand washing by elementary school students and absences due to illness. A comparison of practices in 10 school classrooms did not detect a significant difference between groups who carried out such practices and those who did not, but she did find having a sink in the classroom promotes increased hand washing.
• Erin Vickery of Decatur, Ga., an 18-year-old senior who conducted a survey on high school students' alcohol drinking behavior and their parents' knowledge and perception of these behaviors. A study of 125 high school students and their parents showed that parents consistently underestimate the age at which their children begin drinking, the amount that they drink, and their preference for shots of hard liquor as their drink of choice.

The national winners were chosen by a panel of judges that included some of the nation's top epidemiologists, as well as high school teachers and curriculum developers.

"The YES Competition encourages students to use the same skills employed by epidemiologists to tackle important health challenges," said Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, M.D., M.B.A., president and chief executive officer of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. "We couldn't be more proud of the initiative, talent and the hard work these students have displayed during this competition. We know they're going to be difference makers, dedicated to improving the lives of others."

While the highly competitive scholarship contest focuses on epidemiology, application of the research skills used in the YES Competition extends far beyond that field.

"To solve health problems, epidemiologists have to identify problems, gather evidence and reach conclusions based on that evidence," said Gaston Caperton, president of the College Board. "Problem-solving and critical thinking skills will serve these students well not only in the pursuit of any college major, but throughout their lives."

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation focuses on the pressing health and health care issues facing our country. As the nation's largest philanthropy devoted exclusively to improving the health and health care of all Americans, the Foundation works with a diverse group of organizations and individuals to identify solutions and achieve comprehensive, meaningful and timely change. For more than 30 years the Foundation has brought experience, commitment, and a rigorous, balanced approach to the problems that affect the health and health care of those it serves. Helping Americans lead healthier lives and get the care they need-- the Foundation expects to make a difference in our lifetime. For more information, visit www.rwjf.org.

The College Board is a not-for-profit membership association whose mission is to connect students to college success and opportunity. Founded in 1900, the association is composed of more than 4,700 schools, colleges, universities, and other educational organizations. Each year, the College Board serves over three-and-a-half million students and their parents, 23,000 high schools, and 3,500 colleges through major programs and services in college admissions, guidance, assessment, financial aid, enrollment, and teaching and learning. For more information on the College Board, visit www.collegeboard.com.