Teens learning epidemiology? A cohort study on epidemiology instruction for high school youth

Abstract: Purpose To determine if epidemiology instruction for high school students can improve science literacy skills compared with other science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) courses. Methods The Test of Scientific Literacy Skills (TOSLS), a validated measure of scientific inquiry and interpretation, was used to assess change in student (n=116; 63% female, 36% Asian, 30% Hispanic, 54% 12th grade, 48% mid- and 24% high-poverty) science literacy skills based on pre-post performance. Results Multilevel models adjusted for individual-level student gender, race/ethnicity, grade level, age, semester, and poverty status showed similar TOSLS performance for physics (β=0.58 [95%CI: -0.44, 1.61]) biology (β=0.09 [95%CI: -0.82, 1.00]) and statistics (β= -0.76 [95%CI: -1.84, 0.32), and lower for chemistry (β=-1.09 [95%CI: -2.26, 0.08]) and geology (β= -1.04 [95%CI: -2.06, -0.02]) relative to the reference group, epidemiology. Models testing the interaction of course subject and sociodemographic factors did not show gender differences in TOSLS performance for epidemiology, in contrast with physics (lower in females) and biology (higher in females). Conclusions Findings suggest that epidemiology may be an appropriate method for supporting high school student development of science literacy skills, although larger and more nuanced studies are needed.