Overview
After conducting public surveys and consulting with doctors, we found that most people are unaware of the dangers of sarcopenia. Our goal was to address this gap through education and communication efforts, while also promoting understanding of synthetic biology and iGEM. To gain a comprehensive understanding of Sarcopenia, we began by defining our target audience, focusing primarily on older individuals but also recognizing the presence of Sarcopenia in some younger individuals. Our multifaceted approach involved social media posts, project conferences, sarcopenia quiz games, and health education sessions in day-care centers. Additionally, we created a Sarcopenia Handbook to provide guidance on prevention and conducted public surveys to gather diverse perspectives on Sarcopenia.
Target Audience
First and foremost, we had to identify our target audience of education and communication, which are the elderly, students, caregivers, and community. They lack awareness of sarcopenia, have limited knowledge of synthetic biology, and demonstrate irregular exercise habits. We aim to utilize education and communication to raise awareness about sarcopenia, disseminate synthetic biology information, and motivate regular exercise among them.
Project Presentation
In order to promote our ideas, raise awareness of sarcopenia, and introduce synthetic biology and iGEM to students and teachers in school, our team hosted a project presentation in the school. During the presentation, we presented our topic to more than 200 students and teachers. Our presentation encouraged people to be mindful of their diet and exercise habits to prevent sarcopenia. Secondly, we introduced the basic concept of synthetic biology to the audience. Because we are the first iGEM team in our school, many students and teachers are not familiar with what we are doing. Nonetheless, after our presentation and discussion with the other participants in the conference, we successfully attracted five more students to join our team and the iGEM family.
Quiz Game
In order to broaden our impact on promoting awareness of sarcopenia and spreading synthetic biology knowledge, we hosted a quiz game in the activity center of our school. All students, teachers, and people from outside the school can participate in the activity. Before playing the game, people have to learn about sarcopenia and synthetic biology through our presentation.
After the project presentation, students will play a game called the “Jiugongge for Baseball,” in which they throw baseballs at a board divided into 9 pieces that each of them has a question paper attached to. The students must answer the question correctly to win the game.
We believe that by learning in a fun way, students and people can raise their awareness of sarcopenia and learn about synthetic biology. In addition, we have prepared protein-rich tofu pudding, which is good for muscle synthesis, for those who completed the task.
Health Education in Adult Daycare Center
Adult daycare centers provide a supervised community setting for older adults, some of which have physical disabilities or mental issues. There are also many old people diagnosed with sarcopenia, mild or severe. Adult daycare centers play a pivotal role in the prevention and improvement of sarcopenia, allowing old people to engage in numerous social activities, which prevents the elderly from dementia and loss of muscle function. In our previous discussion with the healthcare professionals, we identified that the current day-care system is not working efficiently, so we visited the Xiu He daycare center to exchange some information and advice with the CEO and the executive director there.
Upon our arrival, CEO Chen warmly introduced us to the care station's environment and proceeded to elaborate on the comprehensive range of services and courses offered by the organization. What immediately struck us was the thoughtful interior design and furnishings, all meticulously tailored to cater to the needs and comfort of the elderly residents. These small but meaningful details left us deeply impressed by the dedication of the caregivers.
Subsequently, we engaged in a comprehensive discussion with the CEO, ED, and the volunteers at Xiu He daycare center. We have proposed some modifications to the center’s operational system:
- Xiu He daycare center should change their opening time from 8:00-17:00 to 7:00 to 18:30, coordinating with the work schedule of the family who need help.
- Xiu He daycare center should provide more diverse activities to attract more male members since the majority of the elders in the daycare center are females.
- If the budget permits, Xiu He daycare center can consider expanding the number of daycare centers to accommodate a larger population of elderly individuals because there is a lack of adult daycare centers in many distant villages.
Following our discussion with the CEO, ED , and the volunteers, we conducted a health education session about sarcopenia for the elders in the daycare center. We focus on sarcopenia, exercise, and diet that improves sarcopenia. Additionally , we introduced them to our GEM project, ensuring that they are aware that a medication for treating sarcopenia will be available in the future.
Handbook
Following our discussion with the CEO, ED , and the volunteers, we conducted a health education session about sarcopenia for the elders in the daycare center. We focus on sarcopenia, exercise, and diet that improves sarcopenia. Additionally , we introduced them to our GEM project, ensuring that they are aware that a medication for treating sarcopenia will be available in the future.
Education on Social Media
This year, we utilized social media as a platform to spread synthetic biology knowledge and promote our project.
