Part B of anatomy tour at the mall: A multimodal activity to enhance anatomical education and health awareness in the general public

Research objectives: The overall health state of people in the United States is deteriorating. One component related to this decline was the lack of information. One approach to resolve this issue is with educational outreach activities located in one of the places most visited by the people: Malls. Here, we report the various benefits of educational anatomy outreach among the people who participated.

Purpose: This study aimed to promote essential health awareness by educating the general public about anatomy.

Methods: 72 subjects were randomly selected from malls within Dallas/Ft.Worth area to participate in the “Anatomy Tour at the Mall” (A@M). The participants were given a pre-test with 10 questions and release forms. They were then given information about the human systems by passing through six different data stations: the nervous system, special senses, musculoskeletal system, human organ station, cardiovascular system, and respiratory system tables. Each table contained anatomical models, an educational brochure, non-invasive vital sign tests (except for the human organ station), and the physical therapy and nursing students who explained the essential anatomical information and performed the tests (Figure 1). When the participants finished the “tour” through the stations, they were given a post-test with the same 10 questions for comparison. The subjects were also given a short survey to rate the stations and their activities.

Results: A t-test statistical analysis showed that the participants improved their knowledge of anatomy when comparing the pre-test and post-test. The pre-test average was 5.9 ± 1.8, and the post-test average was 7.5 +/± 1.9. The difference between the pre-test and post-test was 1.6, with a p-value of 0.001. In addition, the majority of the participants’ survey responses regarding this activity were positive, indicating that they gained significant knowledge about anatomy and overall health after completing this activity.

Conclusion: A@M significantly increased knowledge about the basic anatomy of the participating adults. Future outreach events should expand to other areas and be incorporated daily in public places, such as shopping malls, to reach out to the population lacking educational information.