{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,3]],"date-time":"2026-07-03T21:24:48Z","timestamp":1783113888578,"version":"3.54.6"},"reference-count":55,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,23]],"date-time":"2026-04-23T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1776902400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100002802","name":"Cardiff Metropolitan University","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100002802","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001317","name":"Swansea University","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001317","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100000866","name":"Cardiff University","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100000866","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/100008235","name":"School of Medicine","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100008235","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Public Health"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Infectious diseases pose persistent and evolving challenges to global health, exacerbated by rising antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and vaccine hesitancy. The global public response to the COVID-19 pandemic underscored that scientific knowledge alone cannot drive behavioural change without trust, dialogue and meaningful social participation. Effective science communication and public engagement therefore require interactive, community-centred approaches that address social and cultural barriers and foster shared understanding and collective responsibility. This study describes the development and evaluation of a free large-scale pop-up shop designed to improve public health literacy. Located in one of the UK\u2019s busiest shopping centres, the event was co-created and co-delivered by staff and students across four universities and combined playful, sensory, immersive learning with robust science through hands-on activities, exhibitions and live presentations. Incentives such as a sticker-based reward system and a treasure hunt encouraged sustained engagement. Over a 28-day period, 4,955 people attended, including organised school groups. Mixed-methods evaluation revealed positive shifts in public knowledge and attitudes, alongside an increased appreciation of the value of public engagement among those delivering the event. Embedding science within a public space proved effective in engaging diverse audiences, stimulating conversations around health and disease, and breaking down perceived barriers between scientists and the public.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2026.1812530","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,23]],"date-time":"2026-04-23T05:37:21Z","timestamp":1776922641000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Impact of a large-scale interactive and immersive science pop-up shop about infection and hygiene on visitors and volunteers"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"14","author":[{"given":"Jonathan M.","family":"Tyrrell","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Life Science, Swansea University Medical School","place":["Swansea, United Kingdom"]},{"name":"Division of Infection and Immunity, School of Medicine, Cardiff University","place":["Cardiff, United Kingdom"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Abdulsalam","family":"Abdulgafar","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Life Science, Swansea University Medical School","place":["Swansea, United Kingdom"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Pouya","family":"Sadeghzadeh Rahimi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Life Science, Swansea University Medical School","place":["Swansea, United Kingdom"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Georgina B.","family":"Sparling","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Biosciences, Cardiff University","place":["Cardiff, United Kingdom"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Friday K. 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