Immune Literacy: a Call to Action for a System-Level Change

Mixter, Philip F.; Kleinschmit, Adam J.; Lal, Archana; Vanniasinkam, Thiru; Condry, Danielle L. Jessen; Taylor, Roger R.; Justement, Louis B.; Pandey, Sumali

doi:10.1128/jmbe.00203-22

Cited by 7 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…It can also increase student engagement ( 12 , 13 ) and help narrow the achievement gap among underrepresented STEM students ( 14 ). Furthermore, this activity aligns with recommendations for a more effective and inclusive immunology education ( 15 , 16 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 56%

An undergraduate service-learning project to teach immunology concepts while increasing healthcare equity by enhancing access to stem cell donors among underrepresented populations

Sorisho,

Matias-Gomez,

Baithey

et al. 2024

J Microbiol Biol Educ.

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Active learning has been shown to increase STEM student engagement and decrease the achievement gap among underrepresented students. As a parallel to the lack of equity in STEM education, BIPOC patients who require a life-saving hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) are much less likely—sometimes less than half as likely—than individuals of White-European descent to find a suitable donor when using the National Marrow Donation Program (NMDP). The Be the Match (BtM) Registry has made significant improvements in the likelihood of matching underrepresented patients, but the disparity persists. This activity uses a service-learning project to teach undergraduate students about stem cell donation and to add potential stem cell donors to the BtM Registry. A small data set of pre-/post-surveys from one cohort shows learning gains on the topic of HCT. The approach is flexible and scalable, and students overwhelmingly reported the project as a great use of class time and very rewarding.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 56%

An undergraduate service-learning project to teach immunology concepts while increasing healthcare equity by enhancing access to stem cell donors among underrepresented populations

Sorisho,

Matias-Gomez,

Baithey

et al. 2024

J Microbiol Biol Educ.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…In addition, the minimal exposure to nutritional knowledge during the training of all PHCPs is detrimental, 114 particularly when combined with insufficient understanding of the broader roles of the immune system beyond host defence and how to communicate its importance. 115 These issues must be addressed before PCHPs can safely and confidently advise the community about basic nutrition and know when they should refer to an expert. Integrating evidence-based nutrition courses into health professional education, using a range of delivery and communication options, can prompt greater competence and confidence when providing nutritional advice.…”

Section: Daily Self-care Through Nutrition Is Important To Support Im...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Lack of time and resources for PHCPs, combined with lack of ongoing training for them and their assistants, is a problem that needs to be resolved. In addition, the minimal exposure to nutritional knowledge during the training of all PHCPs is detrimental,114 particularly when combined with insufficient understanding of the broader roles of the immune system beyond host defence and how to communicate its importance 115. These issues must be addressed before PCHPs can safely and confidently advise the community about basic nutrition and know when they should refer to an expert.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Vital role for primary healthcare providers: urgent need to educate the community about daily nutritional self-care to support immune function and maintain health

Calder,

Bach-Faig,

Bevacqua

et al. 2023

BMJNPH

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The importance of self-care to improve health and social well-being is well recognised. Nevertheless, there remains a need to encourage people to better understand how their body works, and how to keep it healthy. Because of its important role, part of this understanding should be based on why the immune system must be supported. This highly complex system is essential for defending against pathogens, but also for maintaining health throughout the body by preserving homeostasis and integrity. Accordingly, the immune system requires active management for optimal functioning and to reduce the risk of chronic diseases. In addition to regular exercise, healthy sleeping patterns, cultivating mental resilience, adequate nutrition through healthy and diverse dietary habits is key to the daily support of immune function. Diet and the immune system are closely intertwined, and a poor diet will impair immunity and increase the risk of acute and chronic diseases. To help elucidate the roles of primary healthcare providers in supporting individuals to engage in self-care, an international group of experts reviewed the evidence for the roles of the immune system in maintaining health and for nutrition in daily immune support, and discussed implications for population health and clinical practice.

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“…Recently, there has been a call to action for a system-level change to foster immune literacy in classrooms and communities ( 26 ). This initiative is led by a working group of immunology educators from diverse institutions; they specifically recognize that a greater understanding of immune concepts, including vaccinations, can improve the quality of life.…”

Section: Perspectivementioning

confidence: 99%

“…As argued recently, immune literacy (to include vaccine literacy) is required for making health care-related decisions, advocating for evidence-based policies, and combating the spread of misinformation ( 26 ). It is pivotal that health and natural science students have a thorough understanding of the body’s physiological reactions to infectious diseases and the mechanism of action of vaccines.…”

Section: Perspectivementioning

confidence: 99%

Developing Vaccine Literacy for Urban Health Science Students, the Future Health Workforce

Carmona

Trujillo

2023

J Microbiol Biol Educ.

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Immune Literacy: a Call to Action for a System-Level Change

Cited by 7 publications

References 40 publications

An undergraduate service-learning project to teach immunology concepts while increasing healthcare equity by enhancing access to stem cell donors among underrepresented populations

An undergraduate service-learning project to teach immunology concepts while increasing healthcare equity by enhancing access to stem cell donors among underrepresented populations

Vital role for primary healthcare providers: urgent need to educate the community about daily nutritional self-care to support immune function and maintain health

Developing Vaccine Literacy for Urban Health Science Students, the Future Health Workforce

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