26isfam027 10.3205/26isfam027 urn:nbn:de:0183-26isfam0278 Meeting Abstract Sloboda Sloboda Deborah D

McMaster University

author German Medical Science GMS Publishing House

Düsseldorf

610 20260612 engl This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License. Dieser Artikel ist ein Open-Access-Artikel und steht unter den Lizenzbedingungen der Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License (Namensnennung). M0652 027 International Society for Arts and Medicine The Healing Arts – Forging Alliances of Arts & Medicine Plenary Abstracts Berlin 20260618 20260620 26isfam027 TextEvidence from preclinical and clinical studies demonstrates that conditions around the time of conception influence long-term disease susceptibility in offspring. Yet, the significance of this work remains largely confined to academic and clinical communities, and findings rarely reach the public in meaningful ways. This gap limits translation and knowledge mobilization, despite the relevance of early life biology to lifelong trajectories of disease and aging. Emerging research also points to additional complexity, including contributions from paternal factors and the gut microbiome, further underscoring the need for effective communication strategies. Addressing this gap requires innovative, inclusive approaches to science communication, such as arts-based methods alongside evaluation measures, to determine how well these approaches support understanding, engagement, and knowledge uptake. We have shown that a public art exhibition can feasibly, acceptably, and effectively communicate early life origins concepts to the public. Our empirical evaluation showed that individuals who viewed more artwork demonstrated a greater understanding of the social determinants of health. We show that arts-based knowledge translation can enhance health literacy, foster dialogue about the social determinants of health, and support equitable public communication about early life influences on lifelong biology. As periconceptional biology increasingly informs public health policy, arts-based approaches offer a scalable and evidence-based strategy for science communication. 0 0 0 0