Master Of Public Health Program Research Articles

The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey as a Tool to Teach Data Analysis to Public Health Students

Graduates of Master of Public Health programs may lack appropriate skills in data analysis, and would benefit from practice with research data. Datasets that contain health information relevant to student interests, and that are appropriate sizes for class use can be difficult to locate. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey is a study that collects both survey and health examination information from a national sample every 2 years. I present a sample of this dataset, with examples of how to use it for human health related questions. Instructions for how to access and create additional, customized datasets are also provided. Instructors may consider investigating this rich data source and providing students with subsets of these data for class assignments, projects and master’s theses.

Academic Burnout Among Master of Public Health Students

ABSTRACT Background Burnout, a condition characterized by emotional exhaustion, reduced personal accomplishment, and depersonalization, has been studied in the workplace and among medical professionals; however, it has yet to be extensively studied within Master of Public Health (MPH) students. Purpose The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence and characteristics related to burnout among MPH students. Methods Participants were selected from those students enrolled in or alumni from an MPH program. A survey, which included demographic questions and the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Student Scale, was used for this study. Data were collected using the Qualtrics survey software and analyzed using IBM SPSS v. 29. Results Thirty-six participants completed the survey. Study results showed that 22% of the participants indicated feeling emotionally drained every day while in the MPH program, over 50% considered dropping from the MPH program, and 13% had taken steps to drop from the MPH program. Moreover, while nearly 97% of study respondents indicated having experienced symptoms related to burnout and 93% indicated knowing about on-campus counseling services, only 27% used the counseling services. Discussion Burnout was found among the study population with several factors contributing to its presence. The findings suggest it is imperative for graduate programs to pay attention to and address this issue which may impact a student’s ability to successfully complete their program. Translation to Health Education Practice The study highlights the need for the implementation of health education strategies to address burnout among MPH students. A AJHE Self-Study quiz is online for this article via the SHAPE America Online Institute (SAOI) http://portal.shapeamerica.org/trn-Webinars

Mandatory COVID Vaccination: Perspectives from Graduate Allied Health Students at a Mid-size University in the United States.

Because many students enrolled in Allied Health programs are on track to becoming health practitioners or clinicians and frontline workers who would become critical sources of information for patients it is critical to understand their perspectives about mandatory COVID-19 vaccination. Results: COVID-19 Risk Perception. A significant majority of the respondents had high or strongly high-risk perception of COVID-19, 82(56.6%) strongly agreed and 29(20%) agreed with the statement, COVID-19 is a public health issue (P-value < 0.0001), Comparing by demographic characteristics: African American/Black compared with other races (P-Value = 0.0462), Master of Public Health program, compared with all other graduate programs (P-Value = 0.0140) and fully vaccinated and fully vaccinated and boosted compared with incomplete or not-vaccinated for COVID-19 (P-value = 0.0059) had higher COVID-19 risk perceptions. strongly high-risk perception of COVID-19, 82(56.6%) strongly agreed and 29(20%) agreed with the statement, COVID-19 is a public health issue (P-value < 0.0001), Comparing by demographic characteristics: African American/Black compared with other races (P-Value = 0.0462), Master of Public Health program, compared with all other graduate programs (P-Value = 0.0140) and fully vaccinated and fully vaccinated and boosted compared with incomplete or not-vaccinated for COVID-19 (P-value = 0.0059) had higher COVID-19 risk perceptions.

Making a difference: APIC chapters introducing public health graduate students to the infection prevention profession

Health care workforce recruitment into the field of infection prevention and control (IPC) is imperative to address attrition and maintain safe patient care. Association for Professionals in Infection Control (APIC) Badger Chapter in Wisconsin strategically aligned with their state's academic master of public health program to introduce students to the IP profession and offered scholarships to Wisconsin's annual infection prevention and control conference. Four scholarships were awarded from 2021 to 2022. Student feedback of the experience was positive and resulted in 2 participants becoming employed IPs.

The effect of training medical students in the community area in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic in China: a community-based study

BackgroundCommunity practice training is an important part of education in medicine, public health, social medicine, and other disciplines. The objective of this study is to explore the effect and importance of the community practice of Master of Public Health graduates on community residents’ health during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 pandemic.MethodsThis study used a pretest-posttest design. A total of 152 participants with age ≥ 60 years were selected using a multistage sampling method from Hangzhou in China. Baseline and endline data were collected using structured questionnaires by face-to-face interviews. All psychological and behavioral measurements were performed using standardized instruments and showed good reliability and validity. A total of 147 participants were included in the analysis. The chi-square and rank sum tests were used to compare the difference between baseline and endline for categorical variables. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the association between community practice training and changes in psychology and behavior.ResultsThe result of chi-square test revealed a statistically significant difference in participants’ eating habits from baseline to endline. Participants reported that the self-perceived health status was different between endline and baseline by the rank sum test. The results of logistic regression analysis showed that community practice training was significantly associated with increased self-efficacy scores, cognitive function and eating habits, with odd ratios of 1.08, 0.90 and 1.93, respectively.ConclusionsCommunity practice training was associated with changes in health behavior and psychology of community residents. Our results suggested enhanced community practice training for students under the Master of Public Health program.

Overview of the Health Communication Curriculum in Canadian Master of Public Health Programs.

Competency-based public health education ensures practitioners are well equipped to positively influence the health of the public. The Public Health Agency of Canada's Core Competencies for Public Health has named communication as an essential competency area for practitioners. However, little is known about how Master of Public Health (MPH) programs in Canada support trainees in developing the recommended core competencies in communication. Our research aims to provide an overview of the extent to which communication is embedded in the curriculum of MPH programs in Canada. We conducted an online scan of Canadian MPH course titles and descriptions to determine how many MPH programs offer communication-focused courses (ie, health communication), knowledge mobilization courses (eg, knowledge translation), and other courses that may support communication skills. Two researchers coded the data; discrepancies were resolved via discussion. Of the 19 MPH programs in Canada, less than half (n = 9) offer courses specifically focused on communication (ie, health communication); these courses are mandatory in only 4 programs. Seven programs offer knowledge mobilization courses; none are mandatory. Sixteen MPH programs offer a total of 63 other public health courses that are not focused on communication but contain communication terms (eg, marketing, literacy) in their course descriptions. No Canadian MPH program has a communication-focused stream or option. Canadian-trained MPH graduates may not be receiving sufficient communication training to equip them for effective and precise public health practice. This is particularly concerning, given that current events have underlined the importance of health, risk, and crisis communication.

Comparing Individual Versus Team Decision-Making Using Simulated Exercises in a Master of Public Health Program

In line with the complex modern health care system and the increasing importance of interprofessional teams, a powerful strategy to facilitate the acquisition of essential teamwork skills and expose students to complex decision-making processes is learning in teams. The purpose of our study was to obtain empirical evidence of superior decision-making by teams versus individuals in two simulated decision-making exercises conducted 4 months apart. We collected quantitative data from three cohorts of Master of Public Health students to determine if teams make better decisions than individuals (“team effect”) between September and January. Students completed simulated emergency survival exercises requiring them to make correct decisions individually and then as teams. Decision quality was determined by comparison to survival experts’ decisions. We calculated the “team effect” as the gain or loss of mean individual versus group scores across 10 learning teams per cohort for fall and winter exercises. All three cohorts had a consistently small average team effect in September and a much larger team effect in January. Our study showed consistent improvements in decision-making after students had worked in teams for 4 months. Overall, this study demonstrates the potential benefit of incorporating team learning into a public health curriculum and the importance of strategies to teach teamwork in health education. Using simulation in health education and promoting team learning activities can help prepare students for interprofessional collaboration, a part of the demanding public health landscape. These results might help convince students of the benefits of teamwork, facilitate collaborative decision-making, and enhance the learning experience.

Public Health Genetics: Surveying Preparedness for the Next Generation of Public Health Professionals.

Since the Human Genome Project's completion in 2003, the need for increased population genetic literacy has grown exponentially. To address this need, public health professionals must be educated appropriately to serve the public best. This study examines the current state of public health genetics education within existing master of public health (MPH) programs. A total of 171 MPH Council on Education for Public Health Accreditation (CEPH)-accredited programs across the nation were identified via a preliminary internet search. The American Public Health Association (APHA) Genomics Forum Policy Committee created 14 survey questions to assess the current status of incorporating genetics/genomics education within MPH programs. Using the Qualtrics survey system through the University of Pittsburgh, a link to the anonymous survey was sent to each director's email address obtained from their program's website. There were 41 survey responses, with 37 finished to completion, for a response rate of 21.6% (37/171). A total of 75.7% (28/37) of respondents reported having courses containing genetics/genomics information in their programs' coursework. Only 12.6% reported such coursework to be required for program completion. Commonly listed barriers to incorporating genetics/genomics include limited faculty knowledge and lack of space in existing courses and programs. Survey results revealed the incongruous and limited incorporation of genetics/genomics within the context of graduate-level public health education. While most recorded programs report offering public health genetics coursework, the extent and requirement of such instruction are not considered necessary for program completion, thereby potentially limiting the genetic literacy of the current pool of public health professionals.

A Thesis Requirement of the Integrated Learning Experience: Time-to-Graduation and Student Satisfaction in an Online Master of Public Health Program

The online Executive MPH (EMPH) Program at Emory University offers three majors, and prior to 2015, all integrated learning experiences (ILE) required theses. In 2015, the Program adjusted the ILE requirement based on each major’s intended career outcomes: Applied Epidemiology (Epidemiology: research thesis); Applied Public Health Informatics (Informatics: program-focused capstone courses instead of thesis); Prevention Science (Prevention: choice of research or program-focused thesis or program-focused capstone courses). Our goal was to describe major-specific curricular changes of the ILE requirement aimed to reduce time-to-graduation. We compared three cohort years before (2012–2014) and after (2015–2017) the 2015 curricular change using registrar data of time-to-graduation (339 students) and students’ self-reported satisfaction with their thesis experience (152 students). Informatics and Prevention majors had significantly more students (34%–35%) graduate on time in the 2015–2017, compared to the 2012–2015, cohorts. There was no significant difference by cohorts in perceived student thesis satisfaction in Informatics and Prevention majors and a decrease in satisfaction in Epidemiology majors. Before 2015, the main theme reported as a detractor to thesis satisfaction was lack of Program thesis support. After 2015, this detractor theme was not mentioned and instead a motivator theme was continuous thesis support. After 2015, the main detractor theme was difficulty with time management. Consistent motivator themes across 2012–2015 included thesis committee support and students’ self-fulfillment due to their thesis learning experience. The curricular strategies described can inform other online and residential programs that have a thesis requirement for the ILE.

A mixed-methods assessment of community-engaged learning in a Master of Public Health program.

Community-engaged learning is used in Master of Public Health programs to enhance student training, connect with communities, help solve societal issues, develop competencies, and build partnerships. However, it is unclear how much community-engaged learning components supplement existing Master of Public Health programs and prepare students in developing these competencies. Thus, the aim of this study was to apply an explanatory mixed-methods study design to evaluate a Canadian Master of Public Health program's community-engaged learning activities and propose recommendations to strengthen public health training and course delivery. We conducted a questionnaire among Master of Public Health students (n = 25), focus group discussion with a subset of these students (n = 7), and one-on-one semi-structured telephone interviews with community partners who had previously hosted Master of Public Health students for practicum placements (n = 11). Community-engagement enhanced learning among Master of Public Health students, with the practicum placement, and program development capstone resulting in the largest self-reported development. Students in the focus group indicated community engagement provided skill and professional development, but also identified wanting additional curriculum coverage on various statistical software and qualitative research methods. Interviews with community partners revealed benefits of practicum placements such as mutual knowledge transfer, increased organizational capacity, and strengthened academic-community partnerships. Community partners also commented on challenges with recruitment, training, and aligning student-organization goals. The findings from this study suggest that an update to the Master of Public Health program curriculum, its core competencies, a combination of community-engagement activities, and future evaluations will be needed to advance education delivery.

Motivation to enrol in a Master of Public Health postgraduate programme at a South African university

Background. In the context of a curriculum embedded in social perspectives linked to validated Master of Public Health (MPH) competencies, blended learning is used for learning and teaching. However, in a changing technological environment and embarking on the Fourth Industrial Revolution, it becomes imperative to understand the target audience using blended learning as a postgraduate learning environment. Curriculum restructuring and redesign have to take into account changing patterns in the context, environment and target audience for postgraduate programmes in public health.Objectives. To determine the demographic profile of master’s-level postgraduate public health students and their motivation for enrolling into a postgraduate programme.Methods. The study is a retrospective quantitative descriptive research design using secondary data from the application forms of all registered MPH postgraduate students enrolled for the degree from 2015 to 2019. Secondary data analysis was performed using descriptive analysis to calculate frequency, percentages, means and ranking order.Results. One hundred and eighty-four student records were analysed over the study period, with a 55% female and 45% male gender representation. South African students comprised 38% of the total number of students enrolled during the study period. The motivation to enrol in the MPH programme was to improve public health practice, specifically in the field of promotive and preventive aspects of public health. Further research into the motivation to enrol in a distance-learning postgraduate programme is required.Conclusion. The MPH programme attracts regional and international students from multidisciplinary fields, thereby improving public health practice by moving beyond clinical practice.

Influence of Preventive Medicine Residency Programs and Combined Master of Public Health Programs on Specialty Selection

To determine medical school characteristics that may result in graduates entering the specialty of public health and general preventive medicine (PH&GPM), the authors conducted an analysis comparing the presence of affiliated preventive medicine residency programs and combined Master of Public Health degree programs with the likelihood of graduates entering the specialty of PH&GPM. Using data from the American Board of Preventive Medicine and publicly available information on medical schools and residencies, in spring 2022, the authors compared medical schools that produced PH&GPM physicians with the presence of a PH&GPM residency program, the presence of any preventive medicine residency (public health and general preventive medicine or occupational medicine or aerospace medicine), and the presence of a combined Doctor of Medicine‒Master of Public Health or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine‒Master of Public Health program. Between 2017 and 2021, there were 385 physicians newly board certified in PH&GPM, 210 medical schools, and 75 preventive medicine residencies. The 385 physicians graduated from 110 of the 210 medical schools. Analyses showed statistically significant associations between medical schools that graduated PH&GPM physicians and the presence of PH&GPM residencies (OR=3.74; 95% CI=1.61, 8.69), all preventive medicine residencies (OR=2.75; 95% CI=1.37, 5.51), and combined degree programs (OR=4.37; 95% CI=2.45, 7.79). Because PH&GPM residency programs affiliated with medical schools are a significant factor associated with PH&GPM physicians obtaining board certification, such analyses may provide critical guidance in the utilization of resources intended to produce more physicians certified in this specialty.

Master of Public Health Education in the United States Today: Building Leaders of the Future.

For decades, there have been calls to action to change the status quo of public health education in the United States to respond to workforce needs and help reinforce capacity. During the last 10 years, schools and programs of public health have planned and implemented programmatic and curricular changes. This study explored the focus of master of public health (MPH) education in the United States today. We used a 3-phase mixed-methods study to compile data to describe the current state and focus of MPH education in the United States via survey data collection (November-December 2019), semistructured interviews (January-February 2020), and document reviews. Survey responses represented at least 43% (93/215) of eligible MPH programs in the United States. Most respondents (86%, 99/115) reported that the primary focus of MPH education in the United States is to prepare graduates for public health practice and employment linked to public health, and 54% (59/109) reported that their MPH programs adopted this focus in the last 5 years. MPH programs invested in student learning, competence development, and supporting workforce readiness, including a focus on leadership abilities. Programs noted that they seek to develop strategic thinkers and engaged leaders with abilities to understand and address emergent public health needs. Public health education in the United States is in a period of change. MPH programs reported responding to workforce needs by closing gaps in workforce capacity and developing compassionate and professional leaders who can understand needs, collaborating with communities, and facilitating action that will ameliorate health disparities and promote social injustice by practicing public health in new ways.

Levers of Change: How to Help Build the Public Health Workforce of the Future.

Public health leaders are working to rebuild the US public health workforce. Master of Public Health (MPH) programs have a stake in this, given their role in educating and training public health practitioners. Over the last 10 years, MPH programs have implemented changes to program structure, content, and approach, but workforce gaps persist. This study sought to explore the factors that inform and influence MPH program design and changes they make in order to elucidate how MPH programs may be further engaged to help address current and future public health workforce needs. Sequential mixed-methods study. US MPH programs accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH), and applicants approved to seek accreditation. In total, 115 representatives representing at least 43% of the 215 accredited/applicant MPH programs in the United States. Factors that inform and influence programmatic and curricular changes within MPH programs. The shifts that MPH programs have made to program focus and the approaches used to support student competence development are influenced by individual, programmatic, institutional, and national factors, including faculty and staff background, access to resources, program team/faculty culture, access to resources, program placement, university priorities, and national policies. Most influential in catalyzing changes made by MPH programs between 2015 and 2020 were CEPH MPH accreditation standards, feedback from interested parties, learning best practices, university initiatives, and access to resources including funding and faculty. Identified factors served as facilitators and/or as barriers, depending on the context. There are multiple levers at different levels that may be utilized by national public health leaders, university administrators, and program constituents to effect change within MPH programs, helping them to be even better positioned to help address public health workforce needs of today and tomorrow.

A New Baseline: Master of Public Health Education Shifting to Meet Public Health Needs.

Schools and programs of public health have been preparing graduates to join the workforce for a century, but significant gaps in numbers and abilities exit. Many have called for a change to the status quo, to transform public health education to create a competent workforce able to address current and emergent needs. This study explored if Master of Public Health (MPH) programs have shifted their program design, curriculum, and/or instructional methods (instructional design), and if so, how and why. A sequential mixed-methods study. MPH programs accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health, and approved applicants. Some 43% of accredited MPH programs in the United States (n = 115) responded to the online survey (open November 21, 2019-December 20, 2019), providing a representative sample. Stratified purposeful sampling was used to select 8 MPH programs for follow-up semistructured interviews. Categorical and qualitative data were analyzed for trends, association, and themes. Degree of, types of, and reasons for shifts in MPH program instructional design considered and implemented. MPH programs in the United States have shifted their approaches and curriculum to meet identified and emergent workforce needs. In the last 5 years, 81% made changes to program design (focal competencies, admissions, graduation criteria), 88% to curriculum (added or removed courses, changed course content), and 65% to pedagogical methods (where and how learning is supported). Despite concerns about stagnation, MPH programs have shifted to competency-based education aligned with workforce needs, have adapted approaches to support diversity of future workers, and are focused on bolstering workforce readiness. These changes were made to enhance focus on knowledge acquisition, skills building, and professionalism, factors recognized as critical for success, and facilitate more engaged pedagogical strategies, working with communities for impact.

Education of Future Public Health Professionals Through Integrated Workshops

An important feature of public health education is integrating and synthesizing complex concepts across a variety of disciplines. Novel and effective approaches are required to successfully integrate learning and knowledge across Master of Public Health (MPH) programs. The MPH program at Western University uses Integrated Workshops (IWs) as a unique approach to integrating learning and knowledge. Occurring three times over the course of the 1-year program, these workshops provide an opportunity to reflect on past learning and integrate interdisciplinary knowledge from across courses to solve a complex public health problem. IWs are designed for learners to explore the intricacies of a problem by synthesizing their current knowledge along with new information delivered from experts and stakeholders. Learners pull information from across subjects and seek out new information (as needed) to problem-solve under time constraints—basic information is provided 12 hours in advance and new information is added during the workshop, in real-time. Learners develop key public health skills in critical thinking and decision making with incomplete data. Integrated workshops are an effective approach to training the next generation of public health leaders to handle the intricate problems at the heart of public health today.

A perspective on Master of Public Health (MPH) Graduates in India: Current role and way head

The public health sector of any country deals on the forefront and utilizes the multidisciplinary approach. In India the Masters of Public Health graduates are trained in unstandardized manner and lack a regulatory body. The gap created in serving the unserved can easily be fulfilled by utilization of this workforce in systematic manner, The emerging competition in the field, undervalued sector in terms of monitory benefits, poor demand and limited training institutions for MPH graduates along with the contribution of MPH during COVID 19 pandemic has been emphasized in the article. The perception of those working in the field has been highlighted with the way ahead of MPH program in India.

Development and Evaluation of a Research Methods Course in Protocol Writing for Learners in a Master of Public Health Program

Training in research methods is important for improvement of healthcare delivery and population outcomes. Graduate programs of public health play a critical role in offering such education to current and future healthcare professionals as well as entry level learners with no experience in the field. A key skill across all fields of research methods and public health practice is protocol writing. It is unknown if teaching students research methods through protocol writing is a successful strategy and whether students find it to be helpful as they pursue health professions. The objective of this study was to describe the design and evaluation of a research methods course focused on protocol writing among students enrolled a Masters of Public Health Program. A case report design including description of course content, method of evaluation, and course delivery are provided. The setting was the Population and Public Health Research Methods course at a publicly funded institution in Canada. The first three cohorts of students (2016-2018) enrolled in the course were evaluated during the course period and six months after completing the course. A total of 51 students completed the survey, and the majority were students were very or extremely satisfied with the course. Overall students expressed that the course well-prepared them for their practicum or thesis work and post-graduation plans. Findings suggest that using protocol writing as a tool for teaching research methods was well-received by students and prepared them for both their potential career paths and for future research.

Impact on carbon emissions of online study for a cohort of overseas students: A retrospective cohort study

Background: One of the benefits of online education is the potential reduction in carbon emissions through the decrease in travel to attend a university in person. We estimated the savings in CO2 emissions of an international cohort of master’s students who studied fully online from their home countries, rather than travelling to the UK and living there while attending university. Methods: The city and country of residence of a cohort of students who first enrolled in the fully online Peoples-uni/Manchester Metropolitan University Master of Public Health programme between the second semester of 2011 and the first semester 2013 were recorded. Total difference in emissions was calculated by adding the estimated aviation emissions between Manchester, UK and the cities where students resided, to the difference in per capita emissions between the country of origin and the UK for the time that the student would have spent in Manchester, based on the semester in which they first enrolled. Results: 128 students enrolled from 70 cities in 30 countries. 93 students were from a range of African countries and 18 from the Indian sub-continent. Flights to and from Manchester were estimated to have accounted for 114,553kg of CO2 and living in Manchester for the duration of their course compared with staying in the home country would have been equivalent to 854,904kg of CO2. The combined net savings was 969,457kg of CO2. Conclusions: A small cohort of overseas students, largely from Africa and India, studied online rather than attending university in the UK. The likely saving by this small cohort of nearly a million kg of CO 2 emissions offers an indication of the potential environmental benefits of offering university education online to overseas students.

Impact on carbon emissions of online studyfora cohort ofoverseas students: A retrospective cohort study.

Background:One of the benefits of online education is the potential reduction in carbon emissions through the decrease in travel toattenda universityin person.We estimated the savings in CO 2emissions ofan internationalcohort of master's students who studied fully online from their home countries, rather than travelling to the UK and living there while attending university. Methods:The city and country of residence ofa cohort ofstudents who first enrolled in the fully online Peoples-uni/Manchester Metropolitan University Master of Public Health programme betweenthe second semesterof 2011and the first semester 2013 were recorded. Total difference in emissions was calculated by adding the estimated aviation emissions between Manchester, UK and the cities where students resided, to the difference in per capita emissions between the country of origin and the UK for the time that the student would have spent in Manchester, based on the semester in which they first enrolled. Results:128 students enrolled from 55 cities in 31 countries. 93 students werefroma range of African countriesand 18 from the Indian sub-continent. Flights to and from Manchester were estimated to have accountedfor 114,553kg of CO 2andliving in Manchester for the duration of their course compared with staying in the home country would have been equivalent to 854,904kg of CO 2. Thecombinednet savings was 969,457kg of CO 2. Conclusions:A smallcohortof overseas students,largely fromAfrica and India, studied online rather than attending university in the UK. The likely saving by this smallcohortofnearly amillion kg of CO 2emissions offers an indicationof the potential environmentalbenefitsofoffering university education online to overseas students.