Public Health Course Research Articles

Evaluation of Health Management Education Curriculum in terms of Disaster Management

The Department of Health Management trains managers for health institutions serving in the public and private sectors. 
 The health sector is in a very important place due to the duties and responsibilities it undertakes in the event of a disaster. For this reason, health professionals are expected to have a good knowledge of basic disaster response knowledge and skills such as disaster management and disaster medicine. In the literature review, when it comes to the disaster preparedness of health workers, only physicians and nurses draw attention, and health managers remain in the background.
 In this study, the curricula of universities providing health management education were analyzed in terms of disaster management. 
 In this context, it was investigated whether there are first aid, public health, disaster management and occupational health and safety courses in the curricula. A total of 56 public universities providing health management education in Turkey were included in the study. When the curricula were analyzed; First Aid course is compulsory in only 7 universities. In 25, it is included in the elective course pool. Public health course is compulsory in 27 and elective in 20 universities. Disaster management course is compulsory in 11 and elective in 30 universities. Occupational health and safety course is compulsory in 11 and elective in 33 universities. Considering that the graduates may be in positions such as prevention of disasters, preparation of disaster plan or intervention in the hospitals where they will work, it is observed that the courses that may be related to disasters that they take during their undergraduate education are not sufficient.

Current issues related to education in the five core disciplines of public health at the school of public health in a private university

Objectives In Japan, schools of public health (SPH) have engaged in professional education focusing on five core disciplines: epidemiology, biostatistics, social and behavioral science, health policy and management, and occupational and environmental health. However, empirical information is lacking regarding the current state of this education and its associated challenges in Japan. In this article, we showcase this issue, using the master of public health (MPH) course at Teikyo University Graduate School of Public Health (Teikyo SPH) as an example.Methods We summarized the current objectives and classes required to complete the MPH course at Teikyo SPH, using the course guideline published in 2022. Current issues and possible future directions in the course were summarized based on the opinions of Teikyo SPH faculty members.Results For epidemiology, lectures and exercises were designed to focus on how to formulating public health issues, collecting and evaluating data, and causal inference. Issues related to the design included ensuring that students had the necessary skills to apply epidemiology to emerging issues, and catching the course up with evolving techniques. For biostatistics, lectures and exercise classes focused on understanding data and statistics, as well as performing analyses. Issues included the understanding of theories, setting the course level, and a lack of appropriate education materials for emerging analytical methods. For social and behavioral science, lectures and exercise classes focused on understanding human behaviors and actions for problem solving. Issues included learning various behavioral theories in a limited timeframe, the gap between the lectures and various needs, and nurturing professionals who had the skills to perform in practical settings. For health policy and management, lectures, exercise classes, and practical training classes focused on identifying and solving problems in the community and around the world, and on integrating the disparate viewpoints of health economics and policy. Issues included few alumni who actually found work globally, a lack of students working in local or central administrations, and insufficient perspectives on rational/economic thinking and macro-economic transitions. For occupational and environmental health, lectures, exercise classes, and practical training classes focused on learning the occupational and environmental impacts of public health issues, and their countermeasures. Challenges included enriching the topics with regard to advanced technologies, environmental health, and socially vulnerable populations.Conclusion Through these reflections on MPH education at Teikyo SPH, the following recommendations are considered essential in order to prepare improvements to the program: reorganizing the curriculum to meet the needs of the day, accepting students with various backgrounds, addressing the increasing knowledge and skills that need to be acquired by the students, and enhancing the powers of professors to implement changes.

Exploring the awareness, attitude, and inclination of healthcare students towards interprofessional education: A cross-sectional study in Saudi Arabia

BackgroundInterprofessional education (IPE) is acknowledged to enhance understanding between professionals and to facilitate learning. Healthcare professionals may be better equipped to accept and esteem other healthcare professionals, if interprofessional education is incorporated into undergraduate curricula. The management of challenging patient issues may also significantly benefit from this. As a result, the current study examined interprofessional education in their institutions and students' knowledge of and attitudes toward it. MethodologyWe conducted a cross-sectional questionnaire-based study among students from a university in the southwest of Saudi Arabia, who were enrolled in courses in medical, pharmacy, nursing, dentistry, allied health, and public health. Following validation, the questionnaire included six questions to probe their knowledge, ten questions to gauge their attitude, and eleven questions to inquire about the growth and use of IPE in their institutions. Multiple regression and the Kruskal-Wallis test were used to examine the data. ResultsThe survey involved 600 students, and 66.8% of the respondents were male. Less than one-third of students studying medicine replied to the survey, while students in the public health department had the lowest response rate. Compared to students in other programs, pharmacy students achieved a higher mean attitude score toward IPE (P < 0.001). Additionally, nursing and pharmacy students' mean IPE awareness scores were higher than those of medical students (P < 0.001). However, all program participants firmly agreed that integrating IPE into the curriculum was a good idea. ConclusionsThe study found that students of a few programs had awareness and a positive attitude toward interprofessional education. Nonetheless, all of them favored its inclusion in their curriculum. They also stressed the need to educate teaching faculty on interprofessional education, to develop skilled facilitators within their institutions.

Debate as an Active Learning Pedagogy Among Pharmacy Students in a Public Health Course

Debate as an Active Learning Pedagogy Among Pharmacy Students in a Public Health Course

Use of Universal Design for Learning Principles in a Public Health Course.

Universal Design in Learning (UDL) is a pedagogical framework that increases accessibility in the classroom for students by offering structured flexibility regarding coursework. The main tenets of UDL are to: 1. provide multiple means of engagement; 2. provide multiple means of representation; and 3. provide multiple means of action and expression. This study aims to determine if students will use the extra options inherent in UDL if offered and if they are satisfied with the course that uses UDL. This study evaluates a maternal health course for first-year students that was designed using UDL principles and taught at Boston College in the spring semester of the 2021-22 academic year. The course included 26 students. Surveys and a focus group were used to gather both qualitative and quantitative data. All technological tools and learning options offered were used by at least some of the students. The majority of students submitted assignments via alternative format options and used non-traditional learning materials like podcasts and videos. Students rated their satisfaction with the course highly. During the focus group, students expressed that they appreciated the increased flexibility of having multiple ways to learn and show the knowledge they had acquired. UDL can work in an undergraduate-level public health course. Students learn well and are satisfied with courses when UDL is used for course design. Additional research needs to be done to determine if learning outcomes are impacted by the use of UDL and if UDL could be used in graduate-level public health courses as well.

Mapping of public health courses and training programs in Brazil.

To map public health courses and training programs in Brazil and identify, in their curricula and study plans, the level of linkage between the skills and competencies developed by them and the essential public health functions. Descriptive, exploratory study based on collection and analysis of information available on the websites of educational institutions that offer public health courses and training programs in Brazil. Data was collected within the scope of the I Mapeo de Cursos y Programas de Formación en Salud Pública de América Latina. A total of 1,222 public health courses and training programs offered in the country were identified, with unequal territorial distribution but taking place in all federation units. Results revealed a set of challenges to public health professionals' training, including lack of linkage both between training offer and demand in public health (unequal distribution of courses, concentration of training capacity in capitals and in certain regions, among others), and between theories and training practices (low levels of connection of developed skills and competencies with the essential public health functions, predominance of disciplinary method guided by professional competence centers, among others). Overcoming these challenges requires structural, political, and technological efforts, narrowing the gaps between public health training programs' availability and the demands of health services and programs in the country.

Cultivating critical consciousness through a Global Health Book Club

IntroductionCentral to public health practice is mindfulness and intentionality toward achieving social justice and health equity. However, there is limited literature published on how educators are integrating these concepts into their curricular, pedagogical and instructional efforts. The goal of this study was to leverage the pluralistic views, social identities, and demographics within the classroom to explore the effects of introducing a Global Health Book Club (GHBC) assignment focused on identity of culture, equity, and power. We also sought to explore the use of first-account narratives illustrating the human experience as an instructional strategy to cultivate an empathic understanding of global health threats, while fostering critical consciousness toward one’s positionality within macro-level contexts. Finally, students were encouraged to reflect on their lived cultural experiences and engage in open and authentic dialogue with their peers.MethodsWe implemented a four-week GHBC assignment within an undergraduate global public health course. At the conclusion of the GHBC, students engaged in a reflective Individual Analysis Paper, which captured students’ perspectives on their cultural values and traditions, how these views shaped their understanding of their book, and evaluate whether their global perspective had changed as a result of the assignment. Thirty-one students consented to have their Individual Analysis Paper downloaded and de-identified for analysis. Student responses were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis procedures.ResultsThrough our analysis, six themes, with several coinciding categories, were identified as salient. The themes include Demonstrated Empathy, Personal Reflection and Growth, Personally Inspired, Immersive Learning Experience, Broadened Perspective, and Provoked Emotion.DiscussionOur findings support that a GHBC assignment is a viable and effective mechanism for engaging students in critical reflection, critical motivation and critical action. In cultivating a learning environment that promotes student-centered learning and active participation, students exemplified agency in their own learning. This work can serve as an exemplary model for other public health educators to engage students in reflective-based assignments regarding their positionality and critical consciousness. By utilizing frameworks conceived out of antiracism, diversity, equity, and inclusion, our work presents an innovative activity in engaging students in decolonization efforts within global public health practice.

O ensino na graduação em saúde coletiva: o que dizem os projetos pedagógicos

To standardize the teaching curriculum, the National Curriculum Guidelines for the Undergraduate Course in Public Health (DCNsCGSC) were set up in 2017. A qualitative and exploratory study with a documental approach was conducted, using the content analysis method, to analyze teaching in undergraduate courses in Public Health in Brazil in the light of Pedagogical Projects. After analysis of 22 projects, it was observed that the majority of the courses (31.8%) complied with the DCNsCGSC in terms of total workload, internship, final paper, and complementary activities. The term "bachelor's degree in public health" is the main denomination (77.3%). Most courses are in the northern region (27%) and federal institutions (68.5%). In terms of teaching, 274 mentions of mandatory components were identified with the term of reference of the subareas of Public Health. Of these, the areas of health policies, planning, and management represent 66.42% (182) of the components and the social and human sciences in health 9.5% (26). The study elucidated how undergraduate teaching is carried out, adding reflections on the convergence of DCNsCGSC. In addition, it revealed possible gaps in the teaching content necessary for training for professional practice, especially for the consolidation of the Unified Health System.

Artificial intelligence technology-based approach to mining Civic Science elements in public mental health courses in universities

Abstract Artificial intelligence technology is rapidly developing and has been widely used in various industries, for the current social focus on ideology and politics, so this paper uses artificial intelligence technology to study the ideological elements of public mental health courses in colleges and universities. We measure the dataset so that the number of samples is not too large, select the smallest subset of features according to the criteria, make the classifier less complex and improve its ability to generalize the algorithm, remove redundant or irrelevant features, and simplify the dataset to achieve dimensionality reduction. The probability relationship between the attribute set and the class variable is modeled using Bayesian, and the category corresponding to the guess with the highest probability is selected to obtain the classification effect in the supervised learning sample set, and the probabilities are estimated from the training tuples, considering two different attribute types separately. Combined with the logistic regression model to obtain the weights of the independent variables, the output likelihood is calculated according to the selected parameters, the appropriate parameter vector for the model is found, and the parameter that minimizes the cost function is found to complete the mining of the SiM elements. The analysis results show that artificial intelligence technology has better accuracy and prediction in performance, and it is concluded that moral education is the best development and physical education is the relatively worst in the study of Civic and Political Science elements, with a different value of 5.48%, and after deepening teaching will make the elements balanced and students develop better in all aspects.

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.

Development of the “Conductor Type Human Resources Development” program for Disaster Medicine and Health Care by Tohoku University and Fukushima Medical University

Introduction:On March 11, 2011, the Great East Japan Earthquake with a 9.0 magnitude struck the northeastern coast of Japan. The death toll reached 15,892 and 2,576 people were reported missing. Tohoku University and Fukushima Medical University, both of which are located in the affected prefectures, responded massively to the disaster.Method:To deal with the next disaster, both universities established the “Conductor type Human Resources Development” (CHRD) program for Disaster Medicine and Health Care in 2019, not only for doctors, but also other medical professionals (such as dentists, nurses, pharmacists, etc.) supported by the Japanese government. The main course of CHRD program, “Disaster Management course,” which is also a certification program at Tohoku University, comprises 14 practical educational contents (seven practical trainings and seven lectures) based on the work experience of both universities in collaboration with various organizations.Results:To date, 59 students have enrolled in the Disaster Management course, two students are enrolled in the board-certified physician in public health and social medicine acquisition course, three students are enrolled in the master's course, a Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine course, and two students are enrolled in the doctoral course. Until October 2022, a total of 17 people were certified to have completed the "Disaster Management course," and one person completed the board-certified physician in public health and social medicine acquisition course. A total of 68 practical trainings and lectures were held until 2021, the total number of times this program was attended by students until 2021 was 916. Average comprehension rate and satisfaction rate with practical trainings and lectures by students are 97.2% and 98.3%, respectively.Conclusion:All the students who complete the CHRD program are believed to acquire comprehensive skills related to disaster health and medical care and will be able to respond effectively in all phases.

The Prevalence of Depression and its Predictors among International Postgraduate Students Studying Public Health at a UK University

Objective: This study examined the prevalence and existing predictors of depression in international postgraduate public health students at a university in England. Material and Methods: It was carried out as a descriptive cross-sectional survey. A total of 153 students enrolled in MSc in public health and community well-being and MPH in global public health courses were recruited using a convenience sampling technique. The Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression 10-Item Scale (CES-D-10) and Chi-squared tests were utilized to assess the prevalence of depression and the association of encountered challenges with depressive symptoms, respectively. Outcomes: The prevalence of depression was 34.6% in this study. A link was found between depressive symptoms and several socio-demographic factors such as ethnicity, source of funding, and accommodation status in the United Kingdom. There was also a significant association between depression and all general problems faced by international students except housing. Finally, of all the challenges faced at the university, communicating with lecturers was the only one associated with this disorder. Conclusion: This study highlighted the important predictors of depression among international public health students, which reflect the need for a more collaborative strategy pursued by all teams within the university to compact this crisis.

Disease-X: Accounting for the unknown.

Disease-X: Accounting for the unknown.

Action learning and public health pedagogy: Student reflections from an experiential public health course.

Applied practice experiences are essential components of the Masters of Public Health (MPH) curriculum. The objective of this study was to examine students' perspectives on the skills and expertise they developed in an MPH course offering applied practice opportunities. Of 236 students who took the course from 2008 to 2018, email addresses were obtained for 212 and 104 completed the consent form. Following consent, reflection essays were de-identified and analyzed using a rapid qualitative analysis approach. The essays addressed students' learning experiences and application of the competencies for MPH programs set by the Council for Education in Public Health (CEPH). Deductive and inductive analytical lenses were used to identify the key lessons learned by each cohort of students. Semi-structured guides and matrixes for essay analysis were created using assignment instructions and CEPH competencies. Although the reflection paper assignment varied across the years, commonalities were observed in the student reflections. Key themes included turning theory into practice, navigating the complex environment of public health practice, skill building, critical self-reflection, challenges encountered, and elements that facilitated project success. Students reported developing practical skills, such as planning for independent research (e.g., preparing for institutional review board (IRB) submission, consulting with faculty and other experts), identifying realistic approaches for data extraction during chart reviews and analyses of electronic medical records, and disseminating findings for diverse stakeholders and audiences. Students also reported strengthening cross-cutting skills such as communication, teamwork, and problem-solving that were useful for navigating power dynamics and balancing competing interests and expectations. Students explored their identity as public health professionals as they navigated the dynamics of public health practice. The applied practice experience served as a valuable tool for knowledge and skills acquisition. Moreover, it served as an opportunity for students to engage with the unique organizational cultures of their respective community partners and to deepen their understanding the complexities of conducting meaningful community-engaged research. This study demonstrates the utility of analyzing students' critical self-reflections as a tool for exploring learning experiences when training future public health professionals. The findings can help educators design future applied practice experiences.

Bolstering the Public Health Workforce: Recruitment and Retention of Public Health Majors

Undergraduate public health programs play a dual role in training the next generation of public health professionals while equipping nonmajors with basic public health knowledge. Our study aimed to understand if introductory public health courses were effective for recruitment and retention of majors. We used 5 years of institutional data to explore the public health course-taking and major enrollment patterns for students who enrolled in two introductory public health courses at a research-intensive, minority-serving institution. For students who enrolled in Principles of Public Health (PH1), 73% went on to take one or more additional public health courses. Trends show that most took Case Studies in Public Health Practice (PH2) after PH1 during their first 2 years in college, and the majority of nonmajors who took PH1 in their second year enrolled in PH2 within one quarter. Seventy-two percent of students who enrolled in both PH1 and PH2 graduated in public health regardless of their major at entry to the university, and 77% of public health graduates joined through a change of major. Importantly, 19% of all students took at least one public health course. Enrollment in both PH1 and PH2 may be important for major recruitment and retention, and efforts to encourage students to consider or stay in the public health major during these courses should be considered. Our analyses highlight that introductory public health courses provide critical opportunities for students to learn about public health and may serve as gateways to the major and possibly a public health career.

Effectiveness of an online public health course

A prospective study was conducted to assess the effectiveness of learning from an online public health course (6th International Course on Public Health Approaches to Noncommunicable Diseases) among participants from India. The knowledge significantly improved after attending the online public health practice course (P &lt; 0.05) and remained without any significant change over the period of time till 6 months after the online course (P = 0.988). Majority of the respondents were applying the learnings from the course in their program management (64.7%–89.3%). Online delivery of public health courses in India has shown to improve knowledge and maintain the acquired knowledge.

Engaging youth as citizen scientists to determine health needs of New Brunswick adults.

Community health needs assessments (CHNAs) are important tools to determine community health needs, however, populations that face inequities may not be represented in existing data. The use of mixed methods becomes essential to ensure the needs of underrepresented populations are included in the assessment. We created an in-school public health course where students acted as citizen scientists to determine health needs in New Brunswick, New Jersey adults. By engaging members of their own community, students reached more representative respondents and health needs of the local community than a CHNA completed by the academic hospital located in the same community as the school which relies on many key health statistics provided at a county level. New Brunswick adults reported significantly more discrimination, fewer healthy behaviors, more food insecurity, and more barriers to accessing healthcare than county-level participants. New Brunswick participants had significantly lower rates of health conditions but also had significantly lower rates of health screenings and higher rates of barriers to care. Hospitals should consider partnering with local schools to engage students to reach populations that face inequities, such as individuals who do not speak English, to obtain more representative CHNA data.

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.

The Stories We Tell: Engaging with Authority in Critical Health Pedagogy

This Innovative Practices piece details the design of a scaffolded project in a public health course that paired a narrative inquiry assignment with an empirical health literature review assignment to highlight both the positivist and constructivist epistemologies of critical health research in public health. The authors discuss and reflect on the five parts that constitute the project, student learning outcomes, and the benefits of engaging with critical information literacy in an undergraduate public health course. The goal of this article is to provide practical applications of critical information literacy to librarians in the health sciences who work with undergraduate students.

Data Science in Public Health: Building Next Generation Capacity

Rapidly evolving technology, data, and analytic landscapes are permeating many fields and professions. In public health, the need for data science skills, including data literacy, is particularly prominent given both the potential of novel data types and analysis methods to fill gaps in existing public health research and intervention practices, as well as the potential of such data or methods to perpetuate or augment health disparities. Through a review of public health courses and programs at the top 10 U.S. and globally ranked schools of public health, this article summarizes existing educational efforts in public health data science. These existing practices serve to inform efforts for broadening such curricula to further schools and populations. Data science ethics course offerings are also examined in context of assessing how population health principles can be blended into training across levels of data involvement to augment the traditional core of public health curricula. Parallel findings from domestic and international ‘outside-the-classroom’ training programs are also synthesized to advance approaches for increasing diversity in public health data science. Based on these program reviews and their synthesis, a 4-point formula is distilled for furthering public health data science education efforts toward development of a critical and inclusive mass of practitioners with fluency to leverage data to advance goals of public health and improve quality of life in the digital age.