Undergraduate Public Research Articles

An Evaluation of a Pipeline Program to Support Diversity in the Public Health Workforce: CDC Undergraduate Public Health Scholars (CUPS) Program

Established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the goal of the CDC Undergraduate Public Health Scholars (CUPS) program is to expose students underrepresented in public health and medicine to careers in public health; ultimately, increasing the membership of these groups in these fields including biomedical sciences. CDC implemented a retrospective outcome evaluation of 1,047 students who participated in the program from 2012 to 2017. Seventy-four percent (775) of students responded to the survey that captures their academic attainment and employment status, as well as their perception of the program’s and mentors’ influence on their career path. As of 2020, 639 (83.4%) of 775 participants have enrolled in an advanced degree program, with over 80% of 639 participants pursuing degrees in biomedical sciences, public health, or health care (BSPHHC)–related fields. Two thirds (374/566) of participants who reported they had ever been employed in a career position are working/have worked in BSPHHC-related fields. Overall, 77.4% (600) of 775 participants reported either the program or the mentors, or both were extremely or very influential to their career path. Students claimed the CUPS program had “opened their eyes,” inspired their interest, cultivated their passion for the field of public health, and fueled their drive to find solutions to and in social determinants of health and contribute to health equity. The opportunity to gain work and research experience through internship placements in CUPS has “opened doors” to first jobs and advanced education and training opportunities for many students.

Roadmap to Increase Public Health and Health Care Workforce Diversity: Highlights From the First 10 Years of the CDC Undergraduate Public Health Scholars Program

Roadmap to Increase Public Health and Health Care Workforce Diversity: Highlights From the First 10 Years of the CDC Undergraduate Public Health Scholars Program

Learning from Graduate and Undergraduate Public Health Virtual Internship Experiences with State Title V Agencies During COVID-19, Summer 2020

BackgroundSince summer 2014, the National MCH Workforce Development Center has placed students from MCH public health graduate (Centers of Excellence and Catalyst) and undergraduate (MCH Pipeline) programs, all funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau, in summer internships with state and territorial Title V agencies. In 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic the Title V MCH Internship Program was offered virtually.Participants and MethodsThis manuscript includes quantitative and qualitative data from 2017 to 2020 generated by both Title V MCH Internship student interns (n = 76) and their preceptors (n = 40) with a focus on a comparison between the 2020 virtual year and the 2017–2019 years.ResultsEvaluation data from the 2017 to 2020 Title V MCH Internship Program from both students and preceptors revealed the implementation of a robust and successful internship program in which students increased their confidence in a variety of team, mentorship, and leadership skills while gaining direct exposure to the daily work of state Title V agencies. However, students and preceptors identified more challenges during 2020 compared to previous years.ConclusionsThe COVID-19 Pandemic was both a disruption and a catalyst for change in education. While there were clearly some challenges with the pivot to a virtual Title V MCH Internship Program in summer 2020, students were able to participate in meaningful internship experiences. This success can be attributed to the ability of the internship sponsor to engage in best practices, including extensive planning and provision of ongoing support to the students. Going forward, it is recognized that virtual internships may facilitate access to agencies in distant locales, eliminating issues related to housing and transportation. When both virtual and in-person relationships are available, those responsible for internship programs, including the Title V MCH Internship, will need to weigh these type of benefits against the potential missed opportunities students may have when not able to participate in on-site experiences.

5.M. Skills building seminar: How to integrate social identities in public health education – an intersectional approach

Abstract Members of minoritized population groups are exposed to higher burdens of morbidity and mortality and face barriers to accessing health care systems and other critical resources to achieve optimal health. Intersectional perspectives that emphasize the dimensions of social power and discrimination are just beginning to emerge in public health research. These perspectives contextualize longstanding patterns of health inequalities but are rarely translated into public health curriculum. Concepts like “cultural competence” or “diversity, equity and inclusion” do address the importance of awareness and respect for (cultural) diversity in (patient/client) populations. The research and teaching examples available are largely limited to a USA context, tend to consider specific identities, rather than intersectional characteristics, are not systematically integrated in public health curricula and are usually not rooted in a theoretical approach of teaching. It is imperative that Europe bridges the knowledge-to-teaching gap and begins introducing similar programs, while learning from the limitations of USA efforts. Two steps are needed to strengthen public health educational institutions and improve population health: first, to systematically incorporate an intersectional paradigm into public health curricula; and second, to provide faculty members in public health programs with transformative teaching skills. In this skills building seminar, we aim to 1) discuss the need for incorporating intersectionality into public health curricula in Europe; 2) provide an experiential learning opportunity on social identities and health; and 3) create a space for self-reflection. We first present the introductory course on social identities and their importance in public health (Wandschneider et al.) which has been developed in collaboration with the Association of Schools of Public Health in the European Region (ASPHER) (15 minutes). Secondly, we will have an interactive session to apply an exemplary teaching method (25 minutes). To conclude, we will moderate a discussion guided by the questions “What is needed to integrate such efforts more sustainably in public health teaching practices?” and “How do we address potential barriers?” (20 minutes). This workshop addresses persons who engage in teaching in undergraduate or graduate Public Health programs or provide training to public health and health care professionals. It also invites researchers to reflect on how to frame research on health inequalities. Key messages To address health inequities, we need to incorporate an intersectional paradigm into public health curricula and provide faculty members in public health programs with transformative teaching skills. A model teaching module that is open access could provide the necessary tools to meet this need.

Addressing Workforce Disparities by Improving the Academic Resilience and Professionalism of Health Science Students Through Structured and Targeted Supports.

Background: The undergraduate program in Public Health of Saint Catherine University is the second most popular major of the institution, drawing students from diverse racial, economic, cultural, and educational backgrounds. This has presented significant opportunities and challenges with regard to providing students and faculty with the needed academic and professional development to ensure graduates embody the skills needed for Public Health workforce of today. The objective of this study was to identify potential structured institutional supports to graduate Public Health professionals from diverse communities to advance health equity. A secondary objective was to determine whether the needed supports for Public Health students might differ from peers in other health programs, specifically Nursing.Methods: Using a mixed methods approach and a convenience sample, data were gathered from Public Health students, nursing students, faculty, and staff from November 2019 through July 2020. The survey assessed stress, grit, and demographic factors. Focus group topics included: academic resilience and professionalism, supports and gaps in the current institutional structure with respect to mitigating student stressors, and opportunities for programmatic solutions.Results: In total, 53 Public Health and 32 in Nursing students completed the survey. Nursing students tended to be farther along in their undergraduate careers, less likely to have failed a class, and more likely to have recently been laid off from a job. Public Health students reported more support from parents, but less support from friends and classmates than their Nursing peers. Most Nursing and Public Health students reported unmanaged stress, and similar average grit scores (3.51 vs. 3.41, p = 0.43), respectively. In focus groups, students described a series of stressors including working full time while attending school, family expectations, difficulty with time management, and learning how to acclimate to college norms. University staff and faculty identified financial pressures as a primary student stressor in addition to complex lives including managing family crises.Conclusions: Study findings are being used to identify or adapt professional development supports in undergraduate Public Health programs. Through supporting a diverse undergraduate student population in Public Health, a future workforce from communities most impacted by health disparities will emerge.

Education and Concern of Zakat Agencies

<p>This research examined the zakat agencies which concern to the education program. This research used library reserach. The documents used were the ins and outs of zakat agencies that have educational development programs. These documents were taken from the website of zakat agencies both BAZNAS and Dompet Dhuafa (DD). The data taken consisted of information, data, and news related to the alocation of zakat for education, education variations of education program, the type of zakat disbursement, and the path alocation in education. The data analysis was descriptive qualitative analysis. The results showed that BAZNAS gave scholarships from Elementary School – Undergraduate (Islamic Religious Higher Education and Public Higher Education) and in-country scholarships. DD gave scholarships for undergraduate – Post graduate (Islamic Religious Higher Education and Public Higher Education), in-country scholarships, overseas scholarships, middle and high school level, education for teacher and literacy school. Zakat agencies are very varied in the development of education especially in Dompet Dhuafa from upstream to downstream.</p>

Co-Operating with Civil Society Organisations in Undergraduate Public Relations Education

Sivil Toplum Kuruluşları (STK’lar), demokratik toplumların belkemiğidir. Farklı alanlarda, bağımsız olarak sivil toplumun faydası için çalışan bu kuruluşlar Halkla İlişkiler yönetim ve uygulamaları açısından da önemli merkezlerdir. Ancak Halkla İlişkilerin toplumsal dönüşüme katkı sağlayabilmesi için kurum merkezli bir kavramsallaştırmanın dışına çıkılmalıdır. Alan yazında eleştirel ve kültürel yaklaşımlar ekseninde; postmodernizm, aktivizm gibi konularla bağlantılı, yeni bir Halkla İlişkiler kavrayışı ortaya çıkmaktadır. Halkla İlişkilerin bu tanımının işlevsel hale gelmesi, alandaki öğrencilerin eğitimlerinde sivil toplum konusunda bilinçlenmelerinin desteklenmesiyle mümkündür. Bu bağlamda çalışmada Halkla İlişkiler lisans eğitiminde mesleğin “kamu yararı” boyutuna dair öğrencide nasıl bir anlayış geliştirildiğinin bölüm-STK iş birliklerine dayanarak sorgulanması ve bu yönde öneriler getirilmesi amaçlanmaktadır. Çalışmada Türkiye’deki Devlet ve Vakıf üniversitelerinde Halkla İlişkiler eğitimi verilen lisans programları incelenmiştir. STK’larla olası iş birliklerinin varlığı ve niteliği yapılandırılmış görüşme yöntemi ile sorgulanmış ve yüzde 43 oranında katılım sağlanmıştır. Araştırmada sonuç olarak ülkemizdeki Halkla İlişkiler bölümlerinin STK iş birliklerinin ulusal düzeyde, kısa süreli ve sürdürülebilirlikten uzak olduğu, farklı sınıf seviyelerindeki dersler kapsamında konuya yer verildiği ve en çok sağlık alanında çalışmaların yapıldığı belirlenmiştir.

Cultivating Health Policy Analysis and Communication Skills in Undergraduate Public Health Education: An Active Learning Approach

Public health programs are increasingly offering health policy content to meet workforce demand for public health professionals with health policy analysis and communication skills. Undergraduate public health education in health policy and related curriculum is lacking. Existing work describes service- and experiential learning approaches, which may not be feasible in large courses or public health programs with limited administrative or financial resources. This article describes health policy curriculum, learning objectives, and course activities (i.e., individual writing assignment, mock policy debate, and policy analysis exercise) that integrate an active learning approach and use simulation to develop policy analysis and communication skills in an undergraduate classroom setting. An active learning approach can increase teaching effectiveness, critical thinking, peer interaction, and student engagement to cultivate these applied skills. The described curriculum has been used in various modalities (in-person, hybrid, and remote) with positive reception in a public research university with a high percentage of first-generation college students. Student course evaluations and an independent assessment of the policy analysis exercise reflect high student interest, engagement, problem solving, satisfaction, perceived benefits, and application of policy analysis and communication skills, providing support for teaching health policy curriculum to undergraduate students using an active learning approach. The discussion includes strategies to address resistance by public health instructors and students to using active learning techniques.

Postgraduate Employment Outcomes of Undergraduate and Graduate Public Health Students : A Scoping Review.

A key goal of schools and programs of public health is to prepare graduates for careers in the public health workforce after graduation, but are they achieving this goal? We assessed how the employment outcomes of students earning public health degrees are collected and described in the literature. Using the Kirkpatrick model of training evaluation as a framework, we conducted a 6-step scoping review: (1) formulating the research question, (2) identifying relevant studies, (3) selecting studies, (4) charting the data, (5) collating and summarizing the results, and (6) consulting stakeholders. We included articles published from January 1, 1993, through July 4, 2020, that provided data on employment status, employment sector/industry, job function, or salary of public health graduates. We excluded articles that were not written in English and were about dual-degree (ie, doctor of medicine-master of public health) students. We found and reviewed 630 articles. We found 33 relevant articles. Most articles focused on a single school and combined multiple graduating classes, focused on subspecializations of public health, or focused on graduates' satisfaction with their curriculum but not employment outcomes. Data were inconsistently categorized, and studies were difficult to compare. Research on public health graduates' employment outcomes is scarce and does not follow consistent protocols. New standards should be adopted to systematize the collection of data on employment outcomes of public health graduates.

Exploring Undergraduate Public Health Students’ Experiences of Internship Courses: A Qualitative Study

Introduction: Currently, education means providing facilities that enable learners to acquire theoretical information and knowledge and help them put this knowledge into practice. Periodic reviews also serve as a first step required to gain a deeper understanding of problems and access to information and newer solutions. Therefore, to identify the challenges of clinical education, the present study focused on exploring undergraduate public health students’ experiences of internship courses. Methods: This study used the conventional content analysis method. The participants were 11 undergraduate public health students of Qom University of Medical Sciences selected via purposive sampling in 2017. The data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews as well as focus group and the data collection process continued until the data were saturated. The content analysis was performed following Graneheim and Lundman’s model. Results: The analysis of the data revealed five main themes. The main themes identified in this study were weak curriculum planning, poor communication between the faculty and health centers, the students’ unpreparedness to start the internship course, the staff’s lack of cooperation, and students’ expectations. Conclusion: The present study indicated that most students faced many problems during their field internships and they demanded the improvement of the teaching processes of theoretical courses and practical skills. Therefore, officials of the educational system are required to plan more coherent programs, offer both theoretical and practical courses more effectively, and prepare students to start internship courses and establish effective communication.

Toward In-Depth Coverage: Testing the Effectiveness of a Single-Issue Multimedia Course for Undergraduate Public Affairs Reporting

This article details a case study testing the effectiveness of a new curriculum for undergraduate public affairs reporting. Our intervention focused on restructuring an undergraduate reporting class to focus on a single issue (schools) and introduce mapping and video, whereas control groups used the old curriculum that was print-heavy and had no specific focus. Findings revealed that the new model helped students engage with communities at a deeper level and allowed them to produce more in-depth stories, but did not increase student confidence with multimedia techniques or class satisfaction.

Our Calendar Stopped! The Organizational Change at UFPB due to COVID-19

ABSTRACT This teaching case aims to analyze the context of the Federal University of Paraíba, which experiences the impacts of social isolation due to COVID-19, especially in conducting undergraduate classes, considering that the activities face-to-face were suspended. The case presents the facts related to the possibility of implementing a supplementary calendar, based on the concept of remote emergency teaching. Because of this scenario, the Pro-Rectory of Graduation managers needed to plan carefully to manage the uncertainties and resistance to changes that such a proposal would represent, mainly because there were no models to be based on since practically all public HEIs have suspended graduation classes. The case raises a significant dilemma: in the face of the challenges of implementing a supplementary remote calendar, is it better to follow or step back? The pedagogical objectives of this teaching case involve: analyzing the impact of COVID-19 on organizational behavior; discuss aspects related to the implementation of organizational changes; identify the use of data for decision-making and support for organizational change; and making decisions in the face of managerial dilemmas. Its analysis can be done by undergraduate students, in Administration and Public Management courses.

Our Calendar Stopped! The Organizational Change at UFPB due to COVID-19

ABSTRACT This teaching case aims to analyze the context of the Federal University of Paraíba, which experiences the impacts of social isolation due to COVID-19, especially in conducting undergraduate classes, considering that the activities face-to-face were suspended. The case presents the facts related to the possibility of implementing a supplementary calendar, based on the concept of remote emergency teaching. Because of this scenario, the Pro-Rectory of Graduation managers needed to plan carefully to manage the uncertainties and resistance to changes that such a proposal would represent, mainly because there were no models to be based on since practically all public HEIs have suspended graduation classes. The case raises a significant dilemma: in the face of the challenges of implementing a supplementary remote calendar, is it better to follow or step back? The pedagogical objectives of this teaching case involve: analyzing the impact of COVID-19 on organizational behavior; discuss aspects related to the implementation of organizational changes; identify the use of data for decision-making and support for organizational change; and making decisions in the face of managerial dilemmas. Its analysis can be done by undergraduate students, in Administration and Public Management courses.

Theory-Informed Course Design: Applications of Bloom’s Taxonomy in Undergraduate Public Health Courses

The public health workforce needs an array of knowledge and skills to effectively address current and future public health challenges. While existing competency models establish educational objectives for public health degree programs, there is insufficient guidance on how academic programs should develop these competencies, and workforce assessments continue to identify skills gaps in areas such as critical thinking and problem analysis. In this article, we describe an approach for designing undergraduate public health courses based on the hierarchy of cognitive processes in Bloom’s taxonomy. Course activities are sequenced to provide students with opportunities to attain increasing mastery of course concepts and analytical skills, from remembering new concepts to applying them in case studies and creating original analyses and proposals. This simple approach has been applied to three separate courses taught by multiple instructors over 3 years and has received positive feedback from students. By explicitly communicating the theoretical basis for course activities, this approach also promotes metacognitive knowledge in students that can foster their continued learning success.

Engaging Undergraduate Public Health Students Through a Textbook Creation Project

This study examines students’ perceptions of an open pedagogy experiment in which they created their own textbook for an undergraduate public health course. The lead author’s primary motivation for developing this assignment was the high cost associated with the traditional textbooks that were otherwise needed to cover the breadth of subject matter in the course. The resulting open textbook included 19 chapters, covering all the required components of the course, and the final version was published in a statewide open educational resource repository. Students provided feedback about this undertaking by way of an end-of-term survey. The results showed high percentages of students who associated the textbook creation project with greater engagement and satisfaction than the passive use of traditional textbooks. Students also reported their perception of a learning benefit related to the creation of course content. Pedagogical implications of this study are discussed, and future research questions are proposed.

Practice-Based Teaching Model for Undergraduate Public Health Students: Partnership for Exercise Is Medicine on Campus Initiative

The practice-based teaching (PBT) pedagogical approach is vital to prepare students to learn collaboratively how to solve real-world complex public health problems. Despite evidence of the new PBT approach in graduate public health courses, little is known about the development of PBT in undergraduate public health courses. The purpose of this article is to describe an undergraduate course design using PBT, offer suggestions for using the effective PBT STEPS (Securing Partnerships, Technology and Training, Engagement and Implementation, Presenting Deliverables, Sizing Up Results) framework, and explain lessons learned. The experiences are based on 4 years of successful implementation of the PBT course project, Exercise Is Medicine on Campus (EIM-OC) initiative. The college campus is a promising setting to promote EIM-OC and physical activity awareness. Undergraduate public health students in the Health Administration of Programs course partnered with the campus Wellness, Alcohol and Violence Education Program for the fall initiative. We used the comprehensive PBT STEPS framework in planning the EIM-OC. The evaluation included the number of participants at the Chancellor Walk and activity stations and student reflective writing papers. The findings suggest the effectiveness of PBT pedagogy for faculty to redesign an existing course. Students gain a deeper understanding of campus health and health topics. Faculty can guide students and empower them for working with partners to think, act, and practice like professionals during academic preparation.

What Elephant? Pedagogical Approaches to Addressing Stigma Toward Mental Disorders in Undergraduate Public Health Education

In the past decade, the number of undergraduate public health programs has increased exponentially. This growth provides a unique opportunity to explore concepts and issues relevant to understanding the determinants of health at a population level using new pedagogical approaches. One of these issues is stigma toward mental disorders. Stigma is a concept that refers to a feature or characteristic that reduces, devalues, and disempowers a person. Given the prevalence of mental and substance use disorders among college students, undergraduate education is an important setting for attempting to address stigmatizing attitudes both for society at large and for faculty, staff, and students, including those experiencing mental health problems. This article describes an effort to develop an undergraduate course in public mental health that explicitly addresses the ways stigma shapes student understanding of this topic and discusses lessons learned from this experience.

Opportunities and Challenges for Undergraduate Public Health Education in Australia and New Zealand

The international emergence of undergraduate education in public health has transformed the public health education landscape. While this shift is clearest and most widely evaluated in the United States, efforts in other parts of the world—such as Australasia—have not kept pace. This article aims to redress the evidence gap by identifying and discussing the different approaches through which Australian and New Zealand universities deliver public health education at the undergraduate level. A content analysis was conducted of online handbook information published by 47 universities across Australia and New Zealand, to gauge the various ways in which these universities implement undergraduate public health education. Each offering identified was assigned to one of four predetermined categories. Of the 47 universities, 45 were found to offer some form of undergraduate coursework in public health. Offerings took primarily the form of single subjects. Less commonly implemented were specializations ( n = 20), stand-alone undergraduate degrees ( n = 11), and double degree combinations ( n = 6). This breadth of activity highlights the need for renewed efforts in evaluating undergraduate public health education across the region. Further research is recommended into three areas: (1) emerging best practices in curriculum development and implementation, (2) explorations of public health accreditation in the region, and (3) the outcomes achieved by students and graduates of undergraduate public health degrees across Australia and New Zealand. These efforts will ultimately strengthen the operationalization and contribution of this education in helping shape the future public health workforce in Australasia.

Hepatitis B Knowledge, Testing, and Vaccination History among Undergraduate Public Health Students in Ghana.

Background Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a serious public health problem in many parts of the world. The risk of acquiring the infection through exposure to blood, semen, and other bodily fluids is highest among health care workers (HCW) including trainees. Ghana is considered a high risk country for HBV; however little is known about the knowledge and prevention practices of the infection in the country. This study assessed the knowledge, testing, and vaccination history of HBV and their related factors among undergraduate public health students of University of Health and Allied Sciences in Ghana. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among 226 students using a pretested questionnaire to assess Hepatitis B knowledge, testing, and vaccination history of the students. We performed logistic regression analysis to examine the relationship between Hepatitis B testing and vaccination history and participants' characteristics. Data was analysed using Stata Version 12. Results Majority 169 (73.9%) of the 226 participants studied had moderate knowledge regarding HBV infection. About half 114 (50.4%) of them had never been tested for HBV infection, and 100 (44.2%) had received at least a single dose of Hepatitis B vaccine. The completed vaccination rate among the students was 30.5%. Students in their 2nd year (Adjusted Odds Ratio [AOR]: 3.13; 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 1.13, 7.52; p<0.011) and those with moderate (AOR: 4.76; 95% CI; 1.35, 16.82; P=0.015) and good (AOR: 5.40; 95% CI: 1.31, 22.36; P=0.020) level of knowledge were more likely to be tested for HBV. With regard to vaccination, females (AOR: 1.85; 95%CI: 1.04-3.29; P=0.037) and regular students (AOR: 0.37; 95%CI: 0.19, 0.70; p=0.002) were associated with receiving the full dose of Hepatitis B vaccine. Conclusion This study highlights the urgent need for continued health education on HBV infection and strategies that ensure that health trainees are screened and fully vaccinated against the infection to prevent potential future exposure to the virus. The students' representative council can organize free HBV testing and vaccination for all fresh students.

Undergraduate Public History Teaching: How and Why It Can Change University History Training

AbstractThis essay introduces the special section on undergraduate public history teaching. It explores its various opportunities, its challenges and some options for instructors to design their courses. In addition to presenting the six contributions of this special section, the author proposes some broader reflections on how undergraduate public history teaching can potentially change the ways history is taught but also researched and practiced in universities.