UNASSIGNED: Competency frameworks are essential for analyzing capabilities of Schools of Public Health to adequately prepare public health (PH) professionals to address contemporary challenges. This study maps the competency profiles of PH training programs in Israel using a novel curriculum mapping tool.
UNASSIGNED: This study assessed all five Israeli Health Education Institutions (HEIs) offering MPH or Bachelors in Public Health (BPH) degrees across 57 competencies in six domains to determine the extent to which competencies were addressed in the curriculum. The competencies list was based on the Association of Schools of Public Health in the European Region (ASPHER) List of Core Competences for the Public Health Professional, adapted for Israeli HEIs.
UNASSIGNED: The core curricula in the four MPH programs addressed 45-84% of all competencies. The BPH program addressed 79% of competencies. In MPH programs, the core curricula addressed most or all competencies in the Methods and the Socioeconomic Determinants of Health domains. Competencies in the domains of Environmental Determinants of Health, Health Policy, Economics & Organization, and Health Promotion and Prevention were less comprehensively addressed in most core curricula. Students\' opportunities to broaden their exposure to competencies outside the core curricula were context dependent.
UNASSIGNED: The curriculum competencies mapping tool that was developed served to assess both strengths and shortcomings in PH education in Israel. The findings demonstrate a highly variable array of PH curriculum models in Israeli HEIs, as well as overall shortcomings in the Environmental, Health Policy Economics and Organization, and Health Promotion and Prevention domains. This analysis has already led to reassessment of the curriculum, and will continue to guide the next steps to increase the harmonization of PH training curricula and to better meet PH challenges in Israel.

UNASSIGNED: Undergraduate programs in public health are becoming increasingly popular in the United States (US). The recent pandemic, growing climate instability, and the aging baby boomers have led to higher demands for skilled public health professionals at various levels of the workforce. This study examines the nature of courses being delivered in undergraduate public health programs across the United States. The goal is to assess domains, themes, competencies, and other specialized skills that are currently covered in these academic programs.
UNASSIGNED: A search was conducted in February 2023 using the online CEPH program database to identify undergraduate public health programs in the US. In total, 86 institutions and 90 CEPH-accredited undergraduate public health programs were identified. Lists of public health courses were retrieved from each program, and a total of 2,259 unduplicated courses were extracted and analyzed. A content analysis of the extracted topics was conducted to generate 38 common themes among the courses offered. Coded course themes were mapped to the public health domains and competencies listed by the ASPPH and CEPH to evaluate the distribution of themes across course offerings.
UNASSIGNED: Analysis of course themes found that Foundations of Public Health, Epidemiology, Public Health Management, Policy, and Leadership, Climate and Environmental Health, and Global Health Issues were the most prevalent. When course themes were mapped onto the ASPPH and CEPH domains of critical public health learning, \"overview of public health\" and \"determinants of health\" were the most populated domains. Programs had different emphases according to their approach, but overall, about two-thirds of course themes were focused on foundational and theoretical concepts of public health, and one-third were directed toward practical applications of public health concepts.
UNASSIGNED: As the demand for skilled public health workers continues to rise, programs will need to watch the skills and competencies required in the current working environment, as well as the ASPPH and CEPH criteria, and adjust their approach accordingly. Given the rapid changes in the public health landscape, schools and programs of public health should evaluate their curricula to ensure that they are meeting the needs of the workforce and the world.

Background The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic reaffirmed health disparities in the United States (US) and highlighted the need for public health strategies to combat vaccine hesitancy, especially amongst vulnerable populations. The Green Family Foundation Neighborhood Health Education Learning Program (NeighborhoodHELP) at Florida International University (FIU) serves a predominantly uninsured population, making it a critical area of opportunity for addressing vaccine hesitancy. Motivational interviewing (MI), a technique that supports individuals in making autonomous health decisions, has shown promise in encouraging vaccine acceptance. Medical students at FIU\'s Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine (HWCOM) are involved in the longitudinal care of the individuals in NeighborhoodHELP and receive training in MI within their clinical skills curriculum, making them optimally positioned to conduct outreach to encourage COVID-19 vaccination. Project goals There were two primary goals of this project: first, to systematically track and improve COVID-19 vaccination rates among individuals in NeighborhoodHELP, and second, to equip future physicians with hands-on experience in MI. Methods The COVID-19 Vaccination Promotion Initiative recruited medical students previously trained in MI to conduct outreach to unvaccinated individuals within NeighborhoodHELP. Students engaged in discussions about the COVID-19 vaccine with NeighborhoodHELP members, assisted in scheduling vaccination appointments, and updated medical records. The student team regularly met with faculty advisors to discuss changes in vaccine and public health data and to discuss challenges and successes with outreach efforts. To incentivize participation and enhance vaccine uptake, $25 gift cards were offered to individuals who agreed to receive the vaccine following the outreach conversations. Results From June 2021 to January 2023, the team made an estimated 720-1516 phone calls to NeighborhoodHELP individuals. The team encountered a challenge of low answering rates, with 35% of individuals being unreachable despite multiple attempts. Among those reached, 20% expressed no interest in receiving the vaccine, while 50% were interested in receiving the vaccine or had already been vaccinated. Vaccination rates among NeighborhoodHELP adults rose from 15.2% to 44.3% during this time. Student experiences with MI were generally positive, with many noting success in engaging hesitant individuals. However, the team also encountered challenges, such as growing vaccine apathy within the community and difficulties in reaching patients via cold calls, which limited the overall impact of their outreach efforts. Conclusions By using MI techniques, medical students engaged with community members in meaningful conversations about the importance and safety of COVID-19 vaccination. However, the initiative fell short of the 50% vaccination target, facing challenges such as reliance on unsolicited phone calls and the complexities of incentivizing vaccinations through this outreach method.  Future initiatives could benefit from exploring alternative outreach methods, such as in-person engagement at community events or through partnerships with local organizations, to overcome the limitations of phone-based outreach. Additionally, investigating the relative efficacy of in-person versus telephone-based communication in promoting vaccination could provide valuable insights.

Stroke is a leading cause of disability and mortality worldwide, and it disproportionately affects low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), which account for 88% of stroke fatalities. Prehospital stroke care delays are a crucial obstacle to successful treatment in these settings, especially given the limited therapeutic window for thrombolytic treatments, which may greatly improve recovery chances when initiated early after stroke onset. These delays are caused by a lack of public understanding of stroke symptoms, sociodemographic and cultural variables, and insufficient healthcare infrastructure. This review discusses these issues in detail, emphasizing the disparities in stroke awareness and reaction times between locations and socioeconomic classes. Innovative options for reducing these delays include the deployment of mobile stroke units and community-based educational campaigns. This review also discusses how technology improvements and personalized educational initiatives might improve stroke awareness and response in LMICs. The primary goal is to give a thorough assessment of the challenges and potential remedies that might serve as the foundation for policy reforms and healthcare improvements in LMICs, eventually improving stroke care and lowering disease-related mortality and disability.

BACKGROUND: Armed conflict and war are public health disasters. Public health action has a crucial role in conflict-related emergencies and rehabilitation but also in war prevention and peace promotion. Translating this into public health training and competencies has just started to emerge, especially in Europe.
METHODS: We conducted a Scoping Review to map and identify the role of public health education and training of public health workforce relating to the prevention of war and promoting peace, as reflected in the scientific literature. We searched in PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Embase, Web of Science Core Collections as well as the reference list of included material in English, German and Polish. Focusing initially on the European region, we later expanded the search outside of Europe.
RESULTS: We included 7 publications from opinion pieces to an empirical assessment of curricula and training. The educational programs were predominantly short-term and extra-curricular in postgraduate courses addressing both public health professionals in conflict-affected countries as well as countries not directly affected by war. Publications focused on public health action in times of war, without specifying the context and type of war or armed conflict. Competencies taught focused on emergency response and multi-disciplinary collaboration during emergencies, frequently drawing on experience and examples from natural disaster and disease outbreak management.
CONCLUSIONS: The scientific discourse on competences in public health education for times of war and for the promotion of peace, predominately focuses on immediate emergency response actions. The prevention of war and the promotion of peace are missing foci, that need to feature more prominently in public health training. Public Health Education and training should ensure that war prevention and peace promotion, as well as public health action in times of war, are included in their competencies for public health professionals.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing public health education through its capacity for intricate analysis of large-scale health datasets and the tailored dissemination of health-related information and interventions. This article conducts a profound exploration into the integration of AI within public health, accentuating its scientific foundations, prospective progress, and practical application scenarios. It underscores the transformative potential of AI in crafting individualized educational programs, developing sophisticated behavioral models, and informing the creation of health policies. The manuscript strives to thoroughly evaluate the extant landscape of AI applications in public health, scrutinizing critical challenges such as the propensity for data bias and the imperative of safeguarding privacy. By dissecting these issues, the article contributes to the conversation on how AI can be harnessed responsibly and effectively, ensuring that its application in public health education is both ethically grounded and equitable. The paper\'s significance is multifold: it aims to provide a blueprint for policy formulation, offer actionable insights for public health authorities, and catalyze the progression of health interventions toward increasingly sophisticated and precise approaches. Ultimately, this research anticipates fostering an environment where AI not only augments public health education but also does so with a steadfast commitment to the principles of justice and inclusivity, thereby elevating the standard and reach of health education initiatives globally.

BACKGROUND: Public health education (PHE) in social environments plays a crucial role in mitigating the impact of public health events, especially with the recent surge in global incidents. Social learning theory (SLT) provides a strong theoretical foundation for implementing PHE. The objective of this study is to conduct a systematic scoping review of PHE using SLT, synthesizing the target populations, types of research, main findings, and future directions.
METHODS: The study followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis Extension for Scoping Review (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. We conducted a comprehensive search of five electronic databases (Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, ProQuest, and APA PsycInfo) for English articles related to PHE using SLT. Two reviewers independently screened the titles and abstracts. Descriptive statistics were utilized to analyze the characteristics of the articles included in the study, followed by a comprehensive narrative analysis of the results.
RESULTS: Research on PHE using SLT mainly focuses on adolescents, students, special patients, and vulnerable populations. The study sample includes seven research types and nine commonly used experimental methods. Four modes of PHE using SLT are identified, along with four types of summarized research results.
CONCLUSIONS: PHE research based on SLT can be prioritized for preventing widespread infectious diseases, spreading fundamental public health information, and assisting patients with particular illnesses. To enhance the implementation of PHE, researchers and policymakers should integrate online and offline health education resources, ensure the accessibility of up-to-date information, and leverage digital technologies in PHE. More highly interactive and participatory health education courses will be established in social learning environments to encourage public participation in PHE.

Ensuring access to proper eye health services is not only a fundamental human right but also crucial for preserving an individual\'s quality of life, preventing blindness, and promoting overall well-being. This is especially true in low-income countries like Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) where recognizing the intricate relationship between access to healthcare and social determinants of health (SDOH ) is crucial to addressing health disparities. The goal of this study was to elucidate and highlight not only the barriers millions face in obtaining eye care but also pave the way for interventions and policies aimed at creating equitable access across diverse populations. To do this, a scoping review was conducted across the Cumulated Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Embase, and PubMed databases for studies meeting the search terms and inclusion criteria. The results show that intervention strategies that increase vision care must extend beyond the healthcare sector to address the multifaceted challenges. Collaborating with stakeholders involved in addressing broader livelihood issues, such as food security, education, and SDOH, becomes imperative to ensure comprehensive and sustainable improvements in vision care accessibility in SSA.

UNASSIGNED: The purpose of this study was to assess the level of knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of university students in China regarding the need for PARI and public health education.
UNASSIGNED: A cross-sectional online and offline survey was conducted in China website through Wenjuanxing and in different cities such as Changsha Hunan Province, Shanghai, Chongqing and in different public scenarios, such as hospitals, universities, and commercial venues between September 1 and September 7, 2023, using a 28-question questionnaire designed and reviewed by multidisciplinary experts.
UNASSIGNED: A total of 4,096 respondents were recruited for this study, with 3,957 valid questionnaires. The mean knowledge score was 1.84 ± 0.52, the mean attitude score was 2.12 ± 0.51, and the mean practice score was 3.18 ± 0.55. Regression analyses found that: region, grade, school, and weekly anaerobic exercise time were influences on the knowledge score; region, grade, school, and weekly anaerobic exercise time were influences on the attitude score; region, grade, school attended, weekly anaerobic exercise time and weekly anaerobic exercise time as influences on the practice score. Subgroup analyses revealed that undergraduates from southern regions and 985 schools had higher knowledge attitude scores and lower practice scores. As the grade level increased, the knowledge and attitude scores showed a V-shaped trend and the behavior scores showed an inverted V-shaped trend. Correlation analysis found a positive correlation between knowledge and attitude scores, and a negative correlation between both and behavior, respectively. The public health education needs survey found that undergraduate students generally preferred guided instruction methods and content centered on the RICE principles, they preferred learning through books and pamphlets, and they were happy to see relevant content promoted in the campus environment.
UNASSIGNED: This study shows that Chinese undergraduate students have less knowledge, neutral attitudes, and good behaviors regarding PARI prevention. Special attention should be paid to meeting the needs of undergraduate students for public health education to equip them with relevant knowledge so that they can better behave in PARI prevention.

UNASSIGNED: The objective of this study is to develop a consensus among experts on a comprehensive and scientifically sound physical activity-related injuries (PARI) public health education program specifically tailored for undergraduates.
UNASSIGNED: This study designed three rounds of expert consultation by using a Delphi method. A panel of 30 experts from the fields of public health education, sports medicine, anesthesia pain, emergency medicine, and emergency nursing participated in the study.
UNASSIGNED: This study successfully established a consensus among experts on the goals, content, teaching methods, and time allocation for the PARI Public Health Education Program for undergraduates. The program encompasses 10 objectives divided into 2 main categories: professional knowledge and skill goals. In terms of content, it includes 5 primary indicators, 22 secondary indicators, and 56 detailed tertiary indicators. Six teaching methods were identified as suitable. Additionally, a typical 60-min educational session was segmented into eight parts, with a proposed time arrangement for each, ensuring comprehensive coverage of all topics.
UNASSIGNED: The consensus achieved in this study on the PARI Public Health Education Program for undergraduates lays a crucial foundation for the advancement of health literacy and proactive health management within this demographic. We presented a comprehensive framework for PARI public health education, integrating diverse learning methods and content areas. This systematic approach not only enriched the resources available for undergraduate health education, especially of PARI but also had the potential to significantly impact the implementation and effectiveness of health promotion strategies.