Educational Attainment of the Public Health Workforce and Its Implications for Workforce Development
Jonathon P Leider1, Elizabeth Harper, Kiran Bharthapudi
1de Beaumont Foundation. Bethesda, Maryland (Dr Leider and Mr Castrucci); and Association of State and Territorial Health Officials. Arlington, Virginia (Drs Harper and Bharthapudi).
Context:
Educational attainment is a critical issue in public health workforce development. However, relatively little is known about the actual attainment of staff in state health agencies (SHAs).
Objective:
Ascertain the levels of educational attainment among SHA employees, as well as the correlates of attainment.
Design:
Using a stratified sampling approaching, staff from SHAs were surveyed using the Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey (PH WINS) instrument in late 2014. A nationally representative sample was drawn across 5 geographic (paired adjacent HHS) regions. Descriptive and inferential statistics were analyzed using balanced repeated replication weights to account for complex sampling. A logistic regression was conducted with attainment of a bachelor's degree as the dependent variable and age, region, supervisory status, race/ethnicity, gender, and staff type as independent variables.
Setting And Participants:
Web-based survey of SHA central office employees.
Main Outcome Measure:
Educational attainment overall, as well as receipt of a degree with a major in public health.
Results:
A total of 10,246 permanently-employed SHA central office staff participated in the survey (response rate 46%). Seventy-five percent (95% confidence interval [CI], 74-77) had a bachelor's degree, 38% (95% CI, 37-40) had a master's degree, and 9% (95% CI, 8%-10%) had a doctoral degree. A logistic regression showed Asian staff had the highest odds of having a bachelor's degree (odds ratio [OR] = 2.8; 95% CI, 2.2-3.7) compared with non-Hispanic whites, and Hispanic/Latino staff had lower odds (OR = 0.6; 95% CI, 0.4-0.8). Women had lower odds of having a bachelor's degree than men (OR = 0.5; 95% CI, 0.4-0.6). About 17% of the workforce (95% CI, 16-18) had a degree in public health at any level.
Conclusions:
Educational attainment among SHA central office staff is high, but relatively few have formal training of any sort in public health. This makes efforts to increase availability of on-the-job training and distance learning all the more critical.
Related Concept Videos
01:21Health Literacy
01:28International Nursing Organizations II
The WHO provides expert team support, including funding, vaccines, testing, and treatment tools at the country level to fight...
01:28Current Trends in Nursing I
01:18Types of Records II: Educational and Administrative Records
01:19Overview of Biostatistics in Health Sciences
01:17Healthcare Agencies II
Parish nursing is a growing specialty nursing profession that focuses on holistic healthcare, health promotion, and illness prevention. It blends professional nursing practice with a health ministry, focusing on health and healing within the context of a Christian community. Parish nurses serve as health educators, referral sources,...