Commentary: trends in interests of new public health students concerning environmental health
IntroductionThis paper was based on data from the core course in environmental health (EH) for master’s in public health students at Rutgers School of Public Health (SPH), Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences at Rutgers, and The State University of New Jersey (NJ).MethodsThe multi-part poll or sur...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2024-02-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Education |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2024.1342874/full |
| _version_ | 1797302393614893056 |
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| author | Derek G. Shendell Derek G. Shendell Derek G. Shendell Juhi Aggarwal |
| author_facet | Derek G. Shendell Derek G. Shendell Derek G. Shendell Juhi Aggarwal |
| author_sort | Derek G. Shendell |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionThis paper was based on data from the core course in environmental health (EH) for master’s in public health students at Rutgers School of Public Health (SPH), Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences at Rutgers, and The State University of New Jersey (NJ).MethodsThe multi-part poll or survey of students was in the first module (2 weeks) of the course’s eight module organization on Rutgers Canvas Learning Management System. We collected data every time the first author led this course section during the three academic semesters of each calendar year 2015-2023 (excluding winter 2022-summer 2023 due to grants buyout during COVID-19 pandemic).ResultsData suggested interesting trends and changes in geographic levels of interest over time for EH. When examining interests separately for urban EH and rural EH, the trend was toward approximately equal interests in local, county and state levels (lower than national level—U.S. or student’s home country/nation—but higher than global level). This is where many EH job opportunities are located. Overall, 95% of students reported they believed climate change is real, and 95% of students agreed (“yes”) human activities including combustion sources of pollution contribute to climate change. No one stated “no;” the rest were not sure at the time.DiscussionThese insights from new public health students across majors/concentrations in NJ could inform other accredited SPH across the U.S. and in other nations to help plan future versions of core courses in EH or SPH-wide integrated core courses in compliance with required competencies for accreditation. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T23:37:12Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2822e6465861472bad364e1d5ad19f1b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2504-284X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T23:37:12Z |
| publishDate | 2024-02-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Education |
| spelling | doaj.art-2822e6465861472bad364e1d5ad19f1b2024-02-20T05:44:21ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Education2504-284X2024-02-01910.3389/feduc.2024.13428741342874Commentary: trends in interests of new public health students concerning environmental healthDerek G. Shendell0Derek G. Shendell1Derek G. Shendell2Juhi Aggarwal3New Jersey Safe Schools Program (NJSS), Rutgers School of Public Health (SPH), Piscataway, NJ, United StatesDepartment of Environmental and Occupational Health and Justice, Rutgers SPH, Piscataway, NJ, United StatesEnvironmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute (Division of Population Health and Biosciences), Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, United StatesDepartment of Environmental and Occupational Health and Justice, Rutgers SPH, Piscataway, NJ, United StatesIntroductionThis paper was based on data from the core course in environmental health (EH) for master’s in public health students at Rutgers School of Public Health (SPH), Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences at Rutgers, and The State University of New Jersey (NJ).MethodsThe multi-part poll or survey of students was in the first module (2 weeks) of the course’s eight module organization on Rutgers Canvas Learning Management System. We collected data every time the first author led this course section during the three academic semesters of each calendar year 2015-2023 (excluding winter 2022-summer 2023 due to grants buyout during COVID-19 pandemic).ResultsData suggested interesting trends and changes in geographic levels of interest over time for EH. When examining interests separately for urban EH and rural EH, the trend was toward approximately equal interests in local, county and state levels (lower than national level—U.S. or student’s home country/nation—but higher than global level). This is where many EH job opportunities are located. Overall, 95% of students reported they believed climate change is real, and 95% of students agreed (“yes”) human activities including combustion sources of pollution contribute to climate change. No one stated “no;” the rest were not sure at the time.DiscussionThese insights from new public health students across majors/concentrations in NJ could inform other accredited SPH across the U.S. and in other nations to help plan future versions of core courses in EH or SPH-wide integrated core courses in compliance with required competencies for accreditation.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2024.1342874/fullenvironmental healthclimate changeurban healthrural healthpublic health |
| spellingShingle | Derek G. Shendell Derek G. Shendell Derek G. Shendell Juhi Aggarwal Commentary: trends in interests of new public health students concerning environmental health Frontiers in Education environmental health climate change urban health rural health public health |
| title | Commentary: trends in interests of new public health students concerning environmental health |
| title_full | Commentary: trends in interests of new public health students concerning environmental health |
| title_fullStr | Commentary: trends in interests of new public health students concerning environmental health |
| title_full_unstemmed | Commentary: trends in interests of new public health students concerning environmental health |
| title_short | Commentary: trends in interests of new public health students concerning environmental health |
| title_sort | commentary trends in interests of new public health students concerning environmental health |
| topic | environmental health climate change urban health rural health public health |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2024.1342874/full |
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