scholarly journals Public Health Workforce Burnout in the COVID-19 Response in the U.S.

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (8) ◽  
pp. 4369
Author(s):  
Kahler W. Stone ◽  
Kristina W. Kintziger ◽  
Meredith A. Jagger ◽  
Jennifer A. Horney
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Workforce ◽  
Work Experience ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Public Health Workforce ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Public Health Response ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The U.S

While the health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on frontline health care workers have been well described, the effects of the COVID-19 response on the U.S. public health workforce, which has been impacted by the prolonged public health response to the pandemic, has not been adequately characterized. A cross-sectional survey of public health professionals was conducted to assess mental and physical health, risk and protective factors for burnout, and short- and long-term career decisions during the pandemic response. The survey was completed online using the Qualtrics survey platform. Descriptive statistics and prevalence ratios (95% confidence intervals) were calculated. Among responses received from 23 August and 11 September 2020, 66.2% of public health workers reported burnout. Those with more work experience (1–4 vs. <1 years: prevalence ratio (PR) = 1.90, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.08−3.36; 5–9 vs. <1 years: PR = 1.89, CI = 1.07−3.34) or working in academic settings (vs. practice: PR = 1.31, CI = 1.08–1.58) were most likely to report burnout. As of September 2020, 23.6% fewer respondents planned to remain in the U.S. public health workforce for three or more years compared to their retrospectively reported January 2020 plans. A large-scale public health emergency response places unsustainable burdens on an already underfunded and understaffed public health workforce. Pandemic-related burnout threatens the U.S. public health workforce’s future when many challenges related to the ongoing COVID-19 response remain unaddressed.

The Public Health Learning Network: Strengthening the Public Health Workforce of Today to Meet the Challenges of Tomorrow

2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (1_suppl) ◽  
pp. 13S-16S ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer McKeever ◽  
Dorothy Evans
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Workforce ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Health Resources ◽  
Public Health Workforce ◽  
Years Of Life Lost ◽  
Health Training ◽  
The Public ◽  
Learning Network ◽  
Public Health Training

In 2013, the Health Resources & Services Administration redesigned the long-standing Public Health Training Center program to meet the training needs of the modern public health workforce and to implement parts of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which sets the training, recruitment, and retention of public health workers as a priority. Understanding that today’s most significant public health threats are socially constructed, resulting in chronic disease and significant years of life lost, the Health Resources & Services Administration laid the groundwork for the creation of a nationally unified network of training centers—the Public Health Learning Network (PHLN). The PHLN is the nation’s most comprehensive system of public health educators, health experts, thought leaders, and practitioners working together to advance public health training and practice. The system comprises 10 regional public health training centers, 40 local performance sites, and a National Coordinating Center for Public Health Training. The PHLN strengthens the workforce in state, local, and tribal health departments, as well as community health centers and primary care settings, to improve the capacity of a broad range of public health personnel to meet the complex public health challenges of today and tomorrow.

scholarly journals The U.S. COVID-19 Trends and Impact Survey, 2020-2021: Continuous real-time measurement of COVID-19 symptoms, risks, protective behaviors, testing and vaccination

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua A Salomon ◽  
Alex Reinhart ◽  
Alyssa Bilinski ◽  
Eu Jing Chua ◽  
Wichida La Motte-Kerr ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Survey Methods ◽  
Health Priorities ◽  
Surveillance Systems ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Essential Information ◽  
Public Health Reporting ◽  
The U.S

The U.S. COVID-19 Trends and Impact Survey (CTIS) is a large, cross-sectional, Internet-based survey that has operated continuously since April 6, 2020. By inviting a random sample of Facebook active users each day, CTIS collects information about COVID-19 symptoms, risks, mitigating behaviors, mental health, testing, vaccination, and other key priorities. The large scale of the survey -- over 20 million responses in its first year of operation -- allows tracking of trends over short timescales and allows comparisons at fine demographic and geographic detail. The survey has been repeatedly revised to respond to emerging public health priorities. In this paper, we describe the survey methods and content and give examples of CTIS results that illuminate key patterns and trends and help answer high-priority policy questions relevant to the COVID-19 epidemic and response. These results demonstrate how large online surveys can provide continuous, real-time indicators of important outcomes that are not subject to public health reporting delays and backlogs. The CTIS offers high value as a supplement to official reporting data by supplying essential information about behaviors, attitudes toward policy and preventive measures, economic impacts, and other topics not reported in public health surveillance systems.

scholarly journals Knowledge and Perception of the Risk of Contracting Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) among Adult Nigerians

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 230-243
Author(s):  
Afocha E. E ◽  
Oladele D. A ◽  
Ajibaye O
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Risk Perception ◽  
Disease Risk ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
Good Knowledge ◽  
Bivariate Analysis ◽  
Considerable Proportion ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Public Health Response ◽  
Cross Sectional

The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is considered a major public health challenge of this century. The disease caused by the virus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has resulted in a pandemic that has caused severe morbidity and mortality globally including Africa with the limited ability of requisite public health response. Therefore, this survey aims to assess the knowledge and risk perception of COVID-19 among the general public in Nigeria following an index case confirmation in the country. This is an online cross-sectional survey among the general adult population in Nigeria aged 18 years and above. Study variables were summarized using descriptive statistical methods while bivariate analysis was done to determine the association between socio-demographic characteristics of the respondents and outcome variables. Out of 254 respondents who participated in this study, (50.6%) were males and (49.4%) were females. The most stated source of information on COVID-19 was social media (88.5%). More than half (69.3.%) had good knowledge of COVID-19, less than one-third (26.0 %) had average knowledge while just a few had poor knowledge (4.7%) of the disease. Risk perception among the respondents was low and evenly distributed. There was no statistically significant association between, education, gender, and employment status of the respondents and good knowledge of COVID-19. The study suggests that a considerable proportion of respondents have adequate knowledge and awareness related to COVID-19. However, respondent's risk perception of contracting the disease was low. There is a need therefore for robust enlightenment through effective behavioral change communication campaigns. Key words: Knowledge, Perception, Risk, COVID-19, Nigeria.

scholarly journals Changes in Solo and Partnered Sexual Behaviors during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Findings from a U.S. Probability Survey

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Devon J. Hensel ◽  
Molly Rosenberg ◽  
Maya Luetke ◽  
Tsung-chieh Fu ◽  
Debby Herbenick
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Sexual Behaviors ◽  
Multinomial Logistic Regression ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Public Health Response ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Item Scale ◽  
At Home

AbstractBackgroundResearch demonstrates that pandemics adversely impact sexual and reproductive health (SRH), but few have examined their impact on people’s participation in sex. We examined self-reported changes in solo and sexual behaviors in U.S. adults during early stages of the public health response to COVID-19.MethodsWe conducted an online, nationally representative, cross-sectional survey of U.S. adults (N=1010; aged 18-94 years; 62% response rate) from April 10-20, 2020. We used weighted multinomial logistic regression to examine past month self-reported changes (decreased, stable or increased) in ten solo and partnered sexual behaviors. Predictor variables included: having children at home, past month depressive symptoms, (ACHA 3-item scale), past month loneliness (UCLA 3-Item Loneliness scale), COVID-19 protection behaviors (adapted 12-item scale), perceived COVID-19 consequences (adapted 10-item scale) and COVID-19 knowledge (adapted 10-item scale).ResultsNearly half of all adults reported some kind of change – most commonly, a decrease – in their sexual behavior in the past month. Having elementary aged children at home, past month depressive symptoms and loneliness and enacting more COVID-19 protective behaviors were associated with both reduced partnered bonding behaviors, such as hugging, cuddling, holding hands and kissing, as well as reduced partnered sexual behaviors, such as oral sex, partnered genital touching and vaginal sex. Greater COVID-19 risk perception and greater COVID-19 knowledge were associated with mixed effects in behavior outcomes.ConclusionsOur data illustrate the very personal ways in which different pandemic-associated factors may create or inhibit opportunities for solo and partnered sex. The centrality of sexuality to health and well-being – even during pandemics – means that a critical piece of public health prevention and management responses should is ensuring that services and resource that support positive sexual decision making remain open and available.

scholarly journals Rural Resident Experience on National Basic Public Health Services: A Cross-Sectional Survey in 10 Western Provinces of China

Healthcare ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 160
Author(s):  
Jinlin Liu ◽  
Ying Mao
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Health Management ◽  
Rural Resident ◽  
Public Health Services ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Rural Residents ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Health Related

National basic public health services (BPHSs) are important for promoting the health of rural populations. A better understanding of rural BPHSs from the viewpoint of residents utilizing the services can help health-related departments and primary health care (PHC) centers further improve rural BPHSs. By conducting a large-scale cross-sectional survey in 10 western provinces of China, the study depicts rural resident experiences with rural BPHSs. Of the 9019 participants, 59.33% and 66.48% did not receive services related to health examinations or health education in the six months prior to the survey, respectively. A total of 56.90% were satisfied with the rural BPHSs, and the mean overall satisfaction score was 3.61 ± 0.908 (out of a maximum of 5). The most satisfying domain for rural residents with BPHSs was the attitude of PHC workers, whereas rural residents with chronic diseases were the least satisfied with the health management. Satisfaction with the attitude of PHC workers was identified as the strongest determinant of rural residents’ overall satisfaction with BPHSs. This study could enlighten rural BPHSs management in China.

Commentary: Who is Remembering Local Public Health? The Forgotten Pandemic Worker

2021 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 115-117
Author(s):  
Jodi Brookins-Fisher ◽  
Alexis Blavos ◽  
Heidi Hancher-Rauch ◽  
Amy Thompson
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Workforce ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Public Health Workforce ◽  
Local Public Health ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Us ◽  
The Future ◽  
Public Health Workers ◽  
Health Experts

As the COVID-19 pandemic rages, there is no end in sight to the stress induced on the public health workforce. It is clear over the last 18+ months that the woeful underfunding of public health efforts across the US impacted the speed and agility with which public health experts have tackled the pandemic. This has led to the emotional decimation of public health workers who have plowed forward, even as they have worked long and stressful hours while also being politically and physically vilified. If this continues, what does the future of our public health workforce look like?

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