bachelor of science in public health

bachelor of science in public health

The Importance of Public Health Education

1. Introduction

The paper will begin by defining what public health education is and identifying the function of health education. It will then provide a brief history of public health education in the United States. There are many organizations across the United States and many other countries that are involved in health education, and this paper will discuss the varied roles of these organizations. Public health education has many methods and means in which information is spread to individuals and groups, but little has been done to identify what the best methods are to effectively teaching the public. A significant portion of the paper will look at the methods of how public health education is delivered and what the most effective ways are to educate the public. The last portion of the paper will highlight how public health education can directly impact health issues and provide conclusions on what the most effective ways of improving public health through education are.

Public health education is considered the keystone of public health practice. Its ultimate goal is to promote and protect the nation’s health. One of the greatest challenges in the 21st century will be to respond to the changes in health that have occurred in the 20th century. A dramatic change in the health of the public has occurred worldwide due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic has brought to light the importance of having better access to up-to-date health information, and governments across the world aim to start new health initiatives to prevent such large-scale health issues from happening again. Public health education will be essential for these new initiatives to be successful in improving and preventing health within nations. Effective health education has the potential to save lives, increase people’s quality of life, and reduce healthcare costs. Public health education can have a significant impact on chronic diseases, injury and violence, mental health, and the health of the aging population. This paper is aimed to demonstrate the importance of public health education and its impact on many different health issues that various populations across the world are facing today. The reason why public health education is so important in improving the health of a nation is because it has a direct impact on changing the behaviors of individuals to help improve their health.

2. Understanding Public Health

Etiology is the study of the cause of disease. This is what public health aims to combat, looking at why female immigrants between the ages of 35-45 have significantly higher levels of breast cancer compared to their counterparts living in their native countries. With the knowledge of the cause of disease, it is then possible to prevent the disease occurring, and this is the ultimate goal in public health. Epidemiology is the study of disease in populations, its occurrence, and how it can be prevented. This is where public health becomes associated with statistics and various forms of quantitative data. Public health represents the use of epidemiology. For example, John Snow prevented the spread of cholera in the 1854 Broad Street pump incident by taking the handle of the pump and hence preventing any further cases of cholera around that area.

Public health aims to protect health on a state, national, and international level. This is also in comparison to individual health. A key aspect of public health is its focus on populations and communities, whereas individual health is focused on an individual and treating a specific condition. An example of this would be the NHS, wherein recent years there has been a major shift in funding with a lot of money being focused on improving public health, i.e. anti-smoking campaigns, compared to before where the money was largely spent on treating individual diseases.

The first of the key themes is understanding public health, which is explored through comparing it to individual health, explaining its etiology, and the importance of epidemiology. Public health is defined as the science and art of promoting and protecting health and well-being, preventing ill health, and prolonging life through the organized efforts of society. This is contrary to the historic view of public health being the ‘sanitation man’, often confused with environmental health. It encompasses a much wider field. Environmental health often falls under the category of public health; however, public health deals with preventive methods to stop ill health occurring, whereas the environmental health sector is more focused on trying to rid existing ill health.

3. Benefits of a Bachelor of Science in Public Health

A Bachelor of Science degree in Public Health opens the door to an interesting and rewarding career. Public Health serves communities to manage and maintain excellent health through organized work and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals. The primary goal is to provide a safer and healthier environment for people. While public health consists of many professions, it is a field that most B.S. degree holders choose to remain in for their entire career. During a student’s undergraduate years at an accredited university, he or she will gain a thorough understanding of all basic public health services and some specialized services. This knowledge makes it all the more easier to execute public health services in the future, and makes the graduate much more employable. Most of the health specializations, such as health education, health services administration, and environmental and occupational health, are accessible at the undergraduate level. This is not to exclude the fact that a B.S. degree holder can go on to pursue a varied and successful career or further education. A B.S. in Public Health is surely the right path for someone who is interested in trying to improve the health of the currently burdened U.S. population, along with innumerable other international possibilities.

4. Career Opportunities in Public Health

Since these careers are all quite different it is advisable to seek some volunteer experience (e.g. working at a hospital, with a health charity, or abroad) or a summer job in an area of interest to build a network and gain some insight into the field. This will also provide an opportunity to translate classroom learning into real world situations.

Epidemiologists investigate the patterns, causes, and effects of health and disease conditions in defined populations. This is another field where the demand is growing, and salaries and wages are very competitive. Epidemiologists can work for government, provide consulting services, or work at a university. Internationally there are opportunities in fields such as disaster relief, refugee assistance, and providing clean water. Global health work can be carried out through government initiatives, various NGOs and not-for-profit organizations, and through consulting and research firms.

Health services research is a field that is growing rapidly. The objective of health services research is to identify the most effective ways to organize, manage, finance, and deliver high quality care, reduce medical errors, and improve patient safety. This research can directly influence and improve public health. High level research positions generally require a post-secondary degree, often a doctorate. Entry level positions are often filled by those with a degree in social science, a nursing degree, or some other clinical field. High level researchers can work for organizations such as government departments, not-for-profit organizations, and some private organizations.

There are many different careers associated with public health. A degree in public health can lead to work in a variety of fields, such as health services administration, epidemiology, international health, community health, and nursing. Health administrators have a wide range of responsibilities. These can include developing and coordinating health programs, working with health agencies and organizations, assisting with policy analysis and health care reform, and serving as a liaison between the public and health care providers. Health administrators can work in a variety of settings, including hospitals, government, and other health care organizations. Salaries vary by degree and position, and the demand for health administrators is very high.

5. Conclusion

If public health education can effectively produce a health-knowledgeable society, then the prevalence of chronic diseases can be significantly reduced. It is well established from a great deal of health education trials that enhancing personal and perceived social norms about a particular behavior can effectively change behavior in a desirable healthy direction. Measures aimed at increasing public awareness and knowledge about the dangers of high blood pressure, poor diet, and physical inactivity have the potential to significantly lower the prevalence of chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. High levels of knowledge can increase high blood pressure prevention behavior and can be a more cost-effective method for reducing the prevalence of high blood pressure than anti-hypertensive drug treatment. Public health education and prevention measures can also cut costs in the long run by reducing the prevalence of chronic diseases and diminishing their harmful impact on population health and longevity. For example, an increase in knowledge about the link between smoking and lung cancer has already led to a decreased prevalence of lung cancer in men, despite the increases in the overall number of smokers in developed countries.

In conclusion, the importance of public health education has a different marginal effect on individual categories of disease and injury in diverse countries. It is evident that once the costs of implementing public health education and campaigns are fairly evaluated against the potential costs of disease and injury, society ought to be willing to invest in elevated levels of public health through a variety of health education methods. It is also important to take into consideration a number of other benefits society is likely to gain by making such an investment in disease prevention.