research topics related to public health

151+ Public Health Research Topics [Updated 2024]

The important area of public health research is essential to forming laws, influencing medical procedures, and eventually enhancing community well-being. As we delve into the vast landscape of public health research topics, it’s essential to understand the profound impact they have on society.

This blog aims to provide a comprehensive guide to selecting and understanding the diverse array of public health research topics.

Overview of Public Health Research Topics

Table of Contents

Public health research encompasses a wide range of subjects, reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of the field. From epidemiology and health policy to environmental health and infectious diseases, researchers navigate through various dimensions to address complex health challenges.

Each category holds its own significance, contributing to the overall understanding of public health dynamics.

Key Considerations in Selecting Public Health Research Topics

• Current Relevance: Assess the timeliness of potential topics by considering recent health trends, emerging issues, and societal concerns.
• Impact on Public Health: Evaluate the potential impact of the research on improving health outcomes, addressing disparities, or influencing policy and interventions.
• Feasibility and Resources: Gauge the practicality of conducting research on a particular topic, considering available resources, data accessibility, and research infrastructure.
• Ethical Considerations: Scrutinize the ethical implications of the research, ensuring it aligns with ethical standards and guidelines, especially when dealing with vulnerable populations or sensitive topics.

Top 151+ Public Health Research Topics

Epidemiology.

• The Impact of Social Determinants on Disease Outcomes
• Patterns and Trends in Emerging Infectious Diseases
• Investigating Health Disparities among Different Ethnic Groups
• Childhood Obesity and its Long-Term Health Consequences
• Assessing the Effectiveness of Contact Tracing in Disease Control

Health Policy

• Universal Healthcare: Comparative Analysis of Global Models
• The Role of Telemedicine in Improving Healthcare Access
• Evaluating Mental Health Policies and Their Impact on Communities
• Assessing the Impact of Affordable Care Act on Public Health
• Vaccine Policies and Public Perception: A Comprehensive Study

Environmental Health

• Climate Change and Health: Adapting to the Challenges
• Air Quality and Respiratory Health in Urban Environments
• Waterborne Diseases and Strategies for Safe Water Supply
• Occupational Health Hazards: A Comprehensive Workplace Analysis
• The Impact of Green Spaces on Mental Health in Urban Areas

Infectious Diseases

• Antimicrobial Resistance: Strategies for Mitigation
• Vaccination Strategies and Herd Immunity
• Global Health Security: Preparedness for Pandemics
• The Impact of Vector-Borne Diseases on Public Health
• Emerging Trends in Antibiotic-Resistant Infections

Chronic Diseases

• Lifestyle Interventions for Preventing Cardiovascular Diseases
• Genetic Factors in the Development of Cancer: A Comprehensive Study
• Aging and Health: Addressing the Healthcare Needs of the Elderly
• Diabetes Prevention Programs: Efficacy and Implementation
• Mental Health in Chronic Disease Patients: Bridging the Gap

Maternal and Child Health

• Maternal Mortality: Understanding Causes and Prevention
• The Impact of Breastfeeding on Infant Health and Development
• Childhood Immunization: Barriers and Strategies for Improvement
• Teenage Pregnancy and Its Long-Term Health Consequences
• Mental Health Support for Postpartum Women: Current Gaps and Solutions

Health Behavior and Promotion

• Smoking Cessation Programs: Effectiveness and Challenges
• Physical Activity Promotion in Schools: Strategies for Success
• Nutrition Education and Its Impact on Healthy Eating Habits
• Mental Health Awareness Campaigns: Assessing Public Perceptions
• The Role of Social Media in Health Promotion

Global Health

• Assessing the Impact of International Aid on Global Health
• Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) Programs in Developing Countries
• The Role of Non-Governmental Organizations in Global Health
• Communicable Disease Control in Refugee Populations
• Global Access to Essential Medicines: Challenges and Solutions

Community Health

• Community-Based Participatory Research: Best Practices and Challenges
• The Impact of Community Health Workers on Health Outcomes
• Health Literacy and its Relationship to Health Disparities
• Assessing the Effectiveness of Mobile Health (mHealth) Interventions
• Community Resilience in the Face of Public Health Crises

Healthcare Quality and Patient Safety

• Hospital-Acquired Infections: Strategies for Prevention
• Patient Safety Culture in Healthcare Organizations
• Quality Improvement Initiatives in Primary Care Settings
• Healthcare Accreditation: Impact on Patient Outcomes
• Implementing Electronic Health Records: Challenges and Benefits

Mental Health

• Stigma Reduction Programs for Mental Health Disorders
• Integrating Mental Health into Primary Care Settings
• The Impact of COVID-19 on Mental Health: Long-Term Implications
• Mental Health in the Workplace: Strategies for Employee Well-being
• Suicide Prevention Programs: Effectiveness and Outreach

Health Disparities

• Racial Disparities in Healthcare: Addressing Systemic Inequities
• LGBTQ+ Health Disparities and Inclusive Healthcare Practices
• Socioeconomic Status and Access to Healthcare Services
• Geographical Disparities in Health: Rural vs. Urban
• The Impact of Gender on Health Outcomes and Access to Care

Public Health Education

• Evaluation of Public Health Education Programs
• Innovative Approaches to Teaching Public Health Concepts
• Online Health Education Platforms: Opportunities and Challenges
• Interdisciplinary Training in Public Health: Bridging Gaps
• Continuing Education for Public Health Professionals: Current Landscape

Digital Health

• The Role of Wearable Devices in Health Monitoring
• Telehealth Adoption: Barriers and Opportunities
• Health Apps for Chronic Disease Management: User Perspectives
• Blockchain Technology in Healthcare: Privacy and Security Implications
• Artificial Intelligence in Disease Diagnosis and Prediction

Health Economics

• Cost-Effectiveness of Preventive Health Interventions
• The Impact of Healthcare Financing Models on Access to Care
• Pharmaceutical Pricing and Access to Essential Medicines
• Economic Evaluation of Health Promotion Programs
• Health Insurance Coverage and Health Outcomes: A Global Perspective

Innovations in Public Health

• 3D Printing in Healthcare: Applications and Future Prospects
• Gene Editing Technologies and their Ethical Implications
• Smart Cities and Public Health: Integrating Technology for Well-being
• Nanotechnology in Medicine: Potential for Disease Treatment
• The Role of Drones in Public Health: Surveillance and Intervention

Food Safety and Nutrition

• Foodborne Illness Outbreaks: Investigating Causes and Prevention
• Sustainable Food Systems: Implications for Public Health
• Nutritional Interventions for Malnutrition in Developing Countries
• Food Labeling and Consumer Understanding: A Critical Review
• The Impact of Fast Food Consumption on Public Health

Substance Abuse

• Opioid Epidemic: Strategies for Prevention and Treatment
• Harm Reduction Approaches in Substance Abuse Programs
• Alcohol Consumption Patterns and Public Health Outcomes
• Smoking and Mental Health: Exploring the Connection
• Novel Psychoactive Substances: Emerging Threats and Strategies

Occupational Health

• Workplace Stress and Mental Health: Intervention Strategies
• Occupational Hazards in Healthcare Professions: A Comparative Analysis
• Ergonomics in the Workplace: Improving Worker Health and Productivity
• Night Shift Work and Health Consequences: Addressing Challenges
• Occupational Health and Safety Regulations: A Global Overview

Disaster Preparedness and Response

• Pandemic Preparedness and Lessons from COVID-19
• Natural Disasters and Mental Health: Post-Traumatic Stress
• Emergency Response Systems: Improving Timeliness and Efficiency
• Communicating Health Risks During Emergencies: Public Perception
• Collaborative Approaches to Disaster Response in Global Health

Cancer Research

• Precision Medicine in Cancer Treatment: Current Advancements
• Cancer Screening Programs: Efficacy and Challenges
• Environmental Factors and Cancer Risk: Exploring Connections
• Survivorship Care Plans: Enhancing Quality of Life after Cancer
• Integrative Therapies in Cancer Care: Complementary Approaches

Sexual and Reproductive Health

• Access to Contraception in Developing Countries: Challenges and Solutions
• Comprehensive Sex Education Programs: Impact on Teen Pregnancy
• Reproductive Health Rights: Global Perspectives and Challenges
• Infertility Treatment: Ethical Considerations and Societal Impact
• Maternal and Child Health in Conflict Zones: Addressing Challenges

Cardiovascular Health

• Hypertension Prevention Programs: Strategies and Effectiveness
• Cardiovascular Disease in Women: Gender-Specific Risk Factors
• Innovations in Cardiac Rehabilitation Programs
• Artificial Heart Technology: Advancements and Ethical Implications
• Impact of Air Pollution on Cardiovascular Health: A Global Concern

Social Determinants of Health

• Educational Attainment and Health Outcomes: Exploring Links
• Income Inequality and its Impact on Population Health
• Social Support Networks and Mental Health: A Comprehensive Study
• Neighborhood Environments and Health Disparities
• Employment and Health: The Interplay of Work and Well-being

Genomics and Public Health

• Population Genomics and its Implications for Public Health
• Genetic Counseling and Education: Empowering Individuals and Families
• Ethical Issues in Genetic Research: Privacy and Informed Consent
• Pharmacogenomics: Tailoring Drug Therapies to Individual Genotypes
• Gene-Environment Interactions in Disease Risk: Unraveling Complexities

Public Health Ethics

• Informed Consent in Public Health Research: Current Practices
• Ethical Challenges in Global Health Research: Balancing Priorities
• Confidentiality in Public Health Reporting: Striking the Right Balance
• Research with Vulnerable Populations: Ethical Considerations
• Ethical Implications of Emerging Technologies in Healthcare

Health Communication

• The Role of Media in Shaping Public Health Perceptions
• Health Literacy Interventions: Improving Understanding of Health Information
• Social Media Campaigns for Public Health Promotion: Best Practices
• Tailoring Health Messages for Diverse Audiences: Cultural Competency
• Risk Communication in Public Health Emergencies: Lessons Learned

Nutrigenomics

• Personalized Nutrition Plans based on Genetic Makeup
• Impact of Nutrigenomics on Chronic Disease Prevention
• Ethical Considerations in Nutrigenomics Research
• Public Perceptions of Nutrigenomic Testing: A Qualitative Study
• Integrating Nutrigenomics into Public Health Policies

Public Health and Artificial Intelligence

• Predictive Analytics in Disease Surveillance: Harnessing AI for Early Detection
• Ethical Considerations in AI-Driven Health Decision Support Systems
• Machine Learning in Epidemiology: Predicting Disease Outbreaks
• Natural Language Processing in Public Health: Text Mining for Insights
• Bias in AI Algorithms: Implications for Health Equity

Health Disparities in Aging

• Geriatric Health Disparities: Bridging the Gap in Elderly Care
• Ageism in Healthcare: Addressing Stereotypes and Discrimination
• Social Isolation and Health Consequences in Aging Populations
• Access to Palliative Care for Older Adults: A Global Perspective
• Alzheimer’s Disease and Ethnic Disparities in Diagnosis and Treatment
• Loneliness and Mental Health in the Elderly: Interventions and Support

Research Methodologies in Public Health

Public health research employs various methodologies, including quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods approaches. Each method brings its own strengths to the research process, allowing researchers to gain a comprehensive understanding of the complex issues they investigate. 

Community-based participatory research is another valuable approach, emphasizing collaboration with communities to address their specific health concerns.

Challenges and Opportunities in Public Health Research

While public health research is immensely rewarding, it comes with its own set of challenges. Funding constraints, ethical dilemmas, the need for interdisciplinary collaboration, and the integration of technology pose both obstacles and opportunities. 

Researchers must navigate these challenges to ensure their work has a meaningful impact on public health.

In conclusion, public health research topics are diverse and dynamic, reflecting the complex nature of the field. As researchers embark on their journeys, they must carefully consider the relevance, impact, and ethical implications of their chosen topics. 

The collaborative and interdisciplinary nature of public health research positions it as a powerful tool in addressing the health challenges of our time. By exploring the depths of these topics, researchers contribute to the collective effort to build healthier and more equitable communities. 

As we move forward, a continued exploration of relevant public health research topics is essential for shaping the future of healthcare and improving the well-being of populations worldwide.

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What are the trending topics in Public Health and related disciplines?

You can identify some of the most discussed and influential topics with the help of Altmetric attention scores, which take into account several outlets including social media, news articles, and policy documents.

Drawing from a selection of Public Health and Medicine journals, we have compiled a list of the articles that have been mentioned the most over the past few months.

Discover the articles that are trending right now, and catch up on current topics in Public Health and related disciplines. We will update our collection every few weeks; come back to this page to be on top of the latest conversations in Public Health and Medicine. Previously featured articles are listed here .

You can also sign up for e-alerts to make sure you never miss the latest research from our journals.

*Last updated October 2021*

Age and Ageing

Alcohol and alcoholism, american journal of epidemiology, annals of work exposures and health, epidemiologic reviews, european journal of public health, family practice, health education research, health policy and planning, health promotion international, international health, international journal of epidemiology, international journal for quality in health care, journal of public health, journal of travel medicine, journal of tropical pediatrics, nicotine & tobacco research, transactions of the royal society of tropical medicine & hygiene.

There is moderate-certainty evidence that behaviour change interventions are associated with increased physical activity levels among older hospitalised patients.

This study from Canada found that one in three young adults with ADHD had a lifetime alcohol use disorder, and that young adults with ADHD were also three times more likely to develop a substance use disorder. Targeted outreach and interventions for this extremely vulnerable population are warranted.

According to this study, resuming evictions in summer 2020 was associated with increased COVID-19 incidence and mortality in US states, with an estimated 433,700 excess cases and 10,700 excess deaths. Explore more research on COVID-19 in a curated collection from the AJE: https://academic.oup.com/aje/pages/covid-19

The British Occupational Hygiene Society (BOHS) developed a control banding matrix for employers and others to help assess the risks of COVID-19 infection, and calls for further work to validate the reliability of the tool. Browse the Annals' collection on occupational hygiene for virus protection: https://academic.oup.com/annweh/pages/covid-19 

In 1777, George Washington ordered a mandatory inoculation program for his troops, in what would become the first mass immunization mandate in the US. This archival article discussess and contextualizes immunization practices for US Armed Forces.

Responding to concerns that that face mask use could elicit a false sense of security and lead to riskier behaviours, this study from Denmark found that mask use overall correlated positively with protective behaviours.

While medical practice is often undermined by subsequent investigation, randomized trials relevant to primary care generally hold up over time.

This study shows the potential for using social media influencers to inspire positive engagements on pro-vaccine health messaging. For more content on accurate information's importance for public health, browse the latest article collection from HER: https://academic.oup.com/her/pages/covid-19

Current emergency response planning does not have adequate coverage to maintain health systems functionality for essential health service delivery alongside emergency-specific interventions and healthcare. The findings from this study can help align health emergency planning with broader population health needs.

This case study shows that that ongoing efforts are needed to improve sustainability of nutrition policy and programmes to address all diet-related diseases.

This review article outlines evidence for a range of institutional measures and behaviour-change measures, and highlights research and knowledge gaps.

The COVID-19 pandemic triggered significant mortality increases in 2020 of a magnitude not witnessed since World War II in Western Europe or the breakup of the Soviet Union in Eastern Europe.

The authors propose an update to the Equator’s Consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research (COREQ) checklist, with the aim of enhancing inclusivity.

This study confirms previous findings on a low risk of SARS-CoV-2 reinfection. If confirmed, these findings suggest that more targeted restriction policies can be applied to the subjects that recovered after a first infection. Read highly cited papers on COVID-19 from the Journal of Public Health: https://academic.oup.com/jpubhealth/pages/covid-19

Given the Delta variant's high reproductive number associated with higher transmissibility, in a context of globally still low vaccine coverage rates and lower vaccine effectiveness, public health and social measures will need to be substantially strengthened. A high reproductive number also means that much higher vaccine coverage rates need to be achieved compared to the originally assumed.

Neurological complications are rare in children suffering from COVID-19. Still, these children are at risk of developing seizures and encephalopathy, more in those suffering from severe illness.

The researchers examined support for and perceived impact of e-cigarette sales restrictions. Findings suggest that bans on flavored vape products could have a positive impact on lower-risk users, but that other young adult user subgroups may not experience benefit.

An editorial from the earlier stages of the pandemic highlights the importance of properly fitted respirators for worker safety and outlines occupational hygiene measures.

Guidelines for safe mass drug administration for neglected tropical diseases were developed in a COVID-19 context; training and implementation were assessed through an observation checklist.

For more research on the impact of COVID-19 on NTDs, explore the March 2021 special issue: https://academic.oup.com/trstmh/issue/115/3

Previously featured

Age and frailty are independently associated with increased COVID-19 mortality and increased care needs in survivors: results of an international multi-centre study

Trajectories of Alcohol Use and Related Harms for Managed Alcohol Program Participants over 12 Months Compared with Local Controls: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Estimating the Effect of Social Distancing Interventions on COVID-19 in the United States

Selecting Controls for Minimizing SARS-CoV-2 Aerosol Transmission in Workplaces and Conserving Respiratory Protective Equipment Supplies

What Do We Know About the Association Between Firearm Legislation and Firearm-Related Injuries?

Denialism: what is it and how should scientists respond?

Acute cooling of the feet and the onset of common cold symptoms

The effect of falsely balanced reporting of the autism–vaccine controversy on vaccine safety perceptions and behavioral intentions

Climate change: an urgent priority for health policy and systems research

Power, control, communities and health inequalities I: theories, concepts and analytical frameworks

Research ethics in context: understanding the vulnerabilities, agency and resourcefulness of research participants living along the Thai–Myanmar border

Tobacco smoking and mortality among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults in Australia

Quality and safety in the time of Coronavirus: design better, learn faster

Years of life lost associated with COVID-19 deaths in the United States

In-flight transmission of SARS-CoV-2: a review of the attack rates and available data on the efficacy of face masks

Stability of the Initial Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder by DSM-5 in Children: A Short-Term Follow-Up Study

Impact of Tobacco Smoking on the Risk of COVID-19: A Large Scale Retrospective Cohort Study

Mental health of staff working in intensive care during COVID-19

The benefits and costs of social distancing in high- and low-income countries

A classification tree to assist with routine scoring of the Clinical Frailty Scale

Recent Advances in the Potential of Positive Allosteric Modulators of the GABAB Receptor to Treat Alcohol Use Disorder

The recent oubreak of smallpox in Meschede, West Germany

Your Hair or Your Service: An Issue of Faith for Sikh Healthcare Professionals During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Emerging Infections: Pandemic Influenza

Identifying the views of adolescents in five European countries on the drivers of obesity using group model building 

Novel multi-virus rapid respiratory microbiological point-of-care testing in primary care: a mixed-methods feasibility evaluation

Public health crisis in the refugee community: little change in social determinants of health preserve health disparities

In search of ‘community’: a critical review of community mental health services for women in African settings

COVID-19, a tale of two pandemics: novel coronavirus and fake news messaging 

Disrupting vaccine logistics

Use of directed acyclic graphs (DAGs) to identify confounders in applied health research: review and recommendations

Measurement and monitoring patient safety in prehospital care: a systematic review

Black Lives Matter protests and COVID-19 cases: relationship in two databases

The positive impact of lockdown in Wuhan on containing the COVID-19 outbreak in China

Severe Malnutrition and Anemia Are Associated with Severe COVID in Infants

A Single-Arm, Open-Label, Pilot, and Feasibility Study of a High Nicotine Strength E-Cigarette Intervention for Smoking Cessation or Reduction for People With Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders Who Smoke Cigarettes

Healthcare workers and protection against inhalable SARS-CoV-2 aerosols

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COVID-19 vaccine uptake in individuals with functional difficulty, disability, and comorbid conditions: insights from a national survey in Bangladesh

COVID-19 vaccine uptake among individuals with disabilities is crucial for safeguarding their health and well-being. However, the extent of vaccine uptake among this group remains largely unknown in low- and m...

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Association between sleep regularity and arterial stiffness among middle-age adults in Southwestern China

Sleep regularity has been linked to a risk of arterial stiffness (AS). However, the association between sleep regularity indicators, which reflect 24-hour sleep variability, and AS has not yet been examined.

Interpregnancy interval, air pollution, and the risk of low birth weight: a retrospective study in China

Both interpregnancy intervals (IPI) and environmental factors might contribute to low birth weight (LBW). However, the extent to which air pollution influences the effect of IPIs on LBW remains unclear. We aim...

Linear and non-linear associations of depressive symptoms with oral health knowledge, attitudes, and practices among rural older adults in China: a cross-sectional study

Depression affects the oral health of older adults; however, little is known about its impact on oral health among rural older adults in developing countries, which warrants further research. Taking China as a...

Extent and causes of unused medications among patients in rural Ethiopia: a prospective multicenter cohort study

Medication waste poses health, economic, and environmental challenges. However, the extent among patients living in rural areas is underexplored. This study assessed the proportion of prescribed medications re...

Association between sexual violence and depression is mediated by perceived social support among female university students in the kingdom of Eswatini

Gender-based violence is a tool that primarily functions to maintain gendered power hierarchies. Manifestations of gender-based violence, sexual assault and street harassment have been shown to have significan...

Characteristics of higher education students who reported sexual violence: a Nigerian national study

Sexual violence among higher education students is a global public health problem. Identifying the characteristics of students who report victimization can serve as basis for programmes that target vulnerable ...

Spatial disparities and dynamic evolution of professional public health resource supply level in Beijing, China

This study aims to explore the development status of the supply level of professional public health resources in Beijing Municipality, analyze the areal differences and spatial distribution characteristics of ...

Prevalence estimates for COVID-19-related health behaviors based on the cheating detection triangular model

Survey studies in medical and health sciences predominantly apply a conventional direct questioning (DQ) format to gather private and highly personal information. If the topic under investigation is sensitive ...

Knowledge, attitudes and practices related to AIDS amongst transgender women in Chongqing, China: a cross-sectional study

Transgender women (TGWs) constitute one of the key populations for HIV prevention and control and constitute a high-risk group due to a lack of health services. The aim of this study was to investigate knowled...

Global, regional, and national burden of hearing loss in children and adolescents, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

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• Published: 15 September 2024

Public health communication during the COVID-19 health crisis: sustainable pathways to improve health information access and reach among underserved communities

• Phrashiah Githinji 1 ,
• Alexandra L. MacMillan Uribe 2 ,
• Jacob Szeszulski 2 ,
• Chad D. Rethorst 2 ,
• Vi Luong 2 ,
• Lucy Xin 2 ,
• Laura J. Rolke   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-4568-1378 3 ,
• Miquela G. Smith 4 &
• Rebecca A. Seguin-Fowler 5  

Humanities and Social Sciences Communications volume  11 , Article number:  1218 ( 2024 ) Cite this article

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• Cultural and media studies
• Health humanities
• Social policy

This study aims to explore the perspectives of community leaders (CL) on trusted sources of health information, examine their roles, challenges, and needs in disseminating COVID-19 health information, and identify opportunities to improve public health reach and access for underserved communities. This qualitative study included seven focus groups conducted via online video conferencing from April-June 2021. The participants ( n  = 9) were CL recruited from the Texas C ommunity E ngagement Al liance (CEAL) for their experience working with underserved communities in Dallas, Texas. Data were coded deductively and analyzed thematically. The analysis resulted in three themes: (1) Information fatigue, mistrust, and desensitization were experienced by community members and leaders; (2) CL were expected to process, verify, and share accurate and timely COVID-19 health information; (3) CL identified potential strategies to improve COVID-19 health info access and reach. CLs were critical in addressing mis/disinformation and fostering trust in public health communication, particularly in underserved communities. They acted as vital intermediaries for health information, striving to debunk mis/disinformation and disseminate accurate health information. Public health strategies could benefit from prioritizing the integration of CL in communicating health information during crises and rebuilding trust within historically and racially marginalized and underserved communities. Supporting CLs, for example, through resources and training programs to counter misinformation and provide access to culturally and linguistically tailored health resources, may significantly enhance the access and reach of evidence-based health communication during health crises.

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Introduction.

Rapid and effective communication of clear, concise health information during adverse public health crises is important in protecting public health and safety (Desborough et al. 2021 ). The rapid dissemination of scientific advancements, health advisories, resources, and safety protocols can help the public make informed decisions, mitigate risk factors, and support those affected (Desborough et al. 2021 ). During the COVID-19 outbreak, governments worldwide implemented health and safety directives, while media outlets and social media were used to share health information and resources (Desborough et al. 2021 ).

Despite these widespread efforts, there were challenges in reaching and resonating with all population segments, particularly in medically underserved communities (Shearn and Krockow 2023 ). In this context, the role of Community Leaders (CL) in health information dissemination became pivotal because they were trusted within their communities. For instance, one study found that CL were uniquely positioned to understand local challenges and they played a central role in public health response during the COVID-19 pandemic, including serving as trusted sources of health information and communicating risk and harm reduction strategies (Michener 2020 ).

During adverse public health events, keeping up with the latest developments can be challenging, even for medical professionals and researchers (Dubé et al. 2022 ). The influx of data, with varied interpretations, can lead to confusion and conflicting messages (Dubé et al. 2022 ); (Wild et al. 2021 ). During the COVID-19 outbreak, mask mandates, lockdown policies and vaccine processes changed rapidly due to political pressures, logistical constraints and new research evidence (Lyu and Wehby 2020 ; Rains et al. 2022 ). To combat the disease outbreak different prevention and treatment strategies were implemented, but these were not always accurately or effectively communicated, especially to marginalized communities (e.g., rural, minority, low socioeconomic).

Furthermore, the rapid advancements in digital communication platforms (e.g., websites, social media) have resulted in an infodemic – an overabundance of information, some of which is false or misleading, especially during a disease outbreak, when there is a higher need for health information (Mheidly and Fares 2020 ; World Health Organization 2022 ). In 2014, less than 10% of people reported using traditional media (e.g., books, newspapers) to seek health information, whereas 10–15% used a healthcare professional, 10–15% talked to a friend or coworker, and greater than 45% used the internet (Jacobs et al. 2017 ). Internet use to find health information has also increased access to mis/disinformation (Jacobs et al. 2017 ). A systematic review found that the prevalence of social media posts with health misinformation was up to 87% and about 1 in every 2.5 social media posts about vaccines contained misinformation (Suarez-Lledo and Alvarez-Galvez 2021 ). Mis/disinformation results in distortion of scientific evidence, opinion polarization, decreasing credibility of circulating information, erosion of confidence in health initiatives and increasing mental and physical fatigue, all of which may lead to adverse health outcomes and economic consequences (Borges do Nascimento et al. 2022 ); (Clemente-Suárez et al. 2022 ). For instance, at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, misinformation significantly influenced public behavior including reduced acceptance of preventative measures like mask-wearing, social distancing and vaccine uptake, and in some cases the misinformation about the efficacy of certain medications led to their shortage for patients who needed them for other conditions (Romano et al. 2021 ). Thus, effective methods for disseminating accurate health information during public health crises are needed.

BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color) communities face significant healthcare access and reach disparities, including inadequate insurance coverage, language disparities, and lack of access to culturally competent healthcare providers, resulting in many seeking alternative avenues for health information outside of their healthcare providers (Fiscella et al. 2000 ; Nair and Adetayo 2019 ; National Academies of Sciences et al. 2017 ).

During the COVID-19 pandemic, leaders within different organizations played a critical role in disseminating health information and resources to communities. Many people (e.g., pharmacists, trained school administrators, military personnel) that would not typically administer vaccines to the public stepped up to increase capacity (Merks et al. 2021 ; Pillay 2020 ). These leaders became sources of health information. Thus, by understanding how community leaders obtained, communicated, and distributed COVID-19 health information, we can create more effective public health models to better reach and serve underserved communities. This study, therefore, aims to (1) uncover perspectives of community leaders on trusted sources of health information, (2) explore the practices, challenges, and needs of community leaders in disseminating COVID-19 health information, and (3) describe opportunities to improve public health communication, reach, and access for underserved communities.

Study design and setting

This qualitative study utilized semi-structured focus group discussions ( n  = 7) with community leaders ( n  = 9) from Dallas, TX, USA, from April–June 2021. A focus group (FG) guide (Supplementary Table 1 ) was developed to align with research questions, informed by literature (Higashi et al. 2021 ; Schoch-Spana et al. 2021 ). The FG domains centered around COVID-19, online sources of information, mis/disinformation, suggestions for adapting and disseminating information, and rationale for web content. An initial draft of the guide was produced as part of the ‘COVID Communications Resource Hub’ project—one of seven Texas C ommunity- E ngagement Al liance (CEAL) Consortium research projects aimed to enhance education, access, and inclusion of underserved communities in COVID-19 prevention and treatment efforts—and was reviewed by an expert (RASF) in community health interventions.

Participant recruitment and data collection

Participants were conveniently recruited from a COVID-19 community advisory board because of their vast experiences as leaders in underrepresented communities. Ten community leaders were invited to the study, but one dropped off for personal reasons. A series of seven FGs (6 + 1 make-up FG to cater for low turnout in one of the FGs) were conducted via video conferencing. The same community leaders were invited to each session. Two team members trained in qualitative methods conducted each FG. One was the lead moderator who facilitated discussions (MGS). The other (RASF) served as co-moderator who assisted in capturing a detailed account of the discussions. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire before the FGs, which were audio recorded, lasting 60–90 min each.

Data analysis

All FGs were transcribed verbatim and imported into NVivo (QSR Version 12). After reviewing the transcripts, researchers developed a deductive codebook based on the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Strategic Communications Framework for Effective Communications (World Health Organization 2023 ). LJR author initially coded all FG discussions using the deductive codebook and generated quote queries for each content area in the WHO framework. PG read all transcripts, reviewed the quote queries, and iteratively categorized the data using a thematic analysis approach. Once data were categorized, researchers further sought patterns and relationships to continue iteratively categorizing the data and generating initial themes. PG, ALMU, and JS met to discuss the emerging themes, identify key points, and guide additional data organization. Following the meeting, PG reviewed the data and finalized all themes. Finally, all researchers involved in data analysis (PG, LJR, JS, ALMU) and the rest of the research team reviewed and approved the final themes.

Participants were highly educated community leaders from diverse backgrounds (Table 1 ). The following themes emerged from the perspectives of the community leaders: (1) Both members of the community and their leaders experienced information fatigue, mistrust, and desensitization (2) Community leaders were expected to rapidly process and share accurate COVID-19 information (3) Community Leaders identified potential strategies to improve COVID-19 health information access and reach.

Theme 1: Both members of the community and their leaders experienced information fatigue, mistrust, and desensitization.

Community leaders received COVID-19 health information from multiple online sources, including local news stations, county websites, reputable community leaders (e.g., judges and mayors), and national sources like the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO). Information was also distributed through social media, emails, and within Black/African American fraternities, sororities, and faith-based organizations.

“I listened to the online version of the Dallas Morning News, and they have information about COVID-19. Again, I live in the Dallas suburbs , so there’s always information on the city’s website.”

“I followed the Dallas County judge and the Ellis City mayor for COVID-19 health information.”

“I go to my fraternity [meetings]…. Almost two or three times a week, local chapters have a workshop where you can share, ask questions, and receive information .”

Most community leaders expressed that during the COVID-19 pandemic, there was too much information from various sources, and it was often contradictory and unreliable. Several also mentioned seeing contradictory COVID-19 health information in the media, from reputable organizations, and recognizable individuals.

“There is a lot of information that is not helpful that contributes harm to the community, especially around some of the vaccine hesitancy that people may have.”

“You know, I was trying to avoid this, but immediately after we concluded our meeting last week, the [politician] released some ridiculous information about achieving herd immunity with 19% of the people being vaccinated, and he did it on TV, and as soon as he did it, people on Facebook took it and ran with it.”

Many community leaders shared that mis/disinformation and virus-related fraud schemes contributed to the mistrust of COVID-19 health information, while others shared that their communities were prone to distrust because of historical racial injustices.

“There are a lot of scams connected to registering for the vaccine. People are being asked for their Medicare number or to put down a deposit to get their second shot. Older adults who may be more vulnerable to the virus are more susceptible.”

“ The discussion among people who look like me [Black/African American] is, ‘Here we go again with the Tuskegee study.’ Even though this is something different, and it happened years ago, people still know about it. It’s still in their mind .”

Over time, community leaders and their communities felt desensitized to health information. For example, one participant stated, “ It just feels like a waste of energy to try to fight it sometimes, but what happens if I don’t say something ? ” For community leaders, desensitization to information became a barrier to disseminating up-to-date information to community members.

Theme 2: Community leaders were expected to rapidly process and share accurate COVID-19 information in professional and personal settings.

Community leaders were trusted by their communities to supply or verify accurate health information. They needed to filter through COVID-19 information sources and rapidly disseminate to their communities. This happened in their professional roles and informal settings such as barbershops, Facebook groups, and churches. One participant shared that he provided COVID-19 information to his friends: “I have friends that contact me, especially the guys at the barbershop who tell me COVID-19 information they’ve seen on Facebook. They give me an opportunity to talk to them and convince them since they see me all the time and trust me.”

Some community leaders described their roles as pseudo-experts who, despite not being trained, had been put in a position of authority to offer guidance and solutions to their communities on COVID-19 health information. Several community leaders mentioned feeling overwhelmed and ill-equipped to continually provide accurate COVID-19 health information.

“Being a nurse, I have learned that throughout the years, instead of people calling their doctors, they will call, email, or text me because they trust what I say or my opinions or directions. Since I’ve been a nurse in this town, they recognize me and know how I work; that kind of history is important. So, when they see an update or a story, they tag me on it, and I try to read it, but I think a lot of it is misinformation, so I try to give them my opinion.”

“I do not work for money, and I am not an authority, but I get bombarded with emails and Facebook messages. So, I am considered a go-to person, and l share my experiences with others. I will even do research to help them.”

“It’s a battle that’s hard for many of us who are thrust into being pseudo-experts in a pandemic.”

Community leaders used multiple strategies to avoid spreading misinformation and to disseminate accurate COVID-19 health information. For instance, they relied primarily on local sources of health information, such as county-run websites, and national and internationally reputable sources, such as the CDC and the WHO.

“I get tweets from the Dallas County Public Health Department, and I know the CDC and WHO also have Twitter accounts, where they repetitively put out tweets on coping with COVID-19. I find those to be incredibly helpful.”

However, many community leaders also stated that all sources of information, including information from trusted local and federal organizations, needed to be scrutinized, as they sometimes provided incorrect information. Some also carefully reviewed potential sources of bias among organizations, such as the organization’s funding sources. Most community leaders viewed government and non-profit organizations as less likely to have conflicts of interest than privately-owned organizations.

The community leaders repeatedly expressed that combating misinformation and preserving community trust was exhaustive and often overwhelming. Many believed that proactively building and sustaining trust with the community was the most effective way to fight COVID-19 mis/disinformation. “We want to ensure that we continue to give good and credible information and continue to be a trusted source for the community.”

Theme 3: Community leaders identified potential strategies to improve COVID-19 health information access and reach.

Community leaders proposed various methods to reach people with credible health information, such as using flyers, home visits, radios, schools, churches, videos, and messages on public transit and encouraging people to share with family and friends. They also suggested using social media as the best way to reach many people, plus faith-based organizations and senior centers for those with little to no access to technology.

“I also try to send stuff to my young adult daughters, and I encourage them to share it with their friends.”

“We had a vaccine drive and a huge number of people canceled. So, we put it on social media, and so many people were available. We were packed within the hour.”

“Something helpful for folks who don’t have access to information is working with faith-based communities, senior centers, and other organizations in the community that work with older adults.”

Although many suggestions were aimed at improving health information reach, there was also a recognized need to improve access to COVID-19 health information by tailoring it to specific communities. Several community leaders mentioned it would be helpful if they received information that was already packaged and ready to be disseminated to facilitate quick and prompt sharing. One participant stated, “One of my priorities is looking for a website that has things I can share easily.”

To facilitate easy dissemination of COVID-19 health information, they desired information and materials already translated into different languages and were culturally appropriate for diverse racial and ethnic groups. Another participant shared, “It helps if it’s translated already into Spanish, as that’s a huge thing for us.” In emphasizing the importance of culturally relevant information, another participant stated, “ There is a need to go beyond translation. It’s not just that it is language-appropriate translation but that it is also culturally relevant. It should be respectful, not condescending, and the material, including the pictures, should represent the people you’re trying to reach.”

Community leaders also expressed that written materials should be adapted to ensure readability for people with lower literacy levels. For example, one participant described the importance of information being at the appropriate reading level: “ To our population, we look for things that are not too high level, so something that everybody can read, and everybody can easily understand.”

The community leaders disclosed that the communities’ reliance on them to provide accurate and trusted information would have been easier if the COVID-19 health information had been tailored to specific audiences and packaged in a format that could easily be shared on social media (e.g., an infographic). They also suggested leveraging recognizable, relatable, and trusted community leaders and organizations to build credibility in disseminating COVID-19 health information.

To address having too many competing sources of information, they suggested having a “one-stop shop,” such as a comprehensive website where all qualified health providers and community leaders could obtain accurate COVID-19 health information. As one participant suggested, “I think what we are missing is something universal where people can just see all the information in one place. Something like your website and resource hub.” This resource would ensure that all parties involved with health dissemination have consistent information to build and retain community trust.

Information mistrust was common during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially among BIPOC communities who bore a disproportionate burden of COVID-19 health consequences (Ojikutu et al. 2022 ). Community leaders in this study reported that the need to provide accurate and timely information was high and compounded with a lot of mis/disinformation. Multiple studies show that COVID-19 mis/disinformation often led to mistrust, reduced acceptance of preventative measures, and contributed to vaccine hesitancy (Ojikutu et al. 2022 ). The spread of online mis/disinformation was pervasive during the COVID-19 pandemic, exacerbating this ongoing public health issue, particularly regarding vaccine hesitancy (S. K. Lee et al. 2022 ). However, mis/disinformation negatively influencing disease prevention measures like vaccine uptake is not just for COVID-19, but for other infectious diseases and immunizations efforts (S. K. Lee et al. 2022 ). These study’s findings may apply to other public health issues affected by mis/disinformation.

In this study’s context, the role of CL became increasingly critical. As trusted figures, they were placed in the unique position of debunking misinformation and validating official public health communication. This role was driven by community trust and the urgent need for credible information. The CL expressed a keen awareness of their responsibility in influencing public opinion and behavior, driven primarily by the motivation to provide their communities with the most accurate and helpful information possible. This intention was particularly evident in their proactive strategies to consult reputable sources, combat misinformation, and tailor messages to meet their communities’ needs. However, despite these commendable efforts, the reliance on CLs for information dissemination also highlights a significant vulnerability in the public health system, especially in reaching individuals with low trust. The potential risks associated with this informal dissemination method are noteworthy, particularly the spread of misinformation by well-intentioned individuals who may inadvertently lack accurate information or the skills to debunk mis/disinformation. This concern is also raised by Ecker et al. ( 2022 ) who notes that misinformation can proliferate even in well-meaning networks, leading to public health challenges. Public health authorities may engage more actively with community leaders to mitigate these risks. Such collaboration would empower CLs with the right tools and information and enhance the overall effectiveness of public health campaigns.

The CL highlighted the influence of race on health information-seeking behavior. Drawing on historical injustices, like the Tuskegee experiments, and the tendency of people to trust members of one’s racial group, the community leaders highlighted how their communities expressed doubt and wariness towards traditional healthcare providers. This mistrust is not an isolated sentiment but a reflection of a broader pattern of skepticism that arises from systemic racial discrimination in healthcare (Jaiswal 2019 ). This finding is corroborated by a poll that found that 63% of Black and 45% of Hispanic adults report they have experienced serious incidents of discrimination in their lifetime, and 17% and 14%, respectively, indicating they experienced this discrimination while getting health care for themselves or a family member (Hamel et al. 2020 ). The mention of Tuskegee experiments and distrust in healthcare systems underscore the critical importance of understanding the historical context when addressing health information-seeking behaviors in different racial groups. Prior research has demonstrated that trust in health information sources varies by racial group. For instance, Black and Hispanic individuals have persistently lower rates of health information-seeking behavior when compared to white individuals (Fareed et al. 2021 ). However, Black and Hispanic populations have higher rates of trust in diverse sources of health information, including family, friends, and charitable organizations, as opposed to healthcare providers and internet health information sources (Fareed et al. 2021 ). Our findings add to the evidence of racial differences in health information-seeking behavior and the need for continued efforts to diversify approaches to disseminating health information. It also suggests that health institutions at local, state and national levels need to rebuild trust in communities affected by historical injustices. Additional focus should be on developing strategies for dismantling misinformation while being sensitive to the historical context of racial discrimination in healthcare.

Community leaders in this study had a health background (e.g., nursing); however, others did not, and most were not trained to interpret COVID-19 health information or play a role in debunking mis/disinformation. Despite this, they played an undeniable role as trusted information conduits in their communities, and their perceived authority and trustworthiness were especially crucial given the widespread mistrust in national entities and official channels for public health communication. This often led them to be approached by others, making them pivotal in communicating COVID-19 health information. Still, the community leaders in this study were highly educated and vehement about not wanting to spread COVID-19 misinformation. To circumvent the mis/disinformation, community leaders relied on trusted and reputable sources of health information; some even assessed potential sources of biases among these information sources. However, it remains unclear if the community leaders could debunk mis/disinformation and accurately interpret or translate COVID-19 health information. This underscores the need to provide these community leaders with appropriate resources and training to enhance their capacity to disseminate accurate health information. Furthermore, while CL have shown diligence in trying to circumvent mis/disinformation, there is an evident need for further research to understand their specific methods of discerning credible health information. Previous research has found that community leaders can be trained to provide accurate and reliable health promotion information (e.g., colorectal cancer, physical activity, nutrition) (Cole et al. 2017 ; Wilcox et al. 2013 ). Thus, replicating existing models may be needed for other health outcomes, including a model for health crises like the COVID-19 pandemic.

Another critical issue raised by community leaders was the overload of COVID-19 health information that they and their community members experienced, which contributed to information fatigue and desensitization. The community leaders felt burdened and fatigued with synthesizing and disseminating health information to their local communities. Indeed, other studies have similar findings regarding COVID-19 information fatigue and desensitization (Seale et al. 2022 ). Information overload is a critical concern because it can lead individuals to ignore all information, including guidance from health experts or authoritative sources (C.-J. Lee et al. 2018 ). Additionally, information overload can lead to anxiety, stress, delaying decision-making, and lack of critical evaluation of the information, potentially leading to delaying protective health behaviors or adopting unfounded or dangerous behaviors (Clark et al. 2019 ; C.-J. Lee et al. 2018 ; Nagler 2014 ; Parra-Medina and Álvarez-Cervera 2021 ). The relentless influx of information, coupled with the daunting task of countering misinformation, especially in a public health crisis, can lead to a sense of futility and exhaustion (Stevens et al. 2021 ). Therefore, it is imperative to equip community leaders with comprehensive support mechanisms that bolster their capacity to remain steadfast and effective in their roles. This support should encompass access to accurate and timely information and resources such as resilience training programs, peer support networks, and access to mental health resources.

Another strategy that community leaders suggested would help deal with information overload and mis/disinformation was having a single source of accurate, timely, and culturally appropriate COVID-19 health information. This approach could help streamline the flow of information, reducing the burden on community leaders and enhancing the effectiveness of their communication efforts. It is important to note the community leaders reviewed the Texas CEAL COVID-19 Information and Resource Hub website, which was developed as a tool for finding and relaying trustworthy information and materials on COVID-19.

In addition to having a single source of COVID-19 health information, community leaders shared many other strategies for increasing access and reach of COVID-19-related information based on their experience working with local communities. For instance, they suggested using multiple communication mediums (e.g., radio, schools, churches), encouraging community members to share trusted information with family and friends, and translating information into multiple languages. These strategies are also supported by research that demonstrates that using various mediums of communication can improve reach and timeliness, as individuals may prefer or have access to particular mediums (Ingram and Reed 2016 ). Word-of-mouth is a powerful communication tool that previous research demonstrates to effectively increase health information reach (Bradford et al. 2017 ). Translation of health information into multiple languages—by native speakers and performing a back translation—are effective strategies included in the WHO Strategic Communications Framework to increase the understandability of information (World Health Organization 2023 ). Although these strategies are critical for health communication, there continues to be a lack of consistency and rigor in applying them in practice, an area of study that deserves further investigation (Tan and Cho 2019 ).

Strengths and limitations

The community leaders were highly educated and diverse in age, race, and sex and they were well-informed and could provide multiple perspectives. Future studies should include a broader range of educational backgrounds, such as those without college degrees, to ensure a more comprehensive representation of community leaders. The sample size of this study was small; however, the study’s qualitative nature and ample time with community leaders (7–10.5 h each) allowed for the exploration of rich and in-depth perspectives. The researchers’ distinct backgrounds and experiential differences compared to the participants could have impacted the analysis but were mitigated through researchers’ reflection on potential biases throughout the analysis process. In some cases, the perspectives of community leaders may not have been representative of the individuals or communities they interact with or serve.

Public health implications

This study underscores the critical role of CL in public health communication, especially during health crises like the COVID-19 pandemic. Their unique position of trust within communities highlights the need for targeted public health strategies that leverage their influence. For instance, with the evolving challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, such as the emergence of new COVID-19 variants and discussions around the need for booster shots, CLs can serve as essential channels for evidence-based public health communication. Their engagement may be instrumental in helping communities understand and adapt to ongoing preventative measures.

To address the pervasive issue of misinformation, which has been shown to exacerbate health crises and contribute to resistance to public health measures, it is imperative to equip CL with the tools and resources necessary for effective communication. This may include training programs that enhance their ability to discern and counteract misinformation, as well as providing them with ready-to-disseminate, culturally appropriate resources suitable for different health literacy levels and strengthening their resilience in navigating public health challenges. Furthermore, policy implications arise from the need to create interventions designed to rebuild trust in public health systems, particularly in communities with a history of healthcare discrimination. Incorporating CL in these efforts may be strategic in creating more effective community-centric public health interventions. For practitioners, there may be a need to diversify the approaches used in disseminating health information to improve the reach and effectiveness of evidence-based health messages.

Data availability

The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge the community leaders who participated in the study. Without their willingness to share their valuable insights, this work would not be possible. This research was made possible by a grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). The University of North Texas Health Science Center and Texas A&M AgriLife Research received the primary award for this project. All opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of these institutions.

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RASF conceptualized and designed this qualitative research study. RASF, VL, MGS, and LX collected data. PG, ALMU, JS, LJR, and CDR analyzed and interpreted the results. PG, ALMU, and JS drafted the manuscript, and the rest reviewed and validated the themes. All authors contributed to revising the manuscript and gave substantive feedback. All authors read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

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Githinji, P., MacMillan Uribe, A.L., Szeszulski, J. et al. Public health communication during the COVID-19 health crisis: sustainable pathways to improve health information access and reach among underserved communities. Humanit Soc Sci Commun 11 , 1218 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-024-03718-7

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Overview: Healthcare Research Topics

• Allopathic medicine
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• Veterinary medicine
• Physical therapy/ rehab
• Optometry and ophthalmology
• Pharmacy and pharmacology
• Public health
• Examples of healthcare-related dissertations

Allopathic (Conventional) Medicine

• The effectiveness of telemedicine in remote elderly patient care
• The impact of stress on the immune system of cancer patients
• The effects of a plant-based diet on chronic diseases such as diabetes
• The use of AI in early cancer diagnosis and treatment
• The role of the gut microbiome in mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety
• The efficacy of mindfulness meditation in reducing chronic pain: A systematic review
• The benefits and drawbacks of electronic health records in a developing country
• The effects of environmental pollution on breast milk quality
• The use of personalized medicine in treating genetic disorders
• The impact of social determinants of health on chronic diseases in Asia
• The role of high-intensity interval training in improving cardiovascular health
• The efficacy of using probiotics for gut health in pregnant women
• The impact of poor sleep on the treatment of chronic illnesses
• The role of inflammation in the development of chronic diseases such as lupus
• The effectiveness of physiotherapy in pain control post-surgery

Topics & Ideas: Alternative Medicine

• The benefits of herbal medicine in treating young asthma patients
• The use of acupuncture in treating infertility in women over 40 years of age
• The effectiveness of homoeopathy in treating mental health disorders: A systematic review
• The role of aromatherapy in reducing stress and anxiety post-surgery
• The impact of mindfulness meditation on reducing high blood pressure
• The use of chiropractic therapy in treating back pain of pregnant women
• The efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine such as Shun-Qi-Tong-Xie (SQTX) in treating digestive disorders in China
• The impact of yoga on physical and mental health in adolescents
• The benefits of hydrotherapy in treating musculoskeletal disorders such as tendinitis
• The role of Reiki in promoting healing and relaxation post birth
• The effectiveness of naturopathy in treating skin conditions such as eczema
• The use of deep tissue massage therapy in reducing chronic pain in amputees
• The impact of tai chi on the treatment of anxiety and depression
• The benefits of reflexology in treating stress, anxiety and chronic fatigue
• The role of acupuncture in the prophylactic management of headaches and migraines

Topics & Ideas: Dentistry

• The impact of sugar consumption on the oral health of infants
• The use of digital dentistry in improving patient care: A systematic review
• The efficacy of orthodontic treatments in correcting bite problems in adults
• The role of dental hygiene in preventing gum disease in patients with dental bridges
• The impact of smoking on oral health and tobacco cessation support from UK dentists
• The benefits of dental implants in restoring missing teeth in adolescents
• The use of lasers in dental procedures such as root canals
• The efficacy of root canal treatment using high-frequency electric pulses in saving infected teeth
• The role of fluoride in promoting remineralization and slowing down demineralization
• The impact of stress-induced reflux on oral health
• The benefits of dental crowns in restoring damaged teeth in elderly patients
• The use of sedation dentistry in managing dental anxiety in children
• The efficacy of teeth whitening treatments in improving dental aesthetics in patients with braces
• The role of orthodontic appliances in improving well-being
• The impact of periodontal disease on overall health and chronic illnesses

Topics & Ideas: Veterinary Medicine

• The impact of nutrition on broiler chicken production
• The role of vaccines in disease prevention in horses
• The importance of parasite control in animal health in piggeries
• The impact of animal behaviour on welfare in the dairy industry
• The effects of environmental pollution on the health of cattle
• The role of veterinary technology such as MRI in animal care
• The importance of pain management in post-surgery health outcomes
• The impact of genetics on animal health and disease in layer chickens
• The effectiveness of alternative therapies in veterinary medicine: A systematic review
• The role of veterinary medicine in public health: A case study of the COVID-19 pandemic
• The impact of climate change on animal health and infectious diseases in animals
• The importance of animal welfare in veterinary medicine and sustainable agriculture
• The effects of the human-animal bond on canine health
• The role of veterinary medicine in conservation efforts: A case study of Rhinoceros poaching in Africa
• The impact of veterinary research of new vaccines on animal health

Topics & Ideas: Physical Therapy/Rehab

• The efficacy of aquatic therapy in improving joint mobility and strength in polio patients
• The impact of telerehabilitation on patient outcomes in Germany
• The effect of kinesiotaping on reducing knee pain and improving function in individuals with chronic pain
• A comparison of manual therapy and yoga exercise therapy in the management of low back pain
• The use of wearable technology in physical rehabilitation and the impact on patient adherence to a rehabilitation plan
• The impact of mindfulness-based interventions in physical therapy in adolescents
• The effects of resistance training on individuals with Parkinson’s disease
• The role of hydrotherapy in the management of fibromyalgia
• The impact of cognitive-behavioural therapy in physical rehabilitation for individuals with chronic pain
• The use of virtual reality in physical rehabilitation of sports injuries
• The effects of electrical stimulation on muscle function and strength in athletes
• The role of physical therapy in the management of stroke recovery: A systematic review
• The impact of pilates on mental health in individuals with depression
• The use of thermal modalities in physical therapy and its effectiveness in reducing pain and inflammation
• The effect of strength training on balance and gait in elderly patients

Need a helping hand?

Topics & Ideas: Optometry & Opthalmology

• The impact of screen time on the vision and ocular health of children under the age of 5
• The effects of blue light exposure from digital devices on ocular health
• The role of dietary interventions, such as the intake of whole grains, in the management of age-related macular degeneration
• The use of telemedicine in optometry and ophthalmology in the UK
• The impact of myopia control interventions on African American children’s vision
• The use of contact lenses in the management of dry eye syndrome: different treatment options
• The effects of visual rehabilitation in individuals with traumatic brain injury
• The role of low vision rehabilitation in individuals with age-related vision loss: challenges and solutions
• The impact of environmental air pollution on ocular health
• The effectiveness of orthokeratology in myopia control compared to contact lenses
• The role of dietary supplements, such as omega-3 fatty acids, in ocular health
• The effects of ultraviolet radiation exposure from tanning beds on ocular health
• The impact of computer vision syndrome on long-term visual function
• The use of novel diagnostic tools in optometry and ophthalmology in developing countries
• The effects of virtual reality on visual perception and ocular health: an examination of dry eye syndrome and neurologic symptoms

Topics & Ideas: Pharmacy & Pharmacology

• The impact of medication adherence on patient outcomes in cystic fibrosis
• The use of personalized medicine in the management of chronic diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease
• The effects of pharmacogenomics on drug response and toxicity in cancer patients
• The role of pharmacists in the management of chronic pain in primary care
• The impact of drug-drug interactions on patient mental health outcomes
• The use of telepharmacy in healthcare: Present status and future potential
• The effects of herbal and dietary supplements on drug efficacy and toxicity
• The role of pharmacists in the management of type 1 diabetes
• The impact of medication errors on patient outcomes and satisfaction
• The use of technology in medication management in the USA
• The effects of smoking on drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics: A case study of clozapine
• Leveraging the role of pharmacists in preventing and managing opioid use disorder
• The impact of the opioid epidemic on public health in a developing country
• The use of biosimilars in the management of the skin condition psoriasis
• The effects of the Affordable Care Act on medication utilization and patient outcomes in African Americans

Topics & Ideas: Public Health

• The impact of the built environment and urbanisation on physical activity and obesity
• The effects of food insecurity on health outcomes in Zimbabwe
• The role of community-based participatory research in addressing health disparities
• The impact of social determinants of health, such as racism, on population health
• The effects of heat waves on public health
• The role of telehealth in addressing healthcare access and equity in South America
• The impact of gun violence on public health in South Africa
• The effects of chlorofluorocarbons air pollution on respiratory health
• The role of public health interventions in reducing health disparities in the USA
• The impact of the United States Affordable Care Act on access to healthcare and health outcomes
• The effects of water insecurity on health outcomes in the Middle East
• The role of community health workers in addressing healthcare access and equity in low-income countries
• The impact of mass incarceration on public health and behavioural health of a community
• The effects of floods on public health and healthcare systems
• The role of social media in public health communication and behaviour change in adolescents

Examples: Healthcare Dissertation & Theses

While the ideas we’ve presented above are a decent starting point for finding a healthcare-related research topic, they are fairly generic and non-specific. So, it helps to look at actual dissertations and theses to see how this all comes together.

Below, we’ve included a selection of research projects from various healthcare-related degree programs to help refine your thinking. These are actual dissertations and theses, written as part of Master’s and PhD-level programs, so they can provide some useful insight as to what a research topic looks like in practice.

• Improving Follow-Up Care for Homeless Populations in North County San Diego (Sanchez, 2021)
• On the Incentives of Medicare’s Hospital Reimbursement and an Examination of Exchangeability (Elzinga, 2016)
• Managing the healthcare crisis: the career narratives of nurses (Krueger, 2021)
• Methods for preventing central line-associated bloodstream infection in pediatric haematology-oncology patients: A systematic literature review (Balkan, 2020)
• Farms in Healthcare: Enhancing Knowledge, Sharing, and Collaboration (Garramone, 2019)
• When machine learning meets healthcare: towards knowledge incorporation in multimodal healthcare analytics (Yuan, 2020)
• Integrated behavioural healthcare: The future of rural mental health (Fox, 2019)
• Healthcare service use patterns among autistic adults: A systematic review with narrative synthesis (Gilmore, 2021)
• Mindfulness-Based Interventions: Combatting Burnout and Compassionate Fatigue among Mental Health Caregivers (Lundquist, 2022)
• Transgender and gender-diverse people’s perceptions of gender-inclusive healthcare access and associated hope for the future (Wille, 2021)
• Efficient Neural Network Synthesis and Its Application in Smart Healthcare (Hassantabar, 2022)
• The Experience of Female Veterans and Health-Seeking Behaviors (Switzer, 2022)
• Machine learning applications towards risk prediction and cost forecasting in healthcare (Singh, 2022)
• Does Variation in the Nursing Home Inspection Process Explain Disparity in Regulatory Outcomes? (Fox, 2020)

Looking at these titles, you can probably pick up that the research topics here are quite specific and narrowly-focused , compared to the generic ones presented earlier. This is an important thing to keep in mind as you develop your own research topic. That is to say, to create a top-notch research topic, you must be precise and target a specific context with specific variables of interest . In other words, you need to identify a clear, well-justified research gap.

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Research Topics & Ideas: Public Health & Epidemiology

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19 Comments

I need topics that will match the Msc program am running in healthcare research please

Hello Mabel,

I can help you with a good topic, kindly provide your email let’s have a good discussion on this.

Can you provide some research topics and ideas on Immunology?

Thank you to create new knowledge on research problem verse research topic

Help on problem statement on teen pregnancy

This post might be useful: https://gradcoach.com/research-problem-statement/

can you give me research titles that i can conduct as a school nurse

can you provide me with a research topic on healthcare related topics to a qqi level 5 student

Please can someone help me with research topics in public health ?

Hello I have requirement of Health related latest research issue/topics for my social media speeches. If possible pls share health issues , diagnosis, treatment.

I would like a topic thought around first-line support for Gender-Based Violence for survivors or one related to prevention of Gender-Based Violence

Please can I be helped with a master’s research topic in either chemical pathology or hematology or immunology? thanks

Can u please provide me with a research topic on occupational health and safety at the health sector

Good day kindly help provide me with Ph.D. Public health topics on Reproductive and Maternal Health, interventional studies on Health Education

may you assist me with a good easy healthcare administration study topic

May you assist me in finding a research topic on nutrition,physical activity and obesity. On the impact on children

I have been racking my brain for a while on what topic will be suitable for my PhD in health informatics. I want a qualitative topic as this is my strong area.

Hi, may I please be assisted with research topics in the medical laboratory sciences

How do i frame a qualitative topic that will be suitable for the use of calibrated drape among midwifes. this is a thesis for my master programme in midwifery education.

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Editorial: Emerging issues in public health

Introduction.

Why this Research Topic of Frontiers in Public Health on “ Emerging issues in public health ?” Public health has become popular during the COVID-19 pandemic, and a large number of people have learnt the terminology and concepts of the scientific discipline that supports it, epidemiology. However, very few appreciated the involvement of epidemiology and public health in almost every aspect of medicine and beyond medicine, encompassing for example the quality of all medical treatments; the evidence underlying policies to tackle social inequalities; the health impacts of climate changes; and many others.

In this Research Topic we present a few examples of applications of the epidemiological and public health methods to address emerging societal issues, that require bright policy solutions. Needless to say, the relationship between science and policy is not straightforward. It would be naïve to think that scientists provide evidence and then this is translated into policy. Policy-making is the integration of science and values and requires trade-offs and people's participation. However, confused and polarized communication of evidence—largely due to the role played by the new media ( 1 )—makes the relationship between science, civil society and politics complex and frustrating. The fragmentary and speedy nature of the world of communication is paralleled by the slow pace of the world of politics. In the meantime, although there is a long and healthy tradition of distancing science from direct political engagement (that is healthy in the sense that the scientist is expected to investigate nature without being swayed by his or her ideological preferences), climate change challenges a clear-cut separation between science and advocacy. Without the youth movements, for example, that of scientists would be “vox clamantis in deserto” (a voice calling in the desert) in the case of the environmental crisis.

The world of business

Among the challenges posed by the environmental crisis, namely to public health, there is the problem of relationships with the business world. I will argue that it is legitimate and useful that public health looks to the world of business and finance. Indeed, ignoring the corporate world and finance in particular runs the risk of being a serious scotoma among those concerned with climate and health. Businesses produce much of the income but they are also responsible for much of the pollution and greenhouse gases. They are responsible for most of the lobbying to politicians. On the finance side, they are involved in the “great acceleration” that characterizes contemporary capitalism, i.e., a heightened rapidity in the movement of money, goods and people (with all the environmentally destructive implications), and substantial volatility and instability in the economic system. Attempts have been made to curb these inherent trends, for example through the ESG rating of investment funds. ESG stands for “Environment, Social and Governance;” i.e., it is an acronym that induces companies to be responsible to the environment and society and to deal with governance, that is, the downstream consequences (the diseconomies) of their activities. But ESG ratings are completely unreliable even according to the most prudent sources: the Economist devoted a Research Topic ( 2 ) (significantly titled “there is a need for cleanup”) to them, in which all the failures of ESG are mercilessly listed, and are basically summarized in the term “greenwashing.” ESG ratings have been a huge success in the financial market: between 2015 and 2019, when the assets of ESG-certified companies increased by 500%. But ESGs have enormous limitations: it is not clear what information they are based on; ratings are assigned by a multiplicity of firms using different criteria and methods that are not comparable; they refer to the present and not to the future (i.e., not to the investments companies make to improve their environmental and social performance).

If we want to impact climate change, we cannot ignore these phenomena. The effectiveness of ESG comes from the modest (to say the least) ethos of the finance world, but also from the great speed and volatility of capital investments. That is why new ways of evaluating investment funds are being explored, such as the Long-term Stock Exchange, the development of mechanisms that measure success not in terms of days, hours, or minutes, but in terms of years; and that are based on long-term oversight. It is unclear whether capitalism will be able to amend itself, but in the absence of a credible alternative, it is incumbent on us to pay attention to those forces that seek to reform it from within, such as the B-Corps, the companies that have clauses in their bylaws that stipulate that they will not put profit above concern for the environment and people's health. And more generally to that vast world of businesses, large and small, that have begun to realize that veering toward the green transition may be the best investment for the future. These are the topics addressed in the Perspective on “ The need for new metrics in the Anthropocene era ” by Vineis and Mangone , in the present Research Topic.

The various facets of health inequalities

Coming immediately after climate change in importance, and concurrent with it, is social inequality. In fact, the environmental crisis and inequalities go hand in hand, and it is broadly agreed that tackling the first requires strong policies against the second. This Research Topic has a number of contributions that address social inequalities in health in a broad sense. First, we can read a contribution on young workers, a kind of neglected population. This is an extremely important field of research: many young workers today are characterized by huge instability and uncertainty, and are exposed to risk factors among which stress, disruption of circadian rhythms and lack of sleep are common. However, workers in the gig economy are very difficult to investigate because of the absence of regular and systematic registries of workers like in traditional industries, and for the general instability of this workforce. In addition, they are young and may not show yet signs of overt disease for many years. According to the Perspective: young workers at higher risk for carcinogen exposures , workers under the age of 25 are usually considered a vulnerable working population, primarily due to their risk of injury. In their study Sweet et al. investigated if young workers may also be at an increased risk for occupational exposure to carcinogens. Based on CAREX Canada data, they show that young workers in construction, outdoor occupations, and farming are key groups that warrant further investigation. This conclusion is reached because of the large number of young workers employed in those sectors, the high number of possible carcinogen exposures, and the potential for high risk behavioral patterns in these types of jobs. It is clearly necessary to improve the occupational health and safety measures for this vulnerable population. In addition, innovative ways to address occupational risks in the gig economy need to be developed, as has been suggested before in this journal ( 3 ).

Concerning biomarkers, like those proposed in Freni-Sterrantino and Salerno ( 3 ), one of the needs is not only to develop markers able to predict diseases long before their onset, but also to consider a life-course perspective. This is tackled in another contribution to this Research Topic, by Lin and Appleton ( Developmental origins of pregnancy-related morbidity and mortality in black U.S. women ), related to inequalities involving gender and race. In the US, Black women have a disproportionately high risk of pregnancy-related morbidity and mortality. Research on the determinants of such disparities has focused predominantly on risk factors occurring during pregnancy, while a set of studies has investigated the developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD) model but only in a limited way in Black people . This stream of research seems to indicate that the origins of adult cardiometabolic health can be traced back to stressors occurring during the intrauterine and early life periods. Lin and Appleton argue that the DOHaD model represents a theoretical framework from which to conceptualize factors that drive racial disparities. This is a very important conclusion that requires up-to-date research including novel biomarkers ( 4 ) and more attention to minorities.

Still related to inequalities, in this case associated with exposure to SARS-CoV-2, is the issue of education and its disruption by the pandemic, particularly among the low socio-economic groups. Stock et al. argue in their review of the literature that closures of institutions for face-to-face teaching over a long period of time have had significant consequences on the psychosocial health and wellbeing of students in many countries. The perspective ( COVID-19 related disruption in higher education students' health and wellbeing: implications for university action ) advocates for health promotion and support services, programmes, structures and policies together with the wider policy-oriented approach of a Health Promoting University.

Elliott et al. tackle another issue that has become urgent in the last decades in all high-income countries and the middle class of low- and middle -income countries, the quality of diet and food literacy ( Food promotion and children's health: considering best practices for teaching and evaluating media literacy on food marketing ).

Food marketing to children tends to promote foods of poor nutritional quality and influences children's food preferences and habits. It is therefore a factor in childhood obesity (see for example the results of the EU-funded network STOP: https://www.stopchildobesity.eu/ ). Children and their parents urgently need critical literacy skills that increase their understanding of food marketing. This paper shows the outcomes of a stakeholder meeting on best practices in literacy and food marketing to children, suggesting useful criteria. Needless to say, once again this is a topic strictly related to social inequalities: for example, a study in Brazil has found large differences in the intake of ultraprocessed food (UPF) by socio-economic position ( 5 ). UPF in turn has been found to be associated to childhood obesity ( 6 ), and its consumption is clearly affected by marketing strategies.

Finally, Smith and Ory address still another topic that is affected by large social inequalities, falls in the older population ( Multi-directional nature of falls among older adults: a rationale for prevention and management ). Their aim is to to challenge the way we think about falls, that should be viewed as a multi-directional occurrence . A fall may be the result of a set of personal or environmental circumstances, a sign or symptom of an underlying health issue, or a cause of subsequent health consequences. This leads to the claim that we must holistically assess the person and determine the role of the fall within the context. Among many other determinants, loneliness is a strongly socially patterned situation and a strong risk factor for falls itself, acting as a multiplier of other risk factors (depression, cognitive impairment, sedentary behavior, and substance use). While clinicians have implemented strategies to refer at-risk older adults to fall prevention programs, it is also necessary to consider how falls interact with other health issues (e.g., malnutrition, physical inactivity, cognitive impairment, social disconnectedness, polypharmacy, and the built environment). Additional multi-level, multi-sectorial solutions are needed to prevent and manage falls, including research, healthcare practice, community programming, and policy to ensure “practical, effective, replicable, scalable, and sustainable” solutions.

This editorial does not exhaust all the richness of the papers in the Research Topic, and just highlights some common aspects, the main of which is inequalities and vulnerable subgroups in the population. The conclusion of the papers in the Research Topic is not the usual one that “more research is needed,” but, consistently with the spirit of this journal, “more evidence needs to be transferred into public health practice.” Thoughtful and novel solutions are proposed and should become priorities in the prevention agenda of health and social services addressing young workers, the black population and other racial minorities, women, the older population and children (particularly the deprived ones). Special considerations are needed for climate change and environmental degradation, that require quick action taking into account several degrees of vulnerability in the population.

Author contributions

PV: Writing—original draft.

Conflict of interest

The author declares that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Publisher's note

All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

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School of Public Health

Emerging topics in public health research, research areas.

• Addressing Vaccine Hesitancy among Essential Workers Principal Investigator Friedman, Lee S Funding Source CDC/ NIOSH U60OH010905
• Climate and Health Institute Principal Investigator Grossman, Elena Funding Source Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Project Duration 2022-07-18 — 2025-07-30
• Methodology and Advanced Analytics Resource Center Principal Investigator Boodram, Basmattee Funding Source National Institute of Drug Abuse (National Institutes of Health)
• Reducing Opioid Mortality in Illinois Principal Investigator Boodram, Basmattee Funding Source NIH/University of Chicago UG1DA050066 Project Duration 2019-07-15 — 2024-04-30
• Student Driven Approach Utilizing Innovative Technology to End School Violence Principal Investigator Sambanis, Apostolis Funding Source US Department of Justice
• Support for Worker Safety and Health, Safe Return to Work Policies, and to Mitigate or Prevent COVID19 Outbreaks Principal Investigator Friedman, Lee S Funding Source CDC/ NIOSH U60OH010905

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226 Hot Public Health Thesis Topics For Top Grades

Are you stuck trying to get the best current public health research topics for thesis and writing it? If yes, know you are not alone. A lot of students find the tasks challenging, but we are here to help. Keep reading our informative guide that demonstrates how to prepare an engaging public health paper.

We will also highlight hot 226 health policy topics for paper and other public health ideas for dissertation that you can use for top grades. Why settle for less when we can help you select the best college or university papers?

What Is Public Health?

Before looking at the top public health statistics undergraduate thesis topics or other public health research ideas, let’s start with the definition. So, what is public health?

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), public health is “the art and science of preventing diseases, helping to prolong life and promote health using organized efforts. Good examples of public health efforts include preventing outbreaks, educating the public on health choices, promoting fitness, preparing for emergencies, and avoiding the spread of infectious diseases. Public health

How To Write A Great Public Health Dissertation

If you are a graduate or masters student, one of the most comprehensive documents that you need to prepare is the dissertation. It is an expansive paper and comes at the end of your course. Remember that you need to ensure it is prepared well because a team of professors will ultimately evaluate it. So, here are the main steps that you need to follow to prepare a high quality dissertation:

Identify the topic of study Comprehensively research the topic and identify the main points to support it Develop the thesis statement for the dissertation (this thesis will ultimately be tested after gathering your data) Develop an outline for the dissertation. This guide should tell you what to write at what specific instance. Here is a sample outline: Topic of the study Introduction. Start with the thesis statement, followed by the objectives of the study. Then, the rest of the introduction should be used to set the background for the study. Literature review: Review relevant resources about the topic. Methodology: Explain the methodology that was used during the study. Is Results and analysis: Provide the results gathered during the study. Discussion and conclusion: Here, you should discuss the study results and demonstrate whether they approve or disapprove the thesis statement. If you found any gaps in the previous studies, highlight them too and call for further studies. Bibliography: This is a list of all the resources you used to prepare the paper. Write the first draft following the outline we have just listed above. Write the final copy by refining the first draft, proofreading, and editing it.

Awesome Public Health Thesis Topics

Here are the leading thesis topics in public health for top grades. You can use them as they are or tweak a little to suit your preference.

Public Health Thesis Topics In Mental Issues

• What is the role of public health in addressing mental issues in society?
• Seasonal affective disorder: A review of the disorder’s prevalence rates.
• Society should always listen to the needs of mentally ill persons.
• Eating disorders in adults: A review of the treatment strategies used for adults in the UK.
• What is the relation between climate change and emerging public health issues?
• Comparing depression prevalence rates in the UK to those of the US.
• What are the main causes of anxiety disorders in society?
• A review of the connection between HIV/AIDS and mental health issues in society.
• Running a public health facility: What is the most important equipment?
• Emerging public health issues in developing countries.
• Analyzing the psychological problems of breast cancer.
• What strategies should people use to prevent their mental health from social media dangers?
• A review of the public health benefits associated with active lifestyles.
• Stress: Why is it a major risk factor for mental health in many communities?
• What are the most common mental health issues in society today?
• Comparing the rates of depression and stress in China and the UK.
• Addressing anxiety-related disorders: Is cognitive-behavior therapy the best treatment method?
• A review of the economic burden of living with a person suffering from anxiety disorders.
• How does depression impact the quality of life?
• Comparing training of public health officers in the US to India.

Unique Research Topics In Public Health

• Surrogacy: A review of associated ethical issues.
• Prevalence of medical errors in hospitals: A review of the policies used to prevent the problem in the United States.
• Blood transfusion: What are the side effects?
• A review of doctors’ roles in promoting healthy lifestyles.
• Maintaining healthy body weight: Comparing the effectiveness of the recommended methods.
• A review of organ donation trends in Europe and Asia.
• Analyzing the ethical factors around cloning: When should it be allowed?
• The ethics of human experimentation.
• Comparing the rates of heart attacks in women to men in the United States.
• What are the main causes of heart attacks? Can it be prevented?
• Progress in diabetes studies and treatment: Is it possible to get a cure in the future?
• Biological weapons and their impacts on society: A review of the Leukemia rates in Japan.
• Pre-diabetes in children: What are the main symptoms, and how can it be addressed?

Public Health Paper Topics On COVID-19

• How will COVID-19 change life?
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of self-isolation?
• Life lessons that you learned during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• What challenges has your community faced during COVID-19 pandemic?
• School life during COVID-19 pandemic.
• A review of mass media operations during pandemic.
• What projects did you undertake during the pandemic?
• A review of projects that your community undertook during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• A closer look at the backlash against Asians in Europe at the start COVID-19 pandemic period.
• Preparing for the next pandemic: What lessons did the world learn from the COVID-19 pandemic?
• The best strategies for staying healthy during a pandemic.
• Is there anything that we could have done to prevent the COVID-19 pandemic?
• Comparing the effectiveness of Europe and American healthcare preparedness for tackling disasters.
• A review of mental health status in a community of your choice during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• A review of COVID-19 emergence theories: Which one do you think is more credible?
• Comparing the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic to Ebola.
• Vaccines development for viral infections: What made the development of the COVID-19 vaccine possible so fast, whereas that of HIV/AIDS has taken so long?
• A review of the vaccine development process.
• Time for review: How effectively do you think your government responded to the COVID-19 pandemic?
• Rethinking public health on a global scale: Demonstrating why effective healthcare is only possible when looked at globally.

Interesting Public Health Research Topic Ideas

• What is the importance of learning public health in school?
• Identify and review a common public health issue in your community.
• The history of human health: Comparing what was considered healthy in ancient times to what is referred to as healthy today.
• Going vegan: How can it impact your health?
• Excessive weight: Is it the new threat to human civilization?
• Is bodybuilding healthy?
• Body positive: Is it a new health standard or ignorance of body issues?
• Things to consider when selecting healthy food to eat.
• Why psychological health should be part of every community in society.
• The health of newborns: What is the difference between their healthcare and that of adults?
• Emerging trends in the healthcare industry: How can the latest trends benefit society?
• Comparing depression and anxiety in two countries of your choice.
• Physical wellness must include healthy behavioral patterns and nutrition.
• A sense of belonging is paramount to personal and community health.
• What is the relationship between spirituality and public health?
• A review of stigmatization of mental health issues in a community of your choice.
• Is it possible to prevent depression?
• At what point should children start learning sex-related education?
• Comparing the two main public health issues in two cities: London and New York.
• What is the relationship between poverty and public health?

Hot Researchable Topics In Public Health

• The resurgence of measles in society: The best guidance for clinicians.
• Tackling the growing national drug problem.
• Bioterrorism preparedness for global disasters.
• A review of recent vitamin D recommendations for older adults.
• Strategies for maintaining maternal mortality at low levels across the globe.
• Efforts by Asian governments to reduce infections from using unsafe water.
• Over-the-counter drug abuse in Europe: Compare two countries of your choice.
• Health care providers’ roles in preventing bullying in society.
• Knowledge management in the UK healthcare organizations.
• The health benefits of good healthcare waste management.
• Characteristics of dental wastes in hospitals.
• Comparing the most prevalent public health issues in developed and developing nations.
• Latest trends in financing public health.
• The relevance of clinical epidemiology in public health.
• Evidence based public health.
• Epidemiological burden of HIV/AIDS in developing countries.
• Addressing cervical cancer in developing countries: Is it possible to eliminate it completely?
• Ethics in public health clinical research.
• Comparing the strategies used in teaching and motivating public health professionals in developing and developed countries.

Research Topics In Public Health For Masters

• Advertising and impacts on food choices in the community.
• The use of stem cell technologies for cancer treatment: What are the latest trends?
• Bio-printing: Is it the future of organ transplants?
• Nutrition education: How does it promote healthy diets?
• Exercising: What role does it play in promoting strength and balance in the elderly?
• Weight loss surgery: What are the key advantages and disadvantages?
• Heart disease is a major public health issue in society.
• Alternative strategies for treating depression in society: Are they effective?
• Healthcare leadership and its importance in public health.
• Legal aspects of public health care in the society.
• Mental disabilities in patients: A review of the emerging trends in the UK.
• How does the United States promote the development of public health?
• Inequalities in medicine: What impact does it have in public health?
• The most controversial issues in public health in the UK.
• What are the most preferred storage systems for medical supplies in the UK public health facilities?
• Reimagining the public health systems on the globe: Where do you see the UK health system in the next 20 years?

Top Thesis Topics In Dental Public Health

• Common oral health issues in Ireland.
• A review of common problems of endodontically treated teeth.
• The role of good leadership skills in dental education.
• Child management techniques between male and female practitioners.
• What role does ergonomics play in dentistry?
• Dental material and bio-engineering: What are the latest trends?
• A review of the relationship between diabetes and oral health in the society.
• The role of electronic health care record systems used in public health.
• Comparing dental health issues in the developing and developed countries.
• A review of public awareness of dental health issues in a community of choice.
• How can you ensure that all the food you buy is safe and healthy?
• What strategies are used by your local health community to promote dental awareness?
• Dental health management in California: What do you think should be done differently?
• Are you satisfied with the strategies used to address dental issues?

Hot Thesis Topics Public Health

• Mandatory overtime work for medical staff: How does it impact their commitment to their job?
• Nursing shortage and its impact in public health.
• Strategies for improving public health in the EU.
• Mental health issues among asylum seekers in the United States.
• Common mental issues among veterans returning from war: A case study of the United States.
• What functions does management play in healthcare settings when handling key public health issues?
• How poor relationships between nurses and doctors can impact public health services delivery.
• Third-party players in public health and their roles.
• Financial reporting standards in public health facilities.
• What is the correlation between revenue collection in society and the quality of patient services?
• Reviewing the coordination of public health officials during disasters.
• The importance of staff training on quality of health services.
• Comparing the differences between alternative medicine and conventional medicine in addressing public health issues in society.
• Obesity: What are the main causes in child-going age?
• A review of health consequences of caffeine.
• Medical marijuana: What are the main pros and cons?
• A review of the US Farm Bill Amendments that legalized use of cannabis in the US.
• Doing sports: Is it always healthy?
• Low-fat or low-carb diet: Which one is better in addressing overweight and diabetes issues?
• Preventing communicable diseases: Evaluating the prevention strategies used in Asia.
• What is the estimated cost of treating heart problems?

Controversial Public Health Dissertation Topics

• Smoking and impacts of current efforts to address cancer in the society.
• A review of the main causes of heart attacks in society today.
• Tobacco ads: Evaluating their impacts and the relationship to the current cancer trends in the society.
• Sleep disorders: Explain why they should be considered a public health issue.
• Staffing shortage and the impacts in fighting COVID-19 pandemic in Asia.
• Analyzing risk management of treating different diseases in the community.
• COVID-19 pandemic in numbers: Comparing the infection rates in the developed and developing countries.
• Reviewing strategies used in the US public health system to achieve equity: How effective are they?
• Analyzing the main challenges in the UK medical care system.
• Rising cases of suicides in the society: What are the main causes?
• A comprehensive review of strategies used to prevent suicides in the 21st century in the US.
• Use of vaccines to prevent diseases: Do adults still need the vaccines?
• Heat-related deaths: What strategies should be adopted?
• Chronic-diseases prevention: Comparing the strategies used in developing and developed countries.
• Are we becoming too dependent on antibiotics in fighting diseases?
• Opioid crisis: Are the doctors to blame for it?
• Use of blockchain in growing accuracy of clinical trials in medicine.
• What dangers are posed by nuclear wastes in society?
• Assessing US industrial facilities compliance rates to cut down emissions.
• Using clean energy as a strategy of improving public health: What are the expectations?
• What is the healthiest country?
• Evaluating the correlation between gaming and deviant behavior among children in society.
• COVID-19 could have been prevented if WHO was more vigilant?

Public Health Research Questions

• Is the high cost of medical healthcare in the United States justified?
• What is the correlation between poverty and poor health in society?
• Should health care for homeless people be free?
• Unconventional medicine: Should it be part of the UK healthcare system?
• Should doctors be responsible for medical errors?
• Should medical officers or health facilities be allowed to promote selective medical products?
• Should all healthcare facilities in the UK be required to have translators for non-English speaking clients?
• Mental health issues associated with domestic violence: A case study of France.
• Is it a good idea to legalize euthanasia?
• What are the benefits of using surgical masks in public?
• What are the most important lessons from the different waves of the COVID-19 pandemic reported on the globe?
• Who is more responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic?
• Ebola or COVID-19 pandemic: Which is worse?
• What are the main causes of epidemics on the globe?
• Public health planning: What are the most important things to think about?
• Should governments pay the cost of rehabilitating drug addicts in society?
• Teaching children healthy lifestyles: What are the best strategies?
• What problems do people with autism face in society?
• What are the leading causes of child mortality in your community?
• Gun violence in the United States: Should it be considered a public health issue?
• What illnesses are considered foodborne?

Easy Topics In Public Health

• All workplaces should support breastfeeding.
• What are the best strategies to reduce pollution in society?
• Public health benefits of recycling waste in society.
• Reviewing the causes of poor water quality in the developing world.
• Comparing water quality standards policies in the UK and US.
• Health impacts of the rapid depletion of o-zone depletion.
• Better planning of infrastructural development is important for healthier societies: Discuss.
• The US is better prepared to handle pandemics that might arise after the COVID-19 pandemic. Discuss.
• A review of common diseases spread by vectors.
• A review of key policies installed to protect employee health.
• Legal age for consuming energy drinks should be set by the government to address the problem of diabetes.
• Smoking: Should it be banned in public?
• What are the best strategies for raising awareness in public?
• Can reducing the workload of employees in manufacturing facilities improve their health?
• Sunbathing should be restricted to prevent the risk of cancer: Discuss.
• Should abortion be banned in society?
• School-related stress: How can it be prevented?
• Should birth control be made available and free for all teenagers?
• What should be categorized as a bad health habit?
• Compare and contrast two common treatment methods for treating behavioral disorders.
• Internet addiction: What are the main dangers of internet addiction?

Other Public Health Topics For Research

• How to stay healthy and safe during a pandemic.
• Using a bicycle instead of driving is healthier.
• Common mental disorders in India.
• What is the biggest health issue among young people?
• The impact of exercising in teenagers.
• Why do teenagers experiment with drugs?
• What impact does dispositional violence have on mental disorders?
• Is telemedicine helpful in promoting better healthcare?
• Unproven alternative medicine: What are the associated risks?
• What alternatives do we have for antibiotics?
• What is the difference between private and public healthcare?
• A review of the main health issues associated with puberty.
• What is the most dangerous disease of the 21st century?
• Why are some people still afraid of vaccines?
• Experimental treatment: Why do people agree to undergo it?
• How can we improve the health of people living with chronic illnesses?
• The best strategies to make people aware of the basics of healthcare.
• A review of the growing awareness about reproductive health in the society.

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International public policy, organizations (selected), starting point: general scholarly databases.

Next step: Global health scholarly sources

Investigating further: interdisciplinary scholarly sources, news sources & awareness.

UMD Library Databases

See below for some search strategies for  finding U.S. and non-U.S. news articles  in the Nexis Uni database.

Other Worldwide News 

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Vizualizing global data.

Cancer Today (Global Cancer Observatory)  -  Based on current national estimates of the incidence, mortality, and prevalence of 27 cancer types in 184 countries.

Child Mortality Estimates  -  UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation

Commonwealth Fund: Interactives & Data  -  Allows you to create your own collections of Commonwealth Fund charts. Maps and data sources are both international and US-focused.

Data Explorer | Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change

Diabetes Data Portal  -  Data collected and mapped by the International Diabetes Federation.

EQUALDEX  -  Crowdsource mapping for a global view of laws related to LGBT rights

EQUIST ( Equ itable  I mpact  S ensitive  T ool) Dashboard  -  "Designed to help decision-makers develop equitable strategies to improve health and nutrition for the most vulnerable children and women."

Eurostat Euro eXplorer  -   Enables visualization of socio-economic data at national or detailed territorial level for Europe.

Exemplars in Global Health: Data Explorer  -  Allows creation and sharing of custom visualizations to interpret global health data

Gapminder: for a fact-based world view  -  Uses software to display various statistics about global indicators and world's countries.

GBD Compare  -  From the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation

GIDEON  -  A current, evidence-based resource for diagnosis, treatment, teaching and research in the fields of global infectious diseases, epidemiology, and microbiology.

Guttmacher Data  -  State, National and Global SRH data.

Healthy Newborn Network | Numbers  -  Data for download and data visualization.

IHME Data: Health-related SDGs  -  With this tool, explore progress toward achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

IHME Data Visualization: MICROBE  -  A tool to visualize the fatal and nonfatal health outcomes of infections, pathogens, and antimicrobial resistance across countries and regions.

IHME Data Visualizations  -  Innovative ways to visualize complex global health topics.

IHME Maternal Health Atlas  -  Data visualization from the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation

JMP Global Data on Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)  -  The WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) is the custodian of WASH global data.

MNCAH and Aging Data Portal  -  Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health Data Portal. World Health Organization

NIH World Report   An interactive, open-access online database and mapping tool of global research investments.

Nutrition Landscape Information System (NLiS)  -  NLiS is WHO tool which provides nutrition and nutrition-related health and development data in the form of country profiles and user-defined downloadable data.

Our World in Data | Burden of Disease  -  Data visualizations of the GBD.

PRB World Population Data Interactive   Source: Population Ref- erence Bureau. Includes latest data on 19 key population, health, and environment indicators for the world, major regions, and more than 200 countries.

SDG Country Profiles  -  Data visualization tool providing a snapshot of the SDG Agenda in specific countries.

STATcompiler  -  Allows users to visualize and explore data on hundreds of demographic and health indicators across more than 70 countries. .

Sustainable Development Report  -  Data visualization tool and report including the SDG Index and Dashboards, an annual review of countries' performance on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

UNFPA World Population Dashboard

UNHCR Data Portal

Visualizing Inequality (World Bank)

• WFP Vulnerability Analysis and Mapping  - DataViz Hub for the World Food Programme

WFP | HungerMap Live

WHO Global Health Expenditure Database  -  Provides internationally comparable data on health spending for close to 190 countries from 2000 to 2017.

WHO National Health Workforce Accounts Data Portal  -  NHWA monitors of a set of country-level indicators to support achievement of Universal Health Coverage, Sustainable Development Goals and other health objectives. Free but registration required.

WHO Universal Health Coverage Data Portal  -  Tracks and provides current data on access to health services and equity in access globally. Also available as a free mobile app.

World Population Prospects  -  The most recent and official UN population estimates and projections. The data is prepared by the UN Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs.

Reports (selected)

Theme:  Imagine a World...Where innovations could save the lives of 2 million more mothers and babies

FAO | The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World

Provides policy makers with information on current and future health financing and spending. The 2021 report provides new estimates to pandemic preparedness, future health spending, and development assistance for health.

The global state of lifesaving modern contraception.

UNDP/UNFPA/UNICEF/WHO/World Bank Special Programme of Research, Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction (HRP), based in the WHO Department of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research (SRH)

IPCC is the United Nations body for assessing the science related to climate change.

Tracking the connections between public health and climate change

Presents findings on the Sexual, Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn and Adolescent Health (SRMNAH) workforce from 194 countries

Implementing the SDG Stimulus

8 BILLION LIVES, INFINITE POSSIBILITIES: The case for rights and choices

INTERWOVEN LIVES, THREADS OF HOPE: Ending inequalities in sexual and reproductive health and rights

UNFPA | State of the World Population Reports 1999-present

Published in June 2023, the most recent report provides key statistical trends on forced displacement.

UNICEF's Flagship Report 2023:  "For every child, vaccination"

UN Migration | World Migration Report 2022

Policy reports, strategic plans, open access journals and key serial publications published by the World Health Organization.

MIGRANTS, REFUGEES, AND SOCIETY . See  World Development Reports  for previous years' reports.

2023: Another year of extreme jeopardy for those struggling to feed their families

World Food Programme | Annual Country Reports

Identifies positive global health outliers, analyzing and understanding what makes these countries successful, and disseminating the core learnings so they can be replicated in comparable settings

Digital Reports from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

"Uncovering inequalities in child survival to accelerate progress". From the Institute of Health Metrics & Evaluation.

UHC2030 | VIDEO SYNTHESIS - State of commitment to universal health coverage: Synthesis 2021

Atlas of African Health Statistics 2022: Health situation analysis of the WHO African Region: Country profiles

Country profiles from BBC News. Freely available website.

The World Factbook provides information on the history, people, government, economy, geography, communications, transportation, military, and transnational issues for 267 world entities.

A fully searchable, encyclopedic database of over 165,000 geographical places and features of all kinds. Lists names, descriptions, and characteristics including information on population, agriculture, industry, services, climate, and relief.

Countdown to 2030: Women's, Children's and Adolescents' Health - Country Profiles

A series of country and regional profiles presenting key indicators on education, literacy and science and technology. The profiles are updated automatically.

Provides popular indicators and an overview of selected countries demographic and health issues.

Crowdsource mapping for a global view of laws related to LGBT rights

Click on the 'organizations' tab for a worldwide listing of organizations, including NGOs, with contact information. You can sort the list by area of activity and by country.

Country Profiles from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

A database of national legislation, policies and bilateral agreements on food, agriculture and natural resources management. Source: FAO

GlobalEDGE Global Insights provides international business and trade information on over 200 countries

An overview of latest available data on HIV related topics as of 2017 for countries in the WHO African Region.

Based upon the Global Burden of Disease Study. Institute of Health Metrics & Evaluation.

International Monetary Fund Country Reports.

From the Commonwealth Fund. Exploration of health care systems from 19 countries.

Data visualization tool providing a snapshot of the SDG Agenda in specific countries.

Official statistics produced by countries and compiled by the United Nations, as well as estimates and projections. Covers agriculture, education, energy, industry, labour, national accounts, population and tourism. Includes indicators such as Millennium

UNICEF Country Profiles

Country-specific information about the current and future impacts of climate change on human health.

Country data from the World Health Organization grouped by region.

An overview of national data for 194 countries relating to sexual and reproductive health and rights.

Country profiles including statistical indicators prepared by World Bank for 157 nations. Freely available website.

Contains the current constitutions of 193 countries in their original languages with at least one English translation for each.

International

• IHME | Health Policy and Planning  - Includes data and data visualizations on health financing, health forecasting and policy evaluations of countries and regions.
• WHO Country Planning Cycle Database  - Provides a country by country overview of the national planning, health programmatic and project cycles, together with information on donor involvement and technical support, for all Member States of the World Health Organization (WHO).

globalEDGE  - A knowledge web-portal that connects international business professionals worldwide to a wealth of information, insights, and learning resources on global business activities.

World Bank Open Data  - Provides download access to over 2000 indicators from the World Bank data sets including World Development Indicators.

UN Data  - Statistics produced by countries and compiled by the United Nations data system, as well as estimates and projections. Covers agriculture, education, energy, industry, labour, national accounts, population and tourism.

A regional partnership to promote evidence-informed policy-making.

Includes the CDC’s Global Health Equity strategy, and the CDC Global Public Health Equity Guiding Principles for Communication

FAO database of national legislation, policies and bilateral agreements on food, agriculture and natural resources management.

IHME released the 12th annual report on global health spending, focusing on COVID-19 spending and the impact of a global pandemic on other health financing

A resource for global health policy makers, among other global health stakeholders and advocates.

Global Health Council: Publications

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Data and resources on the U.S. role in global health. Includes news summaries, policy analysis, country data, webcasts, and fact sheets.

Provides a country by country overview of the national planning, health programmatic and project cycles, together with information on donor involvement and technical support, for all Member States of the World Health Organization (WHO).

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Qualitative research applied to Public health: new topics and insight

Loading... Editorial Frontiers in Public Health Editorial: Qualitative research applied to public health - new topics and insight José Granero-Molina , María Dolores Ruiz-Fernández , Isabel María Fernández-Medina , Susana Núñez-Nagy  and  Iván Claudio Suazo Galdames 1,307 views 0 citations

Loading... Original Research 08 January 2024 Knowledge, perceptions, and practices around zoonotic diseases among actors in the livestock trade in the Lake Victoria crescent ecosystem in East Africa Hamilton Majiwa ,  2 more  and  Eric M. Fèvre 3,089 views 2 citations

Original Research 05 September 2023 Enhancing nursing education to bolster nurse governance: insights from nurse managers Sujin Choi 1,609 views 0 citations

Original Research 05 September 2023 Perspectives of public health organizations partnering with refugee, immigrant, and migrant communities for comprehensive COVID-19 case investigation and contact tracing Elizabeth Dawson-Hahn ,  12 more  and  Katherine Yun 1,873 views 1 citations

Original Research 04 September 2023 Cross-cultural metathemes of Chinese and Japanese university students' perspective on parental care Xuxin Peng ,  5 more  and  Ruxin Lei 1,565 views 1 citations

Brief Research Report 16 August 2023 “Healthcare should be the same for everyone”: perceived inequities in therapeutic trajectories of adult patients with lung cancer in Chile, a qualitative study Carla Campaña ,  2 more  and  Francisca Vezzani 1,438 views 0 citations

Original Research 03 August 2023 Qualitative inquiry with persons with obesity about weight management in primary care and referrals Lisa Bailey-Davis ,  6 more  and  Gary D. Foster 1,510 views 0 citations

Original Research 19 July 2023 Empowerment through participation in community-based participatory research—effects of a physical activity promotion project among socially disadvantaged women Ulrike Röger-Offergeld ,  1 more  and  Hans Peter Brandl-Bredenbeck 2,471 views 0 citations

Original Research 15 June 2023 Adverse childhood experiences, unhealthy lifestyle, and nonsuicidal self-injury: findings from six universities in Shaanxi province, China Lei Zhang ,  7 more  and  Le Ma 1,649 views 1 citations

Original Research 02 June 2023 How Midwestern College students protected their families in the first year of COVID-19 Tyler W. Myroniuk ,  2 more  and  Enid Schatz 1,583 views 0 citations

Loading... Original Research 12 May 2023 Experiences of Spanish nurses in the rollout of nurse prescribing: a qualitative study Olga Canet-Vélez ,  4 more  and  Paola Galbany-Estragués 2,277 views 4 citations

Original Research 05 May 2023 First year nursing students’ reflections about developing their verbal nursing skills during their nursing education in China: a qualitative study Xiaoling Zhu ,  1 more  and  Hongbo Xu 2,236 views 1 citations

Original Research 04 May 2023 Experiences in the training of specialist family and community nurses: a qualitative study Francisca Sánchez-Muñoz ,  5 more  and  María Dolores Ruíz-Fernández 1,558 views 0 citations

Opinion 11 April 2023 Reflections on major epidemics in history reported by online English news media and literature: interaction between epidemics and social conditions Xiaorui Chen ,  5 more  and  Lin Li 870 views 0 citations

Original Research 30 March 2023 Experience, facilitators, and barriers to the implementation of a multicomponent programme in older people living in the community, +AGIL Barcelona: A qualitative study Olga Canet-Vélez ,  8 more  and  Marco Inzitari 2,307 views 1 citations

Loading... Original Research 20 March 2023 Cancer literacy among Jordanian colorectal cancer survivors and informal carers: Qualitative explorations Samar J. Melhem ,  1 more  and  Reem Kayyali 2,605 views 3 citations

Loading... Original Research 17 March 2023 Factors influencing adherence to lifestyle prescriptions among patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: A qualitative study using the health action process approach framework Lina Wang ,  5 more  and  Hong Ren 3,260 views 2 citations

Opinion 06 March 2023 Nurse-patient interactions in intensive care, transitions along the continuum of hope, and post-discharge management of chronic illness—A mixed methods narrative inquiry Gillie Gabay 1,402 views 1 citations

Loading... Original Research Frontiers in Public Health Promoting Latinx Health Equity through Community-Engaged Policy and Practice Reforms in North Carolina Andrea Thoumi ,  12 more  and  Rushina Cholera 1,553 views 3 citations

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Are you searching for the most fitting public health research topics for your academic assignments? Don't fret, we've got your back. Many scholars stumble upon this hurdle, but we're here to lend a helping hand. Check this guide from our online paper writing service to find a compelling public health topic idea for your project. We'll spotlight an assortment of fascinating public health topics for research papers to give you various suggestions to choose from.

What Are Public Health Research Topics?

Public health research topics are areas of study within the larger field of public health. They cover diverse issues like community health, disease prevention, and health policies. These research topic ideas help us understand and improve global healthcare. They can explore various factors like environmental impacts on public overall wellbeing or the effectiveness of health policies. In a nutshell, each topic is a chance to improve global health and devise effective strategies.

Characteristics of Good Public Health Research Topics

Choosing the right public health research topic is the first step to anchoring a successful project. A good research idea serves as the foundation providing a frame for your study. Here are some key characteristics that define good public health research topics:

• Unique Your idea should offer a fresh perspective or address underexplored areas within public health.
• Researchable Your topic should be within the scope of your resources and abilities. Make sure there are sufficient and accessible data sources to draw from.
• Information-rich A research idea should evolve around issues that offer enough breadth and depth of information to support a rigorous analysis.
• Specific It must be focused, clearly defined, and concise, preventing the research from becoming too broad or vague.
• Relevant Try to align with current public health issues and trends, or have clear implications for policy, practice, or further research.

How to Choose a Public Health Research Topic?

The selection process can be daunting, but there are numerous ways to come up with an interesting and thought-provoking idea. Here are some tips on picking proper public health research topic ideas:

• Start small Start by exploring areas that interest you and narrow down your search as you go along.
• Explore resources Utilize online databases, literature reviews, and other sources to get more information on your topic.
• Review current trends Check out the most recent publications to know what public health topics are in vogue and how they can be applied to your project.
• Brainstorm ideas Take some time out for brainstorming sessions with your peers or professors. You'll come up with incredible insights that may spark the perfect topic.
• Narrow down the list After you've gathered a sufficient amount of ideas, go through them and cut away any irrelevant or redundant topics.

List of Research Topics in Public Health

Ready to dive into the world of public health research but don't know where to start? Well, grab your pen and get ready to tick public health topics for research that meet your needs. Each of these subjects is original and offers a unique perspective in the global health domain.

• How do climate changes influence public health?
• How is the digital age affecting global health?
• Dissecting health disparities in racial and ethnic minorities.
• Are some health systems more effective than others?
• What role does public health play in pandemic response?
• Confronting the obesity epidemic.
• Understanding the link between clean water access and public health.
• What are some implications of e-cigarettes on public wellbeing?
• Investigating strategies for promoting healthy aging.
• How can we achieve global health security?
• How does nutrition influence global communities?
• Can urban planning affect public health?
• Global crisis of antibiotic resistance.
• What's the impact of stress on overall health?
• Evaluating how air pollution impacts people?

Good Public Health Research Topics

Are you looking for public health project ideas that are both interesting and pertinent? Here's a list of the most compelling ideas to base your study on.

• Social media in the discourse of public health.
• Analyzing the effects of climate change on global disease patterns.
• Exploring how technology is transforming healthcare delivery and access in disadvantaged communities.
• Assessing the impact of health education on health behaviour change.
• Investigating how public transport systems can improve access to healthcare services.
• Analyzing strategies for reducing preventable chronic illnesses like diabetes and hypertension.
• Private vs public clinics.
• Nature-based interventions in promoting global health.
• Investigating the role of education in healthy lifestyle choices.
• Analyzing how artificial intelligence can be used to combat public health epidemics.
• Examining strategies for managing infectious diseases across borders.
• How does food insecurity influence public health outcomes?
• Analyzing the effectiveness of public health policies in addressing global poverty.
• Investigating how to build resilient and healthy communities after natural disasters.
• Exploring how healthcare workers can better respond to social determinants of health.

Interesting Public Health Research Topics

If you are looking for something more unique and offbeat, check out these public health topics for a research paper or project.

• Natural disasters on global health outcomes.
• Investigating the use of virtual reality in managing hospitals worldwide.
• How video games can promote physical activity?
• How does digital healthcare influence global medical privacy?
• Using mobile healthcare applications in rural areas.
• Exploring the use of drones in global care delivery.
• Evaluating strategies for reducing food waste and its influence on public health outcomes.
• Examining how urban green spaces affect public wellbeing.
• Using big data to predict outbreaks in global communities.
• Artificial intelligence in diagnosing and managing chronic illnesses.
• Analyzing strategies for reducing poverty-related diseases in developing countries.
• Access to healthcare and its influence on mortality rate.
• Using digital platforms in managing health issues across populations.
• Investigating strategies for promoting mental health in underprivileged communities.
• Exploring the influence of media on public health awareness.

Easy Research Topics About Public Health

Are you new to this domain and feeling a bit overwhelmed? We've all been there. That's why our team of seasoned term paper writers has put together a list of simpler topics for beginners. Think of them as the basic steps that will help you reach that balance. Let's set the stage with this simplified list of research topics in public health:

• Understanding basic hygiene and its role in public health.
• Does regular exercise contribute to better public health?
• How does fast food culture affect public health?
• Public health benefits of clean air.
• Can pets improve global community wellbeing?
• Why is health education important in schools?
• Investigating the connection between social wellbeing and clean water.
• Basic nutrition: What everyone should know?
• Vaccinations: Why are they important?
• How does poverty affect public health?
• The role of public parks in promoting community health.
• Stress: Its effects and ways to manage it.
• Why smoking is dangerous?
• AIDS awareness and its influence on global communities.
• Exploring the link between pollution and global health.

Best Public Health Research Topics

Are you trying to make an impression with your global health research? You're on the right track! Below we've whipped up a list of the best public health topics to research that are not only in tune with the times but also versatile enough to fit any research. Just remember to always back up your ideas with strong, reliable evidence.

• Health impacts of urbanization and city life.
• Are healthier food options really healthier?
• Prevalence of obesity: Causes and prevention.
• How do vaccination campaigns affect public health?
• How has COVID-19 reshaped public health policies?
• Worldwide pollution and its effects on respiratory system.
• The rise of telemedicine: A boon or a bane?
• What is the role of physical activity in public health?
• The correlation between education level and health outcomes.
• How does income inequality impact public health?
• Is there a link between social media use and anxiety?
• Evaluating strategies for reducing drug and alcohol abuse within communities.
• How can we achieve gender parity in public health?
• Analyzing public policies for non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
• What are some implications of e-cigarettes for public wellbeing?

Current Research Topics in Public Health

There are so many topics and so much potential in them! To help you navigate this vast domain, we've gathered some of the best public health research questions that are perfect for a wide array of studies.

• Health impacts of microplastics in our environment.
• Psychological effects of long-term isolation.
• How do urban green spaces influence community health?
• Impact of shift work on physical wellbeing.
• Potential risks of genetically modified foods.
• Food deserts and their effect on community wellbeing.
• How does the gig economy affect workers' health?
• The role of bees in global health.
• Mental health implications of cyberbullying among teenagers.
• Antibiotic overuse in livestock.
• Global consequences of increasing screen time.
• Universal basic income on public health.
• Addressing intimate partner violence as a public health issue.
• Health literacy and its influence on global community.
• Exploring the effect of noise pollution on human health.

Unique Public Health Research Topics

Do you want to stand out from the crowd with your public health research? Check these authentic research topics on public health that will put a spotlight on your hard work.

• Addressing loneliness as a public health issue.
• The role of urban farming in promoting food security.
• Exploring the health effects of microaggressions.
• How does light pollution affect humans?
• Global strategies for dealing with "brain drain."
• The role of architecture in hospital infection control.
• Can we design cities to be healthier?
• What are some negative effects of "fast fashion?"
• Is there a link between deforestation and disease outbreaks?
• Implications of 3D printed food.
• A look into the long-term effects of forest fires.
• Can providing universal internet access improve public health?
• Studying implications of deep-sea mining.
• Effects of climate change on water-borne diseases.
• How does air travel influence global health?

>> View more: Healthcare Research Topics

Controversial Public Health Research Topics

Public health, being as diverse and ever-evolving as it is, certainly has its fair share of topics that stir up debate. They might make you sweat a bit, but they definitely add a kick. Buckle up and get ready to dive into these controversial public health research ideas:

• Should vaccination be mandatory for everyone?
• Are digital health records an invasion of privacy?
• The debate over the global effects of genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
• Do energy drinks pose a significant risk?
• Are alternative medicines effective or just a placebo effect?
• Is healthcare a right or a privilege?
• Implications of animal testing in global medical research.
• Should junk food be taxed to combat obesity?
• Use and abuse of ADHD medications.
• Pros and cons of medical marijuana.
• Is the anti-vaccination movement a public risk?
• Impact of consumerism on healthcare quality.
• Implications of surveillance in disease control.
• Debates on the allocation of resources in a pandemic.
• Should doctors be allowed to go on strike?

Public Health Research Topic Ideas for Students

Regardless of whether you are a beginner undergraduate student or an experienced doctoral candidate, the cornerstone of a successful project is an engaging topic. We have compiled a list of public health research question ideas suitable for every academic level. Choose the one you like and consider consulting with professional college paper writers to get expert help.

Public Health Research Topics for High School

High school students are required to carry out both analysis and research. But compared to other academic levels, it shouldn't be too extensive. We've curated a collection of researchable topics in public health that strike a balance between complexity and analysis. So, equip yourself with the spirit of inquiry and let's explore these ideas.

• Local impact of poor air quality on public health.
• Reasons for the rise in teenage smoking rates.
• Analyzing strategies to reduce youth substance abuse.
• What are some effective strategies for preventing teen pregnancies?
• The role of school-based health education in improving public wellbeing.
• What is the relationship between poverty and obesity?
• What are some ways to reduce food insecurity among youth?
• The correlation between school meals and childhood obesity.
• Importance of school nurses in promoting public health.
• The role of public health standards in preventing infectious diseases.
• The impact of surgical site infections on public health.
• The role of sanitation standards in mitigating public health risks.
• School-based interventions for managing childhood diabetes.
• Evaluating the effect of insurance reforms on healthcare accessibility.
• An analysis of HIV/AIDS policies in South Africa.

Public Health Research Topics for College Students

Once you reach college, the research should be a bit more demanding. And so should public health topics for research papers! Here are some interesting ideas that require sufficient analysis and can amaze your professors.

• Global efforts to reduce waterborne diseases.
• Examining healthcare disparities in developing countries.
• A look into methods for preventing cancer screenings disparities.
• Evaluating public health interventions for managing diabetes.
• Are alternative therapies an effective substitute for insulin?
• How can public health education reduce maternal mortality?
• How does telemedicine improve global healthcare delivery?
• Malaria control in Sub-Saharan Africa: Progress and challenges.
• Evaluating the efficacy of workplace wellness programs.
• Assessing strategies to reduce suicide rates among youth.
• Analyzing the prevalence of vaccine-preventable diseases with people.
• Addressing malnutrition in children: A case study of Ethiopia.
• The role of clean water access in public health in Bangladesh.
• Obesity crisis in Mexico: A look into global implications.
• How does Japan's aging population impact policies?

Public Health Research Questions

Now that you are in graduate school, you will be expected to come up with original research topics and explore them in-depth. Here are some creative public health research questions to motivate your advanced studies.

• The role of social media in healthcare communication.
• What role does mental health play in global population, and how can community programs address this?
• How effective are public health campaigns in reducing the prevalence of smoking?
• How has the COVID-19 pandemic shaped future public health strategies?
• How can community initiatives combat the opioid crisis?
• How does access to green space impact community health?
• How can education programs effectively address the rise of sexually transmitted diseases in adolescents?
• How can global systems improve to better accommodate people with disabilities?
• What strategies can be employed to combat health disparities in racial and ethnic minorities?
• How can public initiatives improve maternal health in low-income regions?
• What are some effects of plastic pollution on people and how can it be mitigated?
• Assessing the importance of public health standards in food industries.
• The role of robotic surgery in improving public health outcomes.
• Importance of standard guidelines in managing epidemics.
• Effects of urbanization on residents of Brazil.

Public Health Research Proposal Topics

As a university student in public health, you will be expected to come up with original public health research proposal topics. Here are some thesis ideas and public health dissertation topics you can choose for a lengthy study.

• Evaluating the role of immunization programs in mitigating childhood diseases.
• A comparative study on the impact of public and private systems on population health.
• How does healthcare reform influence access to care for low-income populations.
• Evaluating the impact of the built environment on community health outcomes.
• Are e-health services effective in rural settings?
• Exploring the efficacy of school-based health education in India.
• An analysis of public health initiatives to combat diabetes in Africa.
• Assessing the benefits and risks associated with telemedicine.
• Examining the impact of global warming on public health outcomes.
• How does the use of mobile-health apps improve patient engagement?
• A look into methods to reduce healthcare disparities in LGBTQ+ populations.
• Assessing strategies to reduce homelessness and its impact on public health.
• What changes are needed to improve global pandemic preparedness?
• How can we reduce environmental health risks associated with industrialization?
• Exploring factors that influence infant care practices in low-income regions.

>> Read more: How to Write a Research Proposal

Bottom Line on Public Health Topics for Research Papers

With these ideas in mind, we hope you will be able to craft an outstanding paper that can add value to the global domain. Choose the most appropriate research topic about public health and don't forget to credit your sources as you write. Feel free to look through our blog to find more inspirational ideas, starting from psychology research paper topics to business research topics .

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