Balanay Jo Anne G, Mitchell Leslie D, Richards Stephanie L
Environmental Health Sciences Program, Department of Health Education and Promotion, College of Health and Human Performance, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, USA.
National Environmental Health Science and Protection Accreditation Council (EHAC), Burien, WA, USA.
Environ Health Insights. 2022 Jul 22;16:11786302221112917. doi: 10.1177/11786302221112917. eCollection 2022.
Diversity in the environmental health sciences (EHS) workforce is crucial in providing culturally sensitive services to diverse communities. This may be influenced by academic faculty training a diverse student body in the field of environmental health. This study aimed to characterize the diversity of students and faculty in EHS programs accredited by the National Environmental Health Science and Protection Accreditation Council (EHAC). A retrospective analysis was conducted on secondary data obtained from annual surveys administered to program directors in EHAC-accredited academic programs that included both undergraduate and graduate EHS degrees. The database covered surveys on gender and race that were conducted by EHAC for 12 academic years spanning 2009-2010 to 2020-2021. Results show most students (undergraduate and graduate) were female (54.4% and 52.1%, respectively) and white (61.0% and 50.7%, respectively). Increasing trends were observed over the last 12 years (2009-2021) in female undergraduate (from 53.7% to 59.8%) and graduate (from 47.1% to 60.3%) students and in non-white undergraduate students (from 40.0% to 48.2%). Most faculty (teaching in undergraduate and graduate programs) were male (64.4% and 64.3%, respectively) and white (77.9% and 92.1%, respectively). Increasing trends were observed from 2009 to 2021 in female faculty teaching undergraduate (from 27.7% to 42.2%) and graduate (from 31.3% to 42.1%) students. Native American, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander are consistently the most underrepresented racial groups in both undergraduate and graduate students and faculty. This study provides baseline data on the diversity of students and faculty in EHAC-accredited programs, which is important in informing future research and efforts to increase such diversity. Gender and racial disparity in EHS students and faculty needs to be addressed to provide necessary support to women and non-White constituents by institutional change in culture through active recruitment and by stronger collaboration between professional organizations and minority groups.
环境健康科学（EHS）领域劳动力的多样性对于为不同社区提供具有文化敏感性的服务至关重要。这可能会受到在环境健康领域培养多样化学生群体的学术教员的影响。本研究旨在描述由国家环境健康科学与保护认证委员会（EHAC）认证的EHS项目中，学生和教员的多样性特征。对从EHAC认证的学术项目（包括本科和研究生EHS学位）的项目主任年度调查中获得的二手数据进行了回顾性分析。该数据库涵盖了EHAC在2009 - 2010年至2020 - 2021年的12个学年中进行的关于性别和种族的调查。结果显示，大多数学生（本科生和研究生）为女性（分别为54.4%和52.1%）且为白人（分别为61.0%和50.7%）。在过去12年（2009 - 2021年）中，观察到本科女生（从53.7%增至59.8%）、研究生女生（从47.1%增至60.3%）以及非白人本科生（从40.0%增至48.2%）呈上升趋势。大多数教员（教授本科和研究生课程）为男性（分别为64.4%和64.3%）且为白人（分别为77.9%和92.1%）。从2009年到2021年，教授本科课程的女教员（从27.7%增至42.2%）和教授研究生课程的女教员（从31.3%增至42.1%）呈上升趋势。美洲原住民、阿拉斯加原住民、夏威夷原住民和太平洋岛民在本科生和研究生以及教员中一直是代表性最不足的种族群体。本研究提供了EHAC认证项目中，学生和教员多样性的基线数据，这对于为未来研究提供信息以及为增加此类多样性所做的努力具有重要意义。需要通过积极招聘来改变文化制度，并通过专业组织与少数群体之间更强有力的合作，来解决EHS学生和教员中的性别和种族差异问题，以便为女性和非白人成员提供必要的支持。
