Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, China. No. 22Nd, Shuangyong Road, Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, 530021, People's Republic of China.
BMC Med Educ. 2023 Sep 7;23(1):646. doi: 10.1186/s12909-023-04578-6.
Spatial epidemiology plays an important role in public health. Yet, it is unclear whether the current university education in spatial epidemiology in China could meet the competency-oriented professional demands. This study aimed to understand the current situation of education and training, practical application, and potential demands in spatial epidemiology among public health postgraduates in China, and to assess the critical gaps in a future emerging infectious diseases (EID) pandemic preparedness and response.
This study was divided into three parts. The first part was a comparative study on spatial epidemiology education in international public health postgraduate training. The second part was a cross-sectional survey conducted among public health professionals. The third part was a nationwide cross-sectional survey conducted among public health postgraduates at Chinese universities from October 2020 to February 2021. Data was collected by the WeChat-based questionnaire star survey system and analyzed using the SPSS software.
International education institutions had required public health postgraduates to master the essential knowledge and capacity of spatial epidemiology. A total of 198 public health professionals were surveyed, and they had a median of 4.00 (IQR 3.13-4.53) in demand degree of spatial epidemiology. A total of 1354 public health postgraduates were surveyed from 51 universities. Only 29.41% (15/51) of universities offered spatial epidemiology course. Around 8.05% (109/1354) of postgraduates had learned spatial epidemiology, and had a median of 1.05 (IQR 1.00-1.29) in learning degree and a median of 1.91 (IQR 1.05-2.78) in practical application degree of spatial epidemiology. To enhance professional capacity, 65.95% (893/1354) of postgraduates hoped that universities would deliver a credit-course of spatial epidemiology.
A huge unmet education and training demand in spatial epidemiology existed in the current education system of public health postgraduates in China. To enhance the competency-oriented professional capacity in preparedness and response to a future pandemic, it is urgent to incorporate the teaching and training of spatial epidemiology into the compulsory curriculum system of public health postgraduates in China.
空间流行病学在公共卫生领域发挥着重要作用。然而，目前中国大学的空间流行病学教育是否能够满足以能力为导向的专业需求尚不清楚。本研究旨在了解中国公共卫生研究生在空间流行病学方面的教育和培训现状、实际应用和潜在需求，并评估未来新发传染病（EID）大流行防范和应对方面的关键差距。
本研究分为三个部分。第一部分是对国际公共卫生研究生培训中空间流行病学教育的比较研究。第二部分是对公共卫生专业人员的横断面调查。第三部分是 2020 年 10 月至 2021 年 2 月期间对中国高校公共卫生研究生进行的全国性横断面调查。数据通过基于微信的问卷星调查系统收集，并使用 SPSS 软件进行分析。
国际教育机构要求公共卫生研究生掌握空间流行病学的基本知识和能力。共调查了 198 名公共卫生专业人员，他们对空间流行病学的需求程度中位数为 4.00（IQR 3.13-4.53）。从 51 所高校共调查了 1354 名公共卫生研究生。只有 29.41%（15/51）的大学开设了空间流行病学课程。约 8.05%（109/1354）的研究生学习过空间流行病学，学习程度中位数为 1.05（IQR 1.00-1.29），实际应用程度中位数为 1.91（IQR 1.05-2.78）。为了提高专业能力，65.95%（893/1354）的研究生希望大学开设空间流行病学学分课程。
中国公共卫生研究生目前的教育体系中存在巨大的空间流行病学教育和培训需求未得到满足。为了提高应对未来大流行的能力导向型专业能力，迫切需要将空间流行病学的教学和培训纳入中国公共卫生研究生的必修课程体系。
