research topics in health problem

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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77 interesting medical research topics for 2024

Last updated

25 November 2023

Reviewed by

Brittany Ferri, PhD, OTR/L

Medical research is the gateway to improved patient care and expanding our available treatment options. However, finding a relevant and compelling research topic can be challenging.

Use this article as a jumping-off point to select an interesting medical research topic for your next paper or clinical study.

• How to choose a medical research topic

When choosing a research topic , it’s essential to consider a couple of things. What topics interest you? What unanswered questions do you want to address? 

During the decision-making and brainstorming process, here are a few helpful tips to help you pick the right medical research topic:

Focus on a particular field of study

The best medical research is specific to a particular area. Generalized studies are often too broad to produce meaningful results, so we advise picking a specific niche early in the process. 

Maybe a certain topic interests you, or your industry knowledge reveals areas of need.

Look into commonly researched topics

Once you’ve chosen your research field, do some preliminary research. What have other academics done in their papers and projects? 

From this list, you can focus on specific topics that interest you without accidentally creating a copycat project. This groundwork will also help you uncover any literature gaps—those may be beneficial areas for research.

Get curious and ask questions

Now you can get curious. Ask questions that start with why, how, or what. These questions are the starting point of your project design and will act as your guiding light throughout the process. 

For example: 

What impact does pollution have on children’s lung function in inner-city neighborhoods? 

Why is pollution-based asthma on the rise? 

How can we address pollution-induced asthma in young children? 

• 77 medical research topics worth exploring in 2023

Need some research inspiration for your upcoming paper or clinical study? We’ve compiled a list of 77 topical and in-demand medical research ideas. Let’s take a look. 

• Exciting new medical research topics

If you want to study cutting-edge topics, here are some exciting options:

COVID-19 and long COVID symptoms

Since 2020, COVID-19 has been a hot-button topic in medicine, along with the long-term symptoms in those with a history of COVID-19. 

Examples of COVID-19-related research topics worth exploring include:

The long-term impact of COVID-19 on cardiac and respiratory health

COVID-19 vaccination rates

The evolution of COVID-19 symptoms over time

New variants and strains of the COVID-19 virus

Changes in social behavior and public health regulations amid COVID-19

Vaccinations

Finding ways to cure or reduce the disease burden of chronic infectious diseases is a crucial research area. Vaccination is a powerful option and a great topic to research. 

Examples of vaccination-related research topics include:

mRNA vaccines for viral infections

Biomaterial vaccination capabilities

Vaccination rates based on location, ethnicity, or age

Public opinion about vaccination safety 

Artificial tissues fabrication

With the need for donor organs increasing, finding ways to fabricate artificial bioactive tissues (and possibly organs) is a popular research area. 

Examples of artificial tissue-related research topics you can study include:

The viability of artificially printed tissues

Tissue substrate and building block material studies

The ethics and efficacy of artificial tissue creation

• Medical research topics for medical students

For many medical students, research is a big driver for entering healthcare. If you’re a medical student looking for a research topic, here are some great ideas to work from:

Sleep disorders

Poor sleep quality is a growing problem, and it can significantly impact a person’s overall health. 

Examples of sleep disorder-related research topics include:

How stress affects sleep quality

The prevalence and impact of insomnia on patients with mental health conditions

Possible triggers for sleep disorder development

The impact of poor sleep quality on psychological and physical health

How melatonin supplements impact sleep quality

Alzheimer’s and dementia 

Cognitive conditions like dementia and Alzheimer’s disease are on the rise worldwide. They currently have no cure. As a result, research about these topics is in high demand. 

Examples of dementia-related research topics you could explore include:

The prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease in a chosen population

Early onset symptoms of dementia

Possible triggers or causes of cognitive decline with age

Treatment options for dementia-like conditions

The mental and physical burden of caregiving for patients with dementia

• Lifestyle habits and public health

Modern lifestyles have profoundly impacted the average person’s daily habits, and plenty of interesting topics explore its effects. 

Examples of lifestyle and public health-related research topics include:

The nutritional intake of college students

The impact of chronic work stress on overall health

The rise of upper back and neck pain from laptop use

Prevalence and cause of repetitive strain injuries (RSI)

• Controversial medical research paper topics

Medical research is a hotbed of controversial topics, content, and areas of study. 

If you want to explore a more niche (and attention-grabbing) concept, here are some controversial medical research topics worth looking into:

The benefits and risks of medical cannabis

Depending on where you live, the legalization and use of cannabis for medical conditions is controversial for the general public and healthcare providers.

Examples of medical cannabis-related research topics that might grab your attention include:

The legalization process of medical cannabis

The impact of cannabis use on developmental milestones in youth users

Cannabis and mental health diagnoses

CBD’s impact on chronic pain

Prevalence of cannabis use in young people

The impact of maternal cannabis use on fetal development 

Understanding how THC impacts cognitive function

Human genetics

The Human Genome Project identified, mapped, and sequenced all human DNA genes. Its completion in 2003 opened up a world of exciting and controversial studies in human genetics.

Examples of human genetics-related research topics worth delving into include:

Medical genetics and the incidence of genetic-based health disorders

Behavioral genetics differences between identical twins

Genetic risk factors for neurodegenerative disorders

Machine learning technologies for genetic research

Sexual health studies

Human sexuality and sexual health are important (yet often stigmatized) medical topics that need new research and analysis.

As a diverse field ranging from sexual orientation studies to sexual pathophysiology, examples of sexual health-related research topics include:

The incidence of sexually transmitted infections within a chosen population

Mental health conditions within the LGBTQIA+ community

The impact of untreated sexually transmitted infections

Access to safe sex resources (condoms, dental dams, etc.) in rural areas

• Health and wellness research topics

Human wellness and health are trendy topics in modern medicine as more people are interested in finding natural ways to live healthier lifestyles. 

If this field of study interests you, here are some big topics in the wellness space:

Gluten sensitivity

Gluten allergies and intolerances have risen over the past few decades. If you’re interested in exploring this topic, your options range in severity from mild gastrointestinal symptoms to full-blown anaphylaxis. 

Some examples of gluten sensitivity-related research topics include:

The pathophysiology and incidence of Celiac disease

Early onset symptoms of gluten intolerance

The prevalence of gluten allergies within a set population

Gluten allergies and the incidence of other gastrointestinal health conditions

Pollution and lung health

Living in large urban cities means regular exposure to high levels of pollutants. 

As more people become interested in protecting their lung health, examples of impactful lung health and pollution-related research topics include:

The extent of pollution in densely packed urban areas

The prevalence of pollution-based asthma in a set population

Lung capacity and function in young people

The benefits and risks of steroid therapy for asthma

Pollution risks based on geographical location

Plant-based diets

Plant-based diets like vegan and paleo diets are emerging trends in healthcare due to their limited supporting research. 

If you’re interested in learning more about the potential benefits or risks of holistic, diet-based medicine, examples of plant-based diet research topics to explore include:

Vegan and plant-based diets as part of disease management

Potential risks and benefits of specific plant-based diets

Plant-based diets and their impact on body mass index

The effect of diet and lifestyle on chronic disease management

Health supplements

Supplements are a multi-billion dollar industry. Many health-conscious people take supplements, including vitamins, minerals, herbal medicine, and more. 

Examples of health supplement-related research topics worth investigating include:

Omega-3 fish oil safety and efficacy for cardiac patients

The benefits and risks of regular vitamin D supplementation

Health supplementation regulation and product quality

The impact of social influencer marketing on consumer supplement practices

Analyzing added ingredients in protein powders

• Healthcare research topics

Working within the healthcare industry means you have insider knowledge and opportunity. Maybe you’d like to research the overall system, administration, and inherent biases that disrupt access to quality care. 

While these topics are essential to explore, it is important to note that these studies usually require approval and oversight from an Institutional Review Board (IRB). This ensures the study is ethical and does not harm any subjects. 

For this reason, the IRB sets protocols that require additional planning, so consider this when mapping out your study’s timeline. 

Here are some examples of trending healthcare research areas worth pursuing:

The pros and cons of electronic health records

The rise of electronic healthcare charting and records has forever changed how medical professionals and patients interact with their health data. 

Examples of electronic health record-related research topics include:

The number of medication errors reported during a software switch

Nurse sentiment analysis of electronic charting practices

Ethical and legal studies into encrypting and storing personal health data

Inequities within healthcare access

Many barriers inhibit people from accessing the quality medical care they need. These issues result in health disparities and injustices. 

Examples of research topics about health inequities include:

The impact of social determinants of health in a set population

Early and late-stage cancer stage diagnosis in urban vs. rural populations

Affordability of life-saving medications

Health insurance limitations and their impact on overall health

Diagnostic and treatment rates across ethnicities

People who belong to an ethnic minority are more likely to experience barriers and restrictions when trying to receive quality medical care. This is due to systemic healthcare racism and bias. 

As a result, diagnostic and treatment rates in minority populations are a hot-button field of research. Examples of ethnicity-based research topics include:

Cancer biopsy rates in BIPOC women

The prevalence of diabetes in Indigenous communities

Access inequalities in women’s health preventative screenings

The prevalence of undiagnosed hypertension in Black populations

• Pharmaceutical research topics

Large pharmaceutical companies are incredibly interested in investing in research to learn more about potential cures and treatments for diseases. 

If you’re interested in building a career in pharmaceutical research, here are a few examples of in-demand research topics:

Cancer treatment options

Clinical research is in high demand as pharmaceutical companies explore novel cancer treatment options outside of chemotherapy and radiation. 

Examples of cancer treatment-related research topics include:

Stem cell therapy for cancer

Oncogenic gene dysregulation and its impact on disease

Cancer-causing viral agents and their risks

Treatment efficacy based on early vs. late-stage cancer diagnosis

Cancer vaccines and targeted therapies

Immunotherapy for cancer

Pain medication alternatives

Historically, opioid medications were the primary treatment for short- and long-term pain. But, with the opioid epidemic getting worse, the need for alternative pain medications has never been more urgent. 

Examples of pain medication-related research topics include:

Opioid withdrawal symptoms and risks

Early signs of pain medication misuse

Anti-inflammatory medications for pain control

• Identify trends in your medical research with Dovetail

Are you interested in contributing life-changing research? Today’s medical research is part of the future of clinical patient care. 

As your go-to resource for speedy and accurate data analysis , we are proud to partner with healthcare researchers to innovate and improve the future of healthcare.

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Go from raw data to valuable insights with a flexible research platform

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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, behaviour change interventions to increase physical activity in hospitalised patients: a systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression.

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

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Alcohol and Other Substance Use Disorders in Young Adulthood: Findings from a Canadian Nationally Representative Survey

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.

Expiring Eviction Moratoriums and COVID-19 Incidence and Mortality

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 Development of a Covid-19 Control Measures Risk Matrix for Occupational Hygiene Protective Measures

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 

Immunization to Protect the US Armed Forces: Heritage, Current Practice, and Prospects

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.

Does face mask use elicit risk-compensation? Quasi-experimental evidence from Denmark during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic

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.

Evidence reversals in primary care research: a study of randomized controlled trials

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

Social media influencers can be used to deliver positive information about the flu vaccine: findings from a multi-year study

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

COVID-19 Preparedness and Response Plans from 106 countries: a review from a health systems resilience perspective

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.

Rise and demise: a case study of public health nutrition in Queensland, Australia, over three decades

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

Institutional and behaviour-change interventions to support COVID-19 public health measures: a review by the Lancet Commission Task Force on public health measures to suppress the pandemic

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

Quantifying impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic through life-expectancy losses: a population-level study of 29 countries 

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.

Gender in the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ) Checklist

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

Rate of reinfections after SARS-CoV-2 primary infection in the population of an Italian province: a cohort study

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

The reproductive number of the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 is far higher compared to the ancestral SARS-CoV-2 virus

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 of SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Children: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

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.

Reactions to Sales Restrictions on Flavored Vape Products or All Vape Products Among Young Adults in the United States

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.

Covid-19 and Health at Work 

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

Lessons from the field: delivering trachoma mass drug administration safely in a COVID-19 context

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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Research Topics & Ideas: Mental Health

100+ Mental Health Research Topic Ideas To Fast-Track Your Project

If you’re just starting out exploring mental health topics for your dissertation, thesis or research project, you’ve come to the right place. In this post, we’ll help kickstart your research topic ideation process by providing a hearty list of mental health-related research topics and ideas.

PS – This is just the start…

We know it’s exciting to run through a list of research topics, but please keep in mind that this list is just a starting point . To develop a suitable education-related research topic, you’ll need to identify a clear and convincing research gap , and a viable plan of action to fill that gap.

If this sounds foreign to you, check out our free research topic webinar that explores how to find and refine a high-quality research topic, from scratch. Alternatively, if you’d like hands-on help, consider our 1-on-1 coaching service .

Overview: Mental Health Topic Ideas

• Mood disorders
• Anxiety disorders
• Psychotic disorders
• Personality disorders
• Obsessive-compulsive disorders
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Neurodevelopmental disorders
• Eating disorders
• Substance-related disorders

Mood Disorders

Research in mood disorders can help understand their causes and improve treatment methods. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

• The impact of genetics on the susceptibility to depression
• Efficacy of antidepressants vs. cognitive behavioural therapy
• The role of gut microbiota in mood regulation
• Cultural variations in the experience and diagnosis of bipolar disorder
• Seasonal Affective Disorder: Environmental factors and treatment
• The link between depression and chronic illnesses
• Exercise as an adjunct treatment for mood disorders
• Hormonal changes and mood swings in postpartum women
• Stigma around mood disorders in the workplace
• Suicidal tendencies among patients with severe mood disorders

Anxiety Disorders

Research topics in this category can potentially explore the triggers, coping mechanisms, or treatment efficacy for anxiety disorders.

• The relationship between social media and anxiety
• Exposure therapy effectiveness in treating phobias
• Generalised Anxiety Disorder in children: Early signs and interventions
• The role of mindfulness in treating anxiety
• Genetics and heritability of anxiety disorders
• The link between anxiety disorders and heart disease
• Anxiety prevalence in LGBTQ+ communities
• Caffeine consumption and its impact on anxiety levels
• The economic cost of untreated anxiety disorders
• Virtual Reality as a treatment method for anxiety disorders

Psychotic Disorders

Within this space, your research topic could potentially aim to investigate the underlying factors and treatment possibilities for psychotic disorders.

• Early signs and interventions in adolescent psychosis
• Brain imaging techniques for diagnosing psychotic disorders
• The efficacy of antipsychotic medication
• The role of family history in psychotic disorders
• Misdiagnosis and delayed treatment of psychotic disorders
• Co-morbidity of psychotic and mood disorders
• The relationship between substance abuse and psychotic disorders
• Art therapy as a treatment for schizophrenia
• Public perception and stigma around psychotic disorders
• Hospital vs. community-based care for psychotic disorders

Personality Disorders

Research topics within in this area could delve into the identification, management, and social implications of personality disorders.

• Long-term outcomes of borderline personality disorder
• Antisocial personality disorder and criminal behaviour
• The role of early life experiences in developing personality disorders
• Narcissistic personality disorder in corporate leaders
• Gender differences in personality disorders
• Diagnosis challenges for Cluster A personality disorders
• Emotional intelligence and its role in treating personality disorders
• Psychotherapy methods for treating personality disorders
• Personality disorders in the elderly population
• Stigma and misconceptions about personality disorders

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders

Within this space, research topics could focus on the causes, symptoms, or treatment of disorders like OCD and hoarding.

• OCD and its relationship with anxiety disorders
• Cognitive mechanisms behind hoarding behaviour
• Deep Brain Stimulation as a treatment for severe OCD
• The impact of OCD on academic performance in students
• Role of family and social networks in treating OCD
• Alternative treatments for hoarding disorder
• Childhood onset OCD: Diagnosis and treatment
• OCD and religious obsessions
• The impact of OCD on family dynamics
• Body Dysmorphic Disorder: Causes and treatment

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Research topics in this area could explore the triggers, symptoms, and treatments for PTSD. Here are some thought starters to get you moving.

• PTSD in military veterans: Coping mechanisms and treatment
• Childhood trauma and adult onset PTSD
• Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) efficacy
• Role of emotional support animals in treating PTSD
• Gender differences in PTSD occurrence and treatment
• Effectiveness of group therapy for PTSD patients
• PTSD and substance abuse: A dual diagnosis
• First responders and rates of PTSD
• Domestic violence as a cause of PTSD
• The neurobiology of PTSD

Neurodevelopmental Disorders

This category of mental health aims to better understand disorders like Autism and ADHD and their impact on day-to-day life.

• Early diagnosis and interventions for Autism Spectrum Disorder
• ADHD medication and its impact on academic performance
• Parental coping strategies for children with neurodevelopmental disorders
• Autism and gender: Diagnosis disparities
• The role of diet in managing ADHD symptoms
• Neurodevelopmental disorders in the criminal justice system
• Genetic factors influencing Autism
• ADHD and its relationship with sleep disorders
• Educational adaptations for children with neurodevelopmental disorders
• Neurodevelopmental disorders and stigma in schools

Eating Disorders

Research topics within this space can explore the psychological, social, and biological aspects of eating disorders.

• The role of social media in promoting eating disorders
• Family dynamics and their impact on anorexia
• Biological basis of binge-eating disorder
• Treatment outcomes for bulimia nervosa
• Eating disorders in athletes
• Media portrayal of body image and its impact
• Eating disorders and gender: Are men underdiagnosed?
• Cultural variations in eating disorders
• The relationship between obesity and eating disorders
• Eating disorders in the LGBTQ+ community

Substance-Related Disorders

Research topics in this category can focus on addiction mechanisms, treatment options, and social implications.

• Efficacy of rehabilitation centres for alcohol addiction
• The role of genetics in substance abuse
• Substance abuse and its impact on family dynamics
• Prescription drug abuse among the elderly
• Legalisation of marijuana and its impact on substance abuse rates
• Alcoholism and its relationship with liver diseases
• Opioid crisis: Causes and solutions
• Substance abuse education in schools: Is it effective?
• Harm reduction strategies for drug abuse
• Co-occurring mental health disorders in substance abusers

Choosing A Research Topic

These research topic ideas we’ve covered here serve as thought starters to help you explore different areas within mental health. They are intentionally very broad and open-ended. By engaging with the currently literature in your field of interest, you’ll be able to narrow down your focus to a specific research gap .

It’s important to consider a variety of factors when choosing a topic for your dissertation or thesis . Think about the relevance of the topic, its feasibility , and the resources available to you, including time, data, and academic guidance. Also, consider your own interest and expertise in the subject, as this will sustain you through the research process.

Always consult with your academic advisor to ensure that your chosen topic aligns with academic requirements and offers a meaningful contribution to the field. If you need help choosing a topic, consider our private coaching service.

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Good morning everyone. This are very patent topics for research in neuroscience. Thank you for guidance

What if everything is important, original and intresting? as in Neuroscience. I find myself overwhelmd with tens of relveant areas and within each area many optional topics. I ask myself if importance (for example – able to treat people suffering) is more relevant than what intrest me, and on the other hand if what advance me further in my career should not also be a consideration?

This information is really helpful and have learnt alot

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Considerations for building a research question:

• Ex. clean drinking water
• Everyone, so I am not too picky here. But maybe later I may want to be more specific, i.e. children
• Policy changes
• Last five years
• Flint Michigan

What policies have been made in response to the water crisis in Flint, Michigan to ensure clean drinking water for the citizens? What future policies should be considered?

WHO: Public health, environmental and social determinants of health TOPICS

Suggestions for future topics - globalization and health (journal).

Table below is generated from Martin, G., MacLachlan, M., Labonté, R., Larkan, F., Vallières, F., & Bergin, N. (2016). Globalization and Health: developing the journal to advance the field. Globalization and Health , 12 (1), 6. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12992-016-0143-2

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Complications From Alcohol Use Are Rising Among Women

New research shows that alcohol-related liver disease and other health problems increased even more than expected among women ages 40 to 64 during the pandemic.

• Share full article

By Dani Blum

A new study adds to a mounting body of evidence showing that rising alcohol consumption among women is leading to higher rates of death and disease. The report, published Friday in the journal JAMA Health Forum , examined insurance claims data from 2017 to 2021 on more than 14 million Americans ages 15 and older. Researchers found that during the first year and a half of the coronavirus pandemic, women ages 40 to 64 were significantly more likely than expected to experience serious complications like alcohol-related cardiovascular and liver disease, as well as severe withdrawal.

The Background

Alcohol consumption in the United States has generally increased over the last 20 years , said Dr. Timothy Naimi, the director of the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research at the University of Victoria. Dr. Naimi was a co-author on a recent paper that showed deaths from excessive alcohol use in the United States rose by nearly 30 percent between 2016 and 2021.

While men still die more often from drinking-related causes than women, deaths among women are climbing at a faster rate. “The gap is narrowing,” said Dr. Bryant Shuey, an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Pittsburgh and the lead author of the new study.

The Research

The study looked at serious health issues related to drinking, including alcohol-related liver and heart disease, inflammation of the stomach lining that led to bleeding, pancreatitis, alcohol-related mood disorders and withdrawal. Researchers compared insurance claims data for these complications with the rates they expected to see based on past prevalence of these conditions.

In nearly every month from April 2020 to September 2021, women ages 40 to 64 experienced complications from alcohol-related liver disease — a range of conditions that can develop when fat begins to accumulate in the liver — at higher rates than researchers predicted. If damage from drinking continues, scar tissue builds up in the liver and leads to a later stage of the disease, called cirrhosis. Some people with alcohol-related liver disease also develop severe liver inflammation, known as alcohol-associated hepatitis.

Rates of alcohol-related complications during the pandemic were also higher than predicted among men ages 40 to 64, but those increases were not statistically significant. But “men are not out of the woods” and still face health risks, Dr. Shuey said.

The Limitations

The study examined data only up until September 2021. Katherine Keyes, a professor of epidemiology at Columbia University who was not involved in the latest study, said she expected that alcohol use might keep rising among women — a pattern that could contribute to even more health issues.

And since the study relied on insurance claims, Dr. Shuey said it told an incomplete story. If someone is treated in the emergency room for an inflamed pancreas but doesn’t disclose a drinking history, for example, that instance may not be registered as an alcohol-related complication.

“The truth is, we’re probably underestimating this,” he said.

The Takeaways

These findings underscore how patterns of heavy drinking can translate into serious health consequences. Over the last 10 years, a growing number of American women — and particularly women in middle age — have reported binge-drinking, Dr. Keyes said.

“It used to be that 18- to 25-year-old males were the most likely to drink or the most likely to binge,” said Aaron White, a neuroscientist at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Now, binge drinking occurs more among people between the ages of 26 to 34, and is becoming more common among women. “Everything’s just getting pushed back later,” he said.

Demographic shifts can also help explain why women are drinking at higher rates, Dr. Keyes said. Women tend to marry and have children at later ages than in previous decades, so they spend more time in what Dr. Keyes calls a “high-risk period for heavy drinking.”

“People don’t realize the real health consequences these heavy drinking patterns can have,” she added.

These consequences take time to develop and often emerge between ages 40 and 60. Complications can occur after “years of heavy, persistent alcohol use,” Dr. Shuey said.

These longer-term increases in drinking predate the pandemic and might have increased the risk of health problems among women before Covid-19 hit. But higher levels of drinking during lockdowns may have exacerbated these issues or contributed to new complications, especially as women bore the brunt of family responsibilities, Dr. White said.

Even as research mounts on the harms of alcohol, many people might struggle to change their habits, Dr. White said.

“If you’ve been drinking wine with dinner every night for the last 20 years, just seeing a headline is not going to be enough to make you throw your wine away,” he said. “I think it’s going to be a slow cultural shift.”

Dani Blum is a health reporter for The Times. More about Dani Blum

150+ Public Health Research Topics & Ideas For Students

Public health research aims to understand and improve the health of communities and people. Some crucial areas of research in public health today include looking at social factors that affect health, developing helpful health programs, improving access to healthcare, and reducing health differences. 

In this blog, we will discuss public health research topics. Public health research uses scientific ways to identify things that influence health, disease, and injury in groups of people. Researchers collect and analyze information to find trends and patterns in health outcomes. 

This information is then used to develop programs, policies, and interventions to improve population health. With many continuing and new health challenges, public health research is essential for informing effective strategies to protect and promote the health of all people. Let’s dive in to explore public health research topics.

Why Public Health Research Matters?

Table of Contents

Public health research is important because:

• It finds health problems affecting groups of people. This helps public health workers know where help is most needed.
• It guides leaders on where to put resources. Findings show where funding should go to improve health the most.
• It checks if public health programs and policies work. Research helps improve these efforts over time.
• It leads to new health discoveries. Research teaches us more about keeping people healthy.
• It encourages healthy choices. When people know what affects their health, they can make better choices.
• Research improves quality of life and seeks to help people live longer, healthier lives.
• Research builds healthier communities and provides information to help make communities healthier for all.

In short, public health research gives important information to guide work that protects and improves everyone’s health. It’s a key tool for promoting community well-being.

Key Areas in Public Health Research

Here are some key areas in public health research:

Epidemiology 

Studies patterns of disease, health risks, and health behaviors in populations. Identifies risk factors that impact community health.

Health Disparities 

Health Disparities examine differences in health outcomes, access to care, and quality of life across populations. It seeks to understand and reduce inequities.

Social Determinants of Health 

It examines how social, economic, and environmental factors shape health and well-being. Focuses on improving conditions for healthy living.

Health Promotion 

Health Promotion develops and evaluates programs and policies to encourage healthy lifestyles, behaviors, and choices. It also promotes wellness and disease prevention.

Environmental Health

Explores links between environmental exposures and health. Identifies and mitigates ecological hazards and risks.

Health Systems and Policy 

Health Systems and Policy analyze health system structures, functions, and reforms to optimize quality, access, costs, and outcomes. It also evaluates health policies.

Community Health Assessments 

Collects and analyzes data on population health status, needs, resources, and priorities to guide public health planning.

Program Evaluation

Assesses effectiveness and impact of public health programs and interventions. It also helps refine approaches.

Public Health Preparedness

Examines capacities to prevent, respond to, and recover from health emergencies and disasters and strengthens public health systems.

Health Communication

Develop strategies to provide health information and influence health behaviors and social norms. Tailors are messaging for diverse audiences.

150+ Public Health Research Topics

Here is a list of 150+ public health research topics categorized into 15 groups.

Infectious Diseases: Public Health Research Topics

• Emerging infectious diseases: Challenges and responses
• Antimicrobial resistance: A global threat
• Vaccination strategies for preventing infectious diseases
• Epidemiology of HIV/AIDS in different regions
• Impact of COVID-19 on mental health
• Vector-borne diseases: Surveillance and control
• Tuberculosis control and prevention
• Malaria elimination strategies
• Influenza outbreak preparedness
• Waterborne diseases: Prevention and control

Chronic Diseases: Public Health Research Topics

• Diabetes prevention and management
• Cardiovascular disease risk factors and interventions
• Cancer screening programs: Effectiveness and challenges
• Obesity prevention in children and adults
• Chronic respiratory diseases: Trends and interventions
• Mental health and chronic illness
• Substance abuse and its impact on chronic diseases
• Aging and the risk of chronic conditions
• Environmental factors in chronic disease development
• Genetic predisposition to chronic diseases

Environmental Health Research Topics

• Air pollution and respiratory health
• Water quality and its impact on public health
• Climate change and health disparities
• Occupational health and safety
• Urban planning for healthier cities
• Food safety and its implications for public health
• Environmental justice and health outcomes
• Pesticide exposure and health risks
• Noise pollution and its effects on well-being
• Built environment and public health
• Electronic waste and its health implications

Health Policy and Management: Public Health Research Topics

• Healthcare disparities in underserved populations
• Health insurance coverage and access to care
• Health system strengthening in developing countries
• Telemedicine: Opportunities and challenges
• Ethics in Health policy decision-making
• Healthcare workforce shortages: Causes and solutions
• Cost-effectiveness of public health interventions
• Public-private partnerships in healthcare
• Quality improvement in healthcare delivery
• Health information technology and patient outcomes
• Global health governance and policy

Maternal and Child Health: Public Health Research Topics

• Maternal mortality reduction strategies
• Early childhood development and its long-term impact
• Breastfeeding promotion and support
• Adolescent reproductive health education
• Neonatal care and preterm birth prevention
• Childhood immunization programs
• Child malnutrition: Causes and interventions
• Parental influences on child health behaviors
• Teen pregnancy prevention programs
• Access to prenatal care in low-income communities

Health Behavior and Education: Public Health Research Topics

• Health promotion through social media
• School-based health education programs
• Tobacco control and smoking cessation interventions
• Physical activity promotion in communities
• Nutrition education and behavior change
• Substance abuse prevention campaigns
• Sexual health education in schools
• Stress management and mental health promotion
• Community engagement in health initiatives
• Health Literacy and its effect on Individuals’ health outcomes

Global Health Research Topics

• Eradication of infectious diseases in developing countries
• Humanitarian interventions in conflict zones
• Water and sanitation programs in underserved regions
• Access to essential medicines in low-income countries
• Reproductive health in the global context
• International collaborations in health research
• Refugee health and well-being
• Cultural competence in global health practice
• Impact of globalization on health outcomes
• Health diplomacy and international relations

Epidemiology and Biostatistics: Public Health Research Topics

• Surveillance systems for disease tracking
• Statistical methods in epidemiological research
• Spatial analysis in public health studies
• Meta-analysis in health research
• Longitudinal studies in epidemiology
• Big data analytics in public health
• Genetic epidemiology: Advancements and challenges
• Screening methods for disease detection
• Causal inference in observational studies
• Bayesian statistics in health research

Health Equity and Social Determinants: Public Health Research Topics

• Social determinants of health disparities
• LGBTQ+ inclusive healthcare policies
• Racial and ethnic health inequities
• Income inequality and health outcomes
• Access to healthcare in marginalized communities
• Intersectionality and health disparities
• Gender-based health disparities
• Educational attainment and health outcomes
• Housing and its impact on health
• Cultural competence in healthcare delivery
• LGBTQ+ health disparities and inclusivity

Mental Health Research Topics

• Stigma reduction in mental health disorders
• Suicide prevention strategies
• Mental health in the workplace
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) interventions
• Access to mental health services in rural regions
• Child and adolescent mental health programs
• Substance abuse and co-occurring mental health disorders
• Technology-based mental health interventions
• Cultural perspectives on mental health
• Resilience and mental well-being

Health Technology and Innovation: Public Health Research Topics

• Wearable technology in health monitoring
• Artificial intelligence in disease diagnosis
• Mobile health (mHealth) applications
• Telehealth and remote patient monitoring
• The role of citizen science in health innovation
• Health informatics and electronic health records
• 3D printing in healthcare
• Precision medicine and personalized healthcare
• Virtual reality in health education and therapy
• Robotics in healthcare delivery
• Ethical considerations in health technology

Community Health Research Topics

• Community-based participatory research
• Community health assessments and planning
• Grassroots health advocacy
• Community health worker programs
• Social support networks and health outcomes
• Faith-based health initiatives
• Community resilience in health emergencies
• Cultural competence in community health programs
• Community gardens and their impact on nutrition
• Social marketing for health behavior change

Occupational Health Research Topics

• Workplace stress and mental health
• Occupational exposure to hazardous substances
• Ergonomics in the prevention of work-related injuries
• Occupational health and well-being programs
• Worksite health promotion initiatives
• Shift work and its impact on health
• Occupational health surveillance
• Prevention of workplace violence
• Occupational health in the gig economy
• Role of unions in promoting occupational health

Disaster Preparedness and Response: Public Health Research Topics

• Public health planning for natural disasters
• Emergency response coordination and communication
• Mental health support in disaster-affected communities
• Infectious disease control in emergency shelters
• Disaster risk reduction strategies
• Humanitarian aid in post-disaster scenarios
• Community resilience in disaster-prone areas
• Lessons learned from past pandemics for future preparedness
• Public health implications of climate-related disasters
• Technology in disaster response and recovery

Health Economics: Public Health Research Topics

• Cost-effectiveness of preventive healthcare measures
• The economic effect of chronic diseases on healthcare systems
• Healthcare financing models and access to care
• Value-based healthcare delivery
• Pharmaceutical pricing and access
• Economic evaluation of public health interventions
• Health disparities and economic inequality
• Impact of health policies on economic productivity
• Global economic implications of health crises
• Social determinants of economic well-being

Feel free to choose any of these topics for your research or adapt them based on your specific interests and requirements.

Challenges and Opportunities in Public Health Research

Here are some critical challenges and opportunities in public health research:

• The complexity of public health problems – Issues like obesity, cancer, or health inequities have multiple interrelated causes, requiring sophisticated research approaches.
• Data limitations – Public health data may be inconsistent, incomplete, or lack granularity to address specific research questions. There are gaps in data collection.
• Community involvement – Public health research should engage intended populations, but this takes time and trust-building. Historically marginalized groups may be skeptical.
• Policymaker investment – Research needs policymaker buy-in, but political timelines and priorities may not align. Demonstrating the value of research investment can be difficult.
• Funding constraints – Public health research competes for limited funding, especially long-term support needed for community interventions or infrastructure.
• Interdisciplinary coordination – Addressing public health issues requires collaboration across fields like medicine, social sciences, urban planning, etc. This can be complex to coordinate.

Opportunities

• New technologies – Emerging data analysis methods, geospatial mapping, online engagement tools, and more can enable innovative, rigorous research.
• Community partnerships – Strong relationships with local organizations allow the co-design of research that best meets community priorities and knowledge.
• Cross-sectoral collaboration – Partnering with groups in other sectors like education, transportation, and environment brings new perspectives.
• Translation into policy and practice – Timely research translation maximizes opportunities to apply findings for impactful policy and program improvement.
• Capacity building – Investing in researcher training, community involvement, research literacy, and public data access expands quality research efforts.
• Health equity focus – Center health equity goals in research to effectively address the needs of marginalized groups.
• Communication of findings – Using diverse media to communicate findings to various audiences effectively advances research uptake.

Final Remarks

In this blog, we have discussed the public health research topics. Public health research is fundamental to helping keep communities healthy. Researchers study many different health topics and problems. They examine diseases, health programs, healthcare access, and group differences. 

The research gives information to make health policies, create health programs, and help people live longer. There are challenges like limited funding and complex problems. But new technologies and working with local groups can help do good research. 

The findings are used to improve health for everyone. More public health research is needed to address new health problems and help build a healthier world. I hope you enjoyed this post and chose the right public health research topic.

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Two key brain systems are central to psychosis, Stanford Medicine-led study finds

When the brain has trouble filtering incoming information and predicting what’s likely to happen, psychosis can result, Stanford Medicine-led research shows.

April 11, 2024 - By Erin Digitale

People with psychosis have trouble filtering relevant information (mesh funnel) and predicting rewarding events (broken crystal ball), creating a complex inner world. Emily Moskal

Inside the brains of people with psychosis, two key systems are malfunctioning: a “filter” that directs attention toward important external events and internal thoughts, and a “predictor” composed of pathways that anticipate rewards.

Dysfunction of these systems makes it difficult to know what’s real, manifesting as hallucinations and delusions. 

The findings come from a Stanford Medicine-led study , published April 11 in  Molecular Psychiatry , that used brain scan data from children, teens and young adults with psychosis. The results confirm an existing theory of how breaks with reality occur.

“This work provides a good model for understanding the development and progression of schizophrenia, which is a challenging problem,” said lead author  Kaustubh Supekar , PhD, clinical associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences.

The findings, observed in individuals with a rare genetic disease called 22q11.2 deletion syndrome who experience psychosis as well as in those with psychosis of unknown origin, advance scientists’ understanding of the underlying brain mechanisms and theoretical frameworks related to psychosis.

During psychosis, patients experience hallucinations, such as hearing voices, and hold delusional beliefs, such as thinking that people who are not real exist. Psychosis can occur on its own and isa hallmark of certain serious mental illnesses, including bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is also characterized by social withdrawal, disorganized thinking and speech, and a reduction in energy and motivation.

It is challenging to study how schizophrenia begins in the brain. The condition usually emerges in teens or young adults, most of whom soon begin taking antipsychotic medications to ease their symptoms. When researchers analyze brain scans from people with established schizophrenia, they cannot distinguish the effects of the disease from the effects of the medications. They also do not know how schizophrenia changes the brain as the disease progresses. 

To get an early view of the disease process, the Stanford Medicine team studied young people aged 6 to 39 with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome, a genetic condition with a 30% risk for psychosis, schizophrenia or both. 

Kaustubh Supekar

Brain function in 22q11.2 patients who have psychosis is similar to that in people with psychosis of unknown origin, they found. And these brain patterns matched what the researchers had previously theorized was generating psychosis symptoms.

“The brain patterns we identified support our theoretical models of how cognitive control systems malfunction in psychosis,” said senior study author  Vinod Menon , PhD, the Rachael L. and Walter F. Nichols, MD, Professor; a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences; and director of the  Stanford Cognitive and Systems Neuroscience Laboratory .

Thoughts that are not linked to reality can capture the brain’s cognitive control networks, he said. “This process derails the normal functioning of cognitive control, allowing intrusive thoughts to dominate, culminating in symptoms we recognize as psychosis.”

Cerebral sorting  

Normally, the brain’s cognitive filtering system — aka the salience network — works behind the scenes to selectively direct our attention to important internal thoughts and external events. With its help, we can dismiss irrational thoughts and unimportant events and focus on what’s real and meaningful to us, such as paying attention to traffic so we avoid a collision.

The ventral striatum, a small brain region, and associated brain pathways driven by dopamine, play an important role in predicting what will be rewarding or important. 

For the study, the researchers assembled as much functional MRI brain-scan data as possible from young people with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome, totaling 101 individuals scanned at three different universities. (The study also included brain scans from several comparison groups without 22q11.2 deletion syndrome: 120 people with early idiopathic psychosis, 101 people with autism, 123 with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and 411 healthy controls.) 

The genetic condition, characterized by deletion of part of the 22nd chromosome, affects 1 in every 2,000 to 4,000 people. In addition to the 30% risk of schizophrenia or psychosis, people with the syndrome can also have autism or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, which is why these conditions were included in the comparison groups.

The researchers used a type of machine learning algorithm called a spatiotemporal deep neural network to characterize patterns of brain function in all patients with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome compared with healthy subjects. With a cohort of patients whose brains were scanned at the University of California, Los Angeles, they developed an algorithmic model that distinguished brain scans from people with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome versus those without it. The model predicted the syndrome with greater than 94% accuracy. They validated the model in additional groups of people with or without the genetic syndrome who had received brain scans at UC Davis and Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, showing that in these independent groups, the model sorted brain scans with 84% to 90% accuracy.

The researchers then used the model to investigate which brain features play the biggest role in psychosis. Prior studies of psychosis had not given consistent results, likely because their sample sizes were too small. 

Vinod Menon

Comparing brain scans from 22q11.2 deletion syndrome patients who had and did not have psychosis, the researchers showed that the brain areas contributing most to psychosis are the anterior insula (a key part of the salience network or “filter”) and the ventral striatum (the “reward predictor”); this was true for different cohorts of patients.

In comparing the brain features of people with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome and psychosis against people with psychosis of unknown origin, the model found significant overlap, indicating that these brain features are characteristic of psychosis in general.

A second mathematical model, trained to distinguish all subjects with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome and psychosis from those who have the genetic syndrome but without psychosis, selected brain scans from people with idiopathic psychosis with 77.5% accuracy, again supporting the idea that the brain’s filtering and predicting centers are key to psychosis.

Furthermore, this model was specific to psychosis: It could not classify people with idiopathic autism or ADHD.

“It was quite exciting to trace our steps back to our initial question — ‘What are the dysfunctional brain systems in schizophrenia?’ — and to discover similar patterns in this context,” Menon said. “At the neural level, the characteristics differentiating individuals with psychosis in 22q11.2 deletion syndrome are mirroring the pathways we’ve pinpointed in schizophrenia. This parallel reinforces our understanding of psychosis as a condition with identifiable and consistent brain signatures.” However, these brain signatures were not seen in people with the genetic syndrome but no psychosis, holding clues to future directions for research, he added.

Applications for treatment or prevention

In addition to supporting the scientists’ theory about how psychosis occurs, the findings have implications for understanding the condition — and possibly preventing it.

“One of my goals is to prevent or delay development of schizophrenia,” Supekar said. The fact that the new findings are consistent with the team’s prior research on which brain centers contribute most to schizophrenia in adults suggests there may be a way to prevent it, he said. “In schizophrenia, by the time of diagnosis, a lot of damage has already occurred in the brain, and it can be very difficult to change the course of the disease.”

“What we saw is that, early on, functional interactions among brain regions within the same brain systems are abnormal,” he added. “The abnormalities do not start when you are in your 20s; they are evident even when you are 7 or 8.”

Our discoveries underscore the importance of approaching people with psychosis with compassion.

The researchers plan to use existing treatments, such as transcranial magnetic stimulation or focused ultrasound, targeted at these brain centers in young people at risk of psychosis, such as those with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome or with two parents who have schizophrenia, to see if they prevent or delay the onset of the condition or lessen symptoms once they appear. 

The results also suggest that using functional MRI to monitor brain activity at the key centers could help scientists investigate how existing antipsychotic medications are working. 

Although it’s still puzzling why someone becomes untethered from reality — given how risky it seems for one’s well-being — the “how” is now understandable, Supekar said. “From a mechanistic point of view, it makes sense,” he said.

“Our discoveries underscore the importance of approaching people with psychosis with compassion,” Menon said, adding that his team hopes their work not only advances scientific understanding but also inspires a cultural shift toward empathy and support for those experiencing psychosis. 

“I recently had the privilege of engaging with individuals from our department’s early psychosis treatment group,” he said. “Their message was a clear and powerful: ‘We share more similarities than differences. Like anyone, we experience our own highs and lows.’ Their words were a heartfelt appeal for greater empathy and understanding toward those living with this condition. It was a call to view psychosis through a lens of empathy and solidarity.”

Researchers contributed to the study from UCLA, Clinica Alemana Universidad del Desarrollo, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, the University of Oxford and UC Davis.

The study was funded by the Stanford Maternal and Child Health Research Institute’s Uytengsu-Hamilton 22q11 Neuropsychiatry Research Program, FONDEYCT (the National Fund for Scientific and Technological Development of the government of Chile), ANID-Chile (the Chilean National Agency for Research and Development) and the U.S. National Institutes of Health (grants AG072114, MH121069, MH085953 and MH101779).

About Stanford Medicine

Stanford Medicine is an integrated academic health system comprising the Stanford School of Medicine and adult and pediatric health care delivery systems. Together, they harness the full potential of biomedicine through collaborative research, education and clinical care for patients. For more information, please visit med.stanford.edu .

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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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New research centers will investigate effects of ocean-related problems on human health

Millions of tons of small pieces of plastic are finding their way into the world's waters, and then into human beings. The plastics are often eaten by fish and shellfish and then passed to humans when they consume seafood. These plastic particles and other marine-related problems, such as algal blooms, are affecting the health of both waterways and people.

To address these problems, the U.S. National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) are jointly funding four new Centers for Oceans and Human Health and renewing two others as part of a marine-related health research program . Each center will focus on a different aspect of the connections between the environment, climate and human health. Together, the two agencies are investing more than $42 million over five years, continuing a collaboration that began 20 years ago. The centers foster interdisciplinary collaborations among biomedical researchers, physical and oceanographic scientists and community partners.

"We're excited to continue this long-standing partnership with NIH," said Henrietta Edmonds, a program director in NSF's Division of Ocean Sciences. "Bringing geoscientists, health scientists and community partners together to address important questions has far-ranging impacts beyond what either agency can support alone."

Microplastics, which measure between one micrometer and five millimeters, can be as small as a red blood cell. Even smaller than microplastics are nanoplastics, which measure less than one micrometer in length, the width of a strand of spiderweb silk. The small size of these plastics makes it very easy for them to enter the human body through eating, breathing or even absorption through the skin. Plastics attract and concentrate pollutants and then carry them into new environments. Once they enter the body, they may leech harmful chemicals and affect growth, reproduction and immune system responses.

"We know very little about what these microplastics or even smaller pieces of plastics, known as nanoplastics, can do to human health in the short or long term, or even what they can do to the health of the sea turtles and other animals that live in the ocean," said Anika Dzierlenga, program lead at NIH's National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.

In addition to addressing the effects of plastics, the centers will investigate the effects of weather and climate on the production of marine toxins and the effect of the toxins on human health.

Center for Oceans and Human Health awardees

North Carolina Center for Coastal Algae, People, and Environment (NC C-CAPE), North Carolina State University

This new center will help lay the groundwork to investigate how blooms of cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) in estuaries or coastal waters impact seafood safety and public health. This research will help inform guidelines for the safe consumption of water and seafood. The center will also actively engage with community experts and stakeholders to guide the translation and application of research findings.

Scripps Center for Oceans and Human Health: Advancing the science of marine contaminants and seafood safety, University of California San Diego

The new Scripps Center for Oceans and Human Health will evaluate factors contributing to seafood safety, including impact from climate and weather; distribution of toxic chemicals across the aquatic food source chain; the role of the marine microbiome in toxin metabolism; and animal and human responses to toxic chemicals. The grantees will consider both risks and benefits to seafood consumption and will help to develop messaging to seafood consumers.

Lake Ontario Center for Microplastics and Human Health in a Changing Environment, University of Rochester

This new center will be the first to focus solely on plastic pollution and microplastics. Researchers at the University of Rochester and the Rochester Institute of Technology will collaborative to study will study the life cycle of plastic in Lake Ontario as it pertains to ecological and human health. The aim is to engage diverse local partners to prevent negative health effects of microplastics in the context of climate change in the Great Lakes region. The Great Lakes are the largest surface freshwater system in the world and are a critical resource for more than 30 million people.

Woods Hole Center for Oceans and Human Health, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

This center has been renewed in 2024 and will build on its prior research to address how a changing climate could influence harmful algal bloom (HAB) dynamics and human exposure to HAB toxins, a serious and global human health threat. The center will also work to improve awareness of emerging HAB issues for the public health community and develop new educational materials and interactive activities for K-12 classrooms and for health care providers.

NSF and NIH expect to announce two additional awards soon.

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Homelessness and Public Health: A Focus on Strategies and Solutions

David a. sleet.

1 School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182, USA; moc.liamg@teelsadivad

2 Veritas Management, Inc., Atlanta, GA 30324, USA

Louis Hugo Francescutti

3 School of Public Health, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 1C9, Canada

4 Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 1C9, Canada

5 Royal Alexandra Hospital, Edmonton, AB T5H 3V9, Canada

On any given night, hundreds of thousands of people are homeless in the United States and Canada. Globally, the problem is many times worse, making homelessness a global public health and environmental problem. The facts [ 1 ] are staggering:

• On a single night in January 2020, 580,466 people (about 18 out of every 10,000 people) experienced homelessness across the United States—a 2.2% increase from 2019.
• While 61% percent of the homeless were staying in sheltered locations, the remainder—more than 226,000 people—were in unsheltered locations on the street, in abandoned buildings, or in other places not suitable for human habitation.
• Homelessness has increased in the last four consecutive years.
• The increase in unsheltered homelessness is driven largely by increases in California.
• In 2020, 171,575 people in families with children experienced homelessness on a single night.
• A total of 3598 homeless people were children under the age of 18 without an adult present.
• Veterans comprised 8% of all homeless adults (over 46,000 veterans struggle with homelessness).
• People of color are significantly over-represented among those experiencing homelessness.

A layman’s definition of homelessness is usually “a person that has no permanent home”. However, many scholars have divided the broad group of people characterized as homeless into three (or more) categories:

• - People without a place to reside;
• - People in persistent poverty, forced to move constantly, and who are homeless for even brief periods of time;
• - People who have lost their housing due to personal, social, or environmental circumstances.

While this definition refers specifically to homeless individuals, it is equally applicable to homeless families.

Homelessness is closely connected to declines in physical and mental health. Homeless persons experience high rates of health problems such as Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) and Hepatitis A infections, alcohol and drug addiction, mental illness, tuberculosis, and other serious conditions. The health problems facing homeless persons result from various factors, including a lack of housing, racism and discrimination, barriers to health care, a lack of access to adequate food and protection, limited resources for social services, and an inadequate public health infrastructure. Legal and policy interventions have often been used to attempt to address homelessness, although not always from a public health perspective.

In health care, for example, if someone experiencing homelessness comes to an emergency department for medical aid, once treated, the only alternative is to release the patient back onto the street. This creates an endless cycle of emergency department visits, increasing costs and expending resources in the health care system.

Recent work [ 2 ] has emphasized the important role of public health, the health care system, and health care providers in homelessness prevention. In this Special Issue of the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (IJERPH), we have brought together researchers, practitioners, and community organizers to articulate the public health problem of homelessness and identify clear strategies to reduce homelessness and provide more adequate health care and housing for this population. We also explore solutions for important subpopulations, including adults, families with children, adolescents, women, transitional aged youth, and those suffering from mental illness, PTSD, alcohol dependency, mental illness, adverse childhood experiences, and chronic homelessness.

We address many of these issues in the context of public health and explore the public health implications and potential solutions to homelessness, focusing on contemporary and emerging research and innovative strategies, and highlighting best practices to address homelessness among key populations. The papers in this Special Issue attempt to answer several questions related to homelessness and public health, such as:

• What is the extent of homelessness and why do people become homeless?
• What are the public health and health services implications of homelessness?
• What role does housing play as a precursor to and potential solution for homelessness?
• What public health and health care interventions are being employed, and what effectiveness is being achieved?
• What long-term strategies can be developed to prevent homelessness?

The 13 research papers and one commentary in this Special Issue are summarized as follows:

• Conceptualizing an Interdisciplinary Collective Impact Approach to Examine and Intervene in the Chronic Cycle of Homelessness. This study by Abdel–Samad et al. [ 3 ] focuses on a novel, interdisciplinary academic–practice partnership model for addressing the problem of homelessness. Whereas singular disciplinary approaches may fall short in substantially reducing homelessness, this approach draws from a collective impact model that integrates discipline-specific approaches through mutually reinforcing activities and shared metrics. The paper describes what is necessary for capacity-building at the institution and community levels, the complementary strengths and contributions of each discipline in the model, and future implementation goals to address homelessness in the Southern California region using a cross-disciplinary approach.
• Mental Illness and Youth-Onset Homelessness: A Retrospective Study among Adults Experiencing Homelessness . Iwundu et al. [ 4 ] conducted a retrospective study and evaluated the association between the timing of homelessness onset (youth versus adult) and mental illness. The results indicated that mental illness (as a reason for current homelessness) and severe mental illness comorbidities were each associated with increased odds of youth-onset homelessness, providing a basis for agencies that serve at-risk youth in order to address mental health precursors to youth homelessness.
• Well-Being without a Roof: Examining Well-Being among Unhoused Individuals Using Mixed Methods and Propensity Score Matching. Ahuja et al. [ 5 ] found that the mean overall well-being score of unhoused participants was significantly lower than that of matched housed participants, with unhoused participants reporting lower mean scores for social connectedness, lifestyle and daily practices, stress and resilience, emotions, physical health, and finances. The unhoused participants had a statistically significantly higher mean score for spirituality and religiosity than their matched housed counterparts. The qualitative interviews highlighted spirituality and religion as a coping mechanism for the unhoused.
• Combatting Homelessness in Canada: Applying Lessons Learned from Six Tiny Villages to the Edmonton Bridge Healing Program. Authors Wong et al. [ 6 ] discuss the Bridge Healing Program in Edmonton, Alberta, a novel approach to combatting homelessness by using hospital emergency departments (ED) as a gateway to temporary housing. The program provides residents with immediate temporary housing before transitioning them to permanent homes. The paper discusses effective strategies that underlie the Tiny Villages concept by analyzing six case studies and applying the lessons learned to improving the Bridge Healing Program and reducing repeat ED visits and ED lengths of stay among homeless individuals.
• Change in Housing Status among Homeless and Formerly Homeless Individuals in Quebec, Canada: A Profile Study. Kaltsidis et al. [ 7 ] used a cluster analysis to develop a typology of the housing status change for 270 currently or formerly homeless individuals who were residing in shelters and temporary or permanent housing. The findings suggest that the maintenance or improvement in the housing status requires the availability of suitable types and frequencies of service use (enabling factors) that are well-adapted to the complexity of health problems (needs factors) among homeless individuals. Specific interventions, such as outreach programs and case management, are prioritized as necessary services, especially for individuals at a higher risk of returning to homelessness.
• Urban Stress Indirectly Influences Psychological Symptoms through Its Association with Distress Tolerance and Perceived Social Support among Adults Experiencing Homelessness. To investigate the simultaneous impact of intrapersonal characteristics (distress tolerance) and interpersonal characteristics (social support) and their association with homelessness, Hernandez et al. [ 8 ] recruited homeless adults from six homeless shelters in Oklahoma City who self-reported urban life stress, distress tolerance, social support, major depressive disorder, and PTSD symptoms. Based on the resulting associations, their findings stress the importance of implementing interventions aimed at increasing social support for homeless persons, something that may also increase skill development for distress tolerance and indirectly lead to a reduction in depression and PTSD.
• “I Felt Safe”: The Role of the Rapid Rehousing Program in Supporting the Security of Families Experiencing Homelessness in Salt Lake County, Utah. Garcia and Kim [ 9 ] describe their research into The Road Home (TRH) program, which provides services to homeless individuals and families. TRH is known for their emergency shelters and also administers the Rapid Rehousing Program (RRHP), designed to help homeless families transition back into stable housing. After collecting qualitative data from focus groups with participants and families, landlords, case managers, and service providers, they make recommendations for program improvements that can increase the residential security of families experiencing homelessness.
• “It’s Just a Band-Aid on Something No One Really Wants to See or Acknowledge”: A Photovoice Study with Transitional Aged Youth Experiencing Homelessness to Examine the Roots of San Diego’s 2016–2018 Hepatitis A Outbreak. In this study, Felner et al. [ 10 ] examined the experiences and needs of transitional aged youth (TAY) aged 18–24 experiencing homelessness who may have been uniquely affected by an unprecedented outbreak of hepatitis A virus (HAV). The findings documented a stigmatization of TAY, interventions that failed to address root causes of the outbreak, and interactions with housing- and social support-related resources that limited rather than supported economic and social mobility. The findings have implications for understanding how media and public discourse, public health interventions, and the availability and delivery of resources can contribute to and perpetuate stigma and health inequities faced by TAY experiencing homelessness.
• Predictors of Overnight and Emergency Treatment among Homeless Adults. Iwundu et al. [ 11 ] aimed to identify the sociodemographic predictors associated with overnight and emergency hospital treatment among a sample of homeless adults. Participants were recruited from a shelter in Dallas, Texas and were predominantly uninsured, low-income men and women from various social and ethnic groups. In logistic regression models, gender emerged as the only predictor of overnight treatment in a hospital and treatment in an emergency department. Women were more likely than men to be treated overnight and use emergency care. The authors concluded that interventions and policies targeted toward homeless women’s primary health care needs would reduce health care costs.
• Association of Problematic Alcohol Use and Food Insecurity among Homeless Men and Women. In a study on alcohol use and food insecurity among homeless men and women, Reitzel et al. [ 12 ] investigated the link between problematic alcohol use and food insecurity among homeless adults in Oklahoma. Problematic alcohol use was measured using the Alcohol Quantity and Frequency Questionnaire and the Patient Health Questionnaire. Food insecurity was measured with the USDA Food Security Scale-Short Form. The results indicated that heavy drinking and probable alcohol dependence/abuse were each associated with increased odds of food insecurity. The results question whether alcohol may take precedence over eating or food purchases among this population of homeless individuals.
• Exploring Tiny Homes as an Affordable Housing Strategy to Ameliorate Homelessness: A Case Study of the Dwellings in Tallahassee, FL. “Tiny Homes” is an emerging strategy to combat homelessness, and Jackson et al. [ 13 ] raise a number of questions about the intentions, efficacy, and policy feasibility of this strategy. The paper seeks to understand the strategies used by stakeholders to plan, design, and implement a “Tiny Homes” strategy, and to assess their effectiveness. Using a case study, they examined how the community was planned, the experiences of residents, and the constraints to success. Their findings highlighted how funding constraints and NIMBYism (Not in My Backyard-ism) stymied stakeholder efforts to achieve equity and affordability, resulting in the inability to achieve project aims to develop affordable housing that served homeless populations.
• Predictors of Emergency Department Use among Individuals with Current or Previous Experience of Homelessness. The study by Gabet et al. [ 14 ] assessed the contributions of predisposing, enabling, and needs factors in predicting emergency department (ED) use among 270 individuals with a current or previous experience of homelessness. Participants were recruited from types of housing in Montreal, Quebec (Canada) and were interviewed about their ED use at baseline and again 12 months later. The findings revealed two needs factors associated with ED use: having a substance use disorder and low perceived physical health. Two enabling factors—the use of ambulatory specialized services and stigma—were also related to ED use. ED use was not associated with the type of housing. The authors suggest that improvements are needed to manage substance use disorders and the physical health of homeless individuals in order to reduce ED use.
• Being at the Bottom Rung of the Ladder in an Unequal Society: A Qualitative Analysis of Stories of People without a Home. The Mabhala and Yohannes article [ 15 ] examines the stories of homeless people and their perceptions of their social status using interviews in three centers for homeless people in Cheshire, in the English Northwest. Education, employment, and health were three domains that provided a theoretical explanation for the reasons that led to their homelessness. Participants catalogued their adverse childhood experiences, which they believe limited their capacity to meaningfully engage with social institutions for social goods, such as education, social services, and institutions of employment. They conclude that, although not all people who are poorly educated, in poor health, and unemployed end up being homeless, a combination of these together with multiple adverse childhood experiences may weaken resilience and contribute to homelessness.
• Commentary: Investing in Public Health Infrastructure to Address the Complexities of Homelessness. In a final commentary, Allegrante and Sleet [ 16 ] introduce the notion that investments in public health infrastructure are needed to address the complexities of homelessness, including the continued threats posed by SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) and its variants. The lack of affordable housing, widespread unemployment, poverty, addiction and mental illness, which all contribute to the risk of homelessness, would be well-served by improving the fundamental public health infrastructure. They argue that homelessness is exacerbated by system-wide infrastructure failures at the municipal, state and federal governments and from the neglect to invest in public infrastructure, including a modern public health system.

In conclusion, shelter is a basic human need. Thus far, we have an inadequate understanding of all the medical and nonmedical, public health, and infrastructural influences that drive homelessness and why so many people are living without adequate shelter. Housing is one of the most critical factors in addressing homelessness and one of the best-researched social determinants of health. Several articles here focus on innovative approaches to providing temporary or permanent housing for those who need it, and it is well known that selected housing interventions can improve health and decrease health care costs. From that perspective, some professionals in the field contend that housing equates to health [ 17 ] and that improved housing options for homeless individuals and families would advance population-level health.

Many of the articles in this Special Issue [ 18 ] focus on specific aspects of life, quality of life, and co-morbidities related to behavioral and social variables influencing homelessness. Explored in detail are factors such as lack of housing, distress, wellness, emergency department use, mental health, drug and alcohol addiction, poverty, low educational attainment, inadequate health care and social services, adverse childhood experiences, ongoing infections, unemployment, and public health infrastructure. In addition to highlighting the impact these factors can have on the likelihood that someone would become homeless, many of the articles also provide recommendations for relevant policies, practices, and interventions that could help reduce homelessness and improve overall well-being.

The intersection of environmental, behavioral, and social factors, in addition to the lack of an adequate infrastructure, must also be considered when studying the determinants of homelessness and designing appropriate interventions. Our ultimate goal in producing this Special Issue of IJERPH is to encourage the development of better evidence to inform public health, social services, and medical care policies and practices that will result in better health for homeless populations.

Acknowledgments

We thank the authors and reviewers for their commitment to preparing and editing these manuscripts and for adding to the knowledge base of this important public health problem.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

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