public health research topics in india

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Comparative Health Policy Library

India | health topics, disease & illness, environmental health, financing & payment systems, gaps & challenges, health disparities & minority health, maternal & child health, perspectives on health system.

Choudhari, R. (2020). COVID 19 pandemic: Mental health challenges of internal migrant workers of India. Asian Journal of Psychiatry, 54, 102254. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajp.2020.102254
Chatterjee, P. (2020). Is India missing COVID-19 deaths? The Lancet, 396(10252), 657. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736 (20)31857-2
Ministry of Health & Family Welfare. (2005). Burden of Disease in India. National Commission on Macroeconomics and Health. https://www.who.int/macrohealth/action/NCMH_Burden%20of%20disease_ (29%20Sep%202005).pdf.
Lakshminarayanan, S., & Jayalakshmy, R. (2015). Diarrheal Diseases Among Children In India: Current Scenario And Future Perspectives. Journal of Natural Science, Biology and Medicine, 6(1), 24–28. https://doi.org/10.4103/0976-9668.149073
The World Bank. (2010). (publication). The Economic Implications of Non-Communicable Disease for India. Retrieved from https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/bitstream/handle/10986/13649/529130W...
Yadav, J., Menon, G. R., Mitra, M., Allarakha, S., & John, D. (2020). Burden and cost of communicable, maternal, perinatal and nutrition deficiency diseases in India. Journal of Public Health. https://doi.org/10.1093/pubmed/fdaa173
Air Pollution Is Now The Fifth Largest Killer In India, Says Newly Released Findings Of Global Burden Of Disease Report. (2013, February 13). Centre for Science and Environment . https://www.cseindia.org/air-pollution-is-now-the-fifth-largest-killer-i... .
Kumar, S., Jain, A., & Kar, S. (2011). Health and environmental sanitation in India: Issues for prioritizing control strategies. Indian Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 15(3), 93–96. https://doi.org/10.4103/0019-5278.93196
National Commission on Macroeconomics and Health, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Govt. of India. (2005). Financing and Delivery of Health Care Services in India. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/macrohealth/action/Background%20Papers%20report.pdf .
Kumar, D., & Sohal, S. Overview of Health Care Expenditure & Healthcare Payment Methods in India. Health Economics & Outcome Research, 4(2). https://doi.org/10.4172/2471-268x
Sharma, S. D. (2018). Health Care for India’s 500 Million: The Promise of the National Health Protection Scheme. Harvard Public Health Review. https://harvardpublichealthreview.org/shalendrasharma/ .
Mohanan, M., Hay, K., & Mor, N. (2016). Quality Of Health Care In India: Challenges, Priorities, And The Road Ahead. Health Affairs, 35(10), 1753–1758. https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2016.0676
Witter, S., Govender, V., Ravindran, T. S., & Yates, R. (2017). Minding the gaps: health financing, universal health coverage and gender. Health Policy and Planning, 32(suppl_5), v4–v12. https://doi.org/10.1093/heapol/czx063
Kasthuri, A. (2018). Challenges to Healthcare in India - The Five A's. Indian Journal of Community Medicine, 43(3), 141–143. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.4103/ijcm.IJCM_194_18
Reddy, K. S. (2018). Health Care Reforms in India. JAMA, 319(24), 2477. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2018.5284
Kamineni, S. (2019, October 3). What India's Route To Universal Health Coverage Can Teach The World. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2019/10/role-of-government-in-healthcare-... .
Nigar, S. (2018, June 15). India’s Dalit Women Lack Access To Healthcare And Die Young. Asia Times. https://asiatimes.com/2018/06/indias-dalit-women-lack-access-to-healthca... .
Pathak, S., & Latif Khan, F. (2018, September 17). India's Anti-Gay Law Is History. Next Challenge: Treat Lgbtq Patients With Respect. NPR. https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2018/09/17/645279722/indias-an... .
Kumar, N., Anderson, R. J. (2015). Mobile Phones for Maternal Health in Rural India. Proceedings of the 33rd Annual ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems - CHI '15. https://doi.org/10.1145/2702123.2702258
Bishai, D. (2018). Disparities in Child Mortality among Religious Minorities in the Districts of India. https://www.worldbank.org/en/events/2018/03/29/disparities-in-child-mort... .
Chokshi, M., Patil, B., Khanna, R., Neogi, S. B., Sharma, J., Paul, V. K., & Zodpey, S. (2016). Health Systems in India. Journal of Perinatology, 36(S3). https://doi.org/10.1038/jp.2016.184 19. Burns, L. R. (2014). India 's Healthcare Industry: A System Perspective. In India's Healthcare Industry: Innovation in Delivery, Financing, and Manufacturing (pp. 3–37). essay, Cambridge University Press. https://repository.upenn.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1176&contex... .
Gandhi, P.; Medhekar, S. V. (2019, March 26). Healthcare reforms in India. The Knowledge Review. https://theknowledgereview.com/healthcare-reforms-in-india/ .
The Lancet. (2018). India's mega health reforms: treatment for half a billion. The Lancet, 392(10148), 614. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736 (18)31936-6
Nature Portfolio. (2019, August 20). Don't rush India's health-care reforms. Nature News. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-02469-9 .
Burns, L. R. (2014). India 's Healthcare Industry: A System Perspective. Wharton Faculty Research Health Care Management Papers. https://repository.upenn.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1176&contex... .

Suggest Additional Subjects and Resources

Other topics or articles you'd like to see included in the Comparative Health Policy Library?

The Center is engaged in a wide range of projects focusing on public health topics. Below is a snapshot of current and recent projects from the India Research Center:

Quality and patient safety in india.

After a workshop led by Professor Ashish Jha , K.T. Li Professor of Global Health, and Director, Harvard Global Health Institute With the kick-off workshop in December 2017, the Harvard Global Health Institute (HGHI) and the Harvard Initiative on Global Health Quality (HIGHQ) will study ways to improve hospital care in India. The project will try to understand existing quality of care barriers and opportunities in India, bringing together leading scholars from Harvard University and India, to define an agenda for healthcare quality, and identify areas of learning and collaboration for cutting-edge empirical work and improvement.

The work will be organized into four main categories, Preliminary Analysis, Indicator Design, Protocol Development and Scalability, Education and Capacity Building. India Research Center will be playing a pivotal role in education & capacity building to support the research project.

Initiative on Evidence-Based Public Policy and Practice

The goal of this faculty-initiated research project is to make the Harvard Chan School India Research Center a one-stop place to disseminate the latest evidence base on major public health problems in India. This initiative has a two fold aim: (a) to build a knowledge repository that will create a dash board for stakeholders to obtain the latest evidence on public health subjects; (b) to build capacity among major stakeholders from the public, nonprofits, and the media to use evidence-base in their practice. The project is being led by Dr. K. “Vish” Viswanath., Lee Kum Kee Professor of Health Communication, Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences. Funder: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Implementation Sciences in Public Health

Dr. Karen Emmons , Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences at Harvard Chan along with Dr. K. Viswanath and Dr. Shoba Ramanadhan of Harvard Chan led a workshop on implementation sciences in public health. The aim of the workshop was to use local case studies to teach the basics of evidence translation into policy and practice. Target audiences included MoHFW (Ministry of Health and Family Welfare) and NHSRC (National Health Systems Resource Center) which are involved in the implementation of India’s upcoming National Health Protection Scheme (NHPS) – Ayushman Bharat.

Patient Retention and Tuberculosis

With an aim to undertake training of field workers and nurses in a mutually agreed upon area of the Tuberculosis “cascade”, partners will work together to both build local capacity and also seek to document through, joint operational research, impact of the intervention.

Led by Dr. Sarthak Das from Harvard Global Health Institute and Harvard Chan, a discussion and workshop on Patient Retention and Tuberculosis was conducted at the India Research Center. Other speakers included Dr. Daksha Shah and Dr. Nerges Mistry.

Tobacco Free Teachers-Tobacco Free Society program

Building upon lessons learned from the Bihar School Teachers Study (2009-2013) and the subsequent pilot study in 2014-2015, Drs. Sorensen, Viswanath, Nagler and the Healis-Sekhsaria Institute for Public Health have undertaken a Dissemination and Implementation study (2017-2021) to learn how to work within the Bihar Department of Education (DOE) system to support and deliver the Tobacco Free Teachers-Tobacco Free Society program within schools. The study team will use a cluster-randomized design to: assess program effectiveness in improving tobacco policy implementation and increasing tobacco use cessation; and monitor secular trends in tobacco control. The overall study goal is to develop the knowledge, products and processes needed to broadly disseminate evidence-based tobacco control interventions for school teachers in India through readily accessible and sustainable channels.

Members of the Harvard Chan/DFCI team collaborate with members of Healis Sekhsaria Institute of Public Health in Navi Mumbai on a dissemination and implementation tobacco control study for teachers in Bihar, India. Seen here are study team members, Dr. Eve Nagler, Dr. Prakash Gupta, Dr. Mangesh Pednekar, Leah Jones Photo courtesy of Leah Jones, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

Workshop on Scientific Writing

In December 2018, the Center will host a workshop on methods for scientific writing including learning how to write manuscripts, grants and scientific papers. Senior researchers, post doctoral fellows and faculty from leading academic institutes such as the Tata Institute of Social sciences are expected to participate in this event.

Research Support to Harvard Students and Alumni in India

A primary focus area for the Center is to support students and alumni from Harvard University to conduct research and project activities in India. The Center hosts students, arranging focus group discussions and interviews with local stakeholders, and expanding their network base with the help of the Center’s local partners in the ministry and in the corporate sector sectors.

Immersion and Dissertation Projects for DrPH students

The Center provides support to students in the doctoral programs to conduct their summer and winter immersion and dissertation (DELTA) projects in India. This support includes looking for placement of students in Indian organizations and facilitating their work in India. Partner/Funders: Harvard T.H Chan School of Public Health and local organizations, such as Piramal Foundation, UNICEF, Tata Trusts, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare

National Communication Strategy for Promotion of Mental Health

The Center led the designing of the National Communication Strategy for Promotion of Mental Health and dissemination of the Mental Healthcare Act 2017, titled “Aao Baat Karein!”/“Come, Let’s Talk!” This was part of the Center’s efforts in providing technical support to the ministry of health and family welfare. The process involved extensive study of the policy documents and secondary research, conducting scoping workshops with the communication and media cell of the ministry, representatives from the World Health Organization, and other technical organizations, and synthesis of the above, to come up with the final strategy document. An internal budget of $300,000 was allotted by the ministry for implementing the strategy country wide. Based on the successful completion of the reference project, the ministry has indicated interest in working further with the Center on areas such as elderly care, antimicrobial resistance, and the use of IT in health. This project has been completed, and the final strategy paper was submitted to the ministry of health and family welfare on July 21, 2017. Partner: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, India

Case Studies

The Center will play a critical role in the educational transformation project launched as part of the Centennial year of the Harvard Chan School, by developing cases in collaboration with colleagues from other Harvard schools. These cases will be used in the Harvard Chan School’s doctor of public health (DrPH) program. Potential subject areas include nutrition, tobacco control, adult vaccination, and cancer prevention. Partner: Harvard T.H Chan School of Public Health

151+ Public Health Research Topics [Updated 2024]

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

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

Overview of Public Health Research Topics

Table of Contents

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

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

Key Considerations in Selecting Public Health Research Topics

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

Top 151+ Public Health Research Topics

Epidemiology.

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

Health Policy

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

Environmental Health

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

Infectious Diseases

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

Chronic Diseases

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

Maternal and Child Health

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

Health Behavior and Promotion

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

Global Health

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

Community Health

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

Healthcare Quality and Patient Safety

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

Mental Health

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

Health Disparities

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

Public Health Education

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

Digital Health

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

Health Economics

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

Innovations in Public Health

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

Food Safety and Nutrition

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

Substance Abuse

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

Occupational Health

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

Disaster Preparedness and Response

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

Cancer Research

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

Sexual and Reproductive Health

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

Cardiovascular Health

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

Social Determinants of Health

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

Genomics and Public Health

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

Public Health Ethics

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

Health Communication

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

Nutrigenomics

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

Public Health and Artificial Intelligence

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

Health Disparities in Aging

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

Research Methodologies in Public Health

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

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

Challenges and Opportunities in Public Health Research

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

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

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

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

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

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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?
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ENGAGING THE COMMUNITY IN HEALTH RESEARCH IN INDIA

Kristen j. wells.

* Division of Evidence-Based Medicine and Health Outcomes Research, Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA

† Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, USA

Charles Preuss

‡ Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology, College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA

Yashwant Pathak

§ College of Pharmacy, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA

J. K. Kosambiya

¶ Department of Community Medicine (PSM), Government Medical College Surat, Surat, India

Ambuj Kumar

Community-engaged research approaches involve members of the community in various aspects of a research endeavor to improve the health of populations. Engaging the community in research is important in the development, dissemination, and evaluation of new interventions, technologies, and other medical advancements to improve population health globally. A review of published community-engaged research studies conducted in India was performed. Fifteen published studies were identified and reviewed to evaluate the state of community-engaged research in India. The review indicated that community-engaged research in India is limited. Most published community-engaged research focused on health promotion, especially in the prevention or management of HIV/AIDS and other STIs. Community members were involved in a variety of aspects of the research, but there was not one published article indicating that community members had defined the disease of focus. Community-engaged research often led to valuable insights into the views, experiences, and behaviors of community members and also led to increased community participation in health initiatives. It is anticipated that future community-engaged research will lead to improvements in global health through increased empowerment of communities and a better ability to implement new and innovative medical advances, technologies, and interventions.

INTRODUCTION

Each day brings new medical advancements and technology that improve the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and survival for countless diseases. These medical advancements and the research to develop or evaluate new technologies would not have been possible without the active participation of members of various communities. However, the benefits of medical and technological advancements are not realized by all populations globally. This is especially true in resource-limited coun tries, like India, where adoption of these advance ments is slower due to multiple factors, such as the high costs of medical care to patients and families and health care systems with constrained resources ( 2 ). When resources exist to provide high-quality medical care to populations in resource-limited countries, sometimes there is a lack of adoption by some communities and individuals, leading to disparities in health outcomes. Therefore, community engagement is critical to the development as well as global implementation of innovative medical advances and technologies.

There are a number of different terms to describe research that involves community engagement: empowerment evaluation, community action research, participatory action research, participatory rural appraisal, and community-based participatory research (CBPR) ( 1 , 3 , 24 ). Engaging the community in a research partnership is important since it is widely recognized that health and disease are influenced by the environment in which a person lives ( 13 ). The environment is broadly defined to include the social environment, the physical environment, and the culture of the community. Without an understanding of the context of health and illness of individuals and communities, it is difficult to create practical and relevant strategies to enable community members to obtain high-quality medical care or engage in healthy behaviors ( 23 ). Learning more about community members’ beliefs, values, preferences, and health behaviors is important because it allows for the better development of health interventions that work within the context of community members’ culture, belief systems, or preferences for learning new informa tion. Although there are many conceptualizations and models of community-engaged research, it is generally agreed that a health promotion program should be delivered through multiple levels, including individual behaviors, interpersonal relationships, community, and society, and it should be delivered in a manner that avoids exploitation and community disruption ( 13 , 23 ). Engaging the community to improve outcomes for a particular health problem targeting multiple levels may reduce health disparities.

Research designs vary on a continuum corresponding to the degree of decision making and direction provided by the community and the researchers, ranging from a “researcher-driven” approach to an approach with full participation of the community. In a researcher-driven approach, the researcher retains most of the power in the research process and determines all aspects of the research from beginning to end with no community input, including the topic of research, study design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, and dissemination. At the other end of the continuum are approaches like CBPR, which “equitably involve all partners in the research process and recognize the unique strengths that each brings” ( 15 ). Full community participatory approaches, like CBPR, emphasize equity in the collaborative process of research and a relationship built on respect, trust, and mutual benefit ( 23 ). Each partner takes part in every aspect of the whole spectrum of the research process from defining the problem to planning for sustainability of the intervention ( 11 , 24 ). Although CBPR is advocated as a research strategy that is mutually beneficial to both researchers and community members and that improves community capacity and involvement ( 25 ), it is not fully clear whether the approach leads to better health outcomes. In a review of interventions designed using CBPR, studies that utilized a randomized controlled trial design indicated a positive effect on health ( 9 ). Those studies that utilized a quasiexperimental design had mixed findings ( 25 ).

Community-engaged research approaches are prevalent in countries with more resources, like the US and Canada. However, the approaches are less often used in other areas of the world, making them more novel and innovative globally ( 23 ). To date, there has been no known review of community-engaged research in India. It has been noted that there is a lack of community needs assessment as well as community participation in the development and implementation of health education programs in India ( 19 ). Accordingly, the objective of the present article is to describe the state of the science of community-engaged research in India. To accomplish this objective, we conducted a narrative review of published articles describing the use of research methods that engaged the community to address health problems in India. Similar to a previous review of CBPR research ( 25 ), we sought to answer the following questions. 1) What health problems have been addressed using community-engaged research in India? 2) What populations have participated in community-engaged research addressing health issues? 3) What is the purpose of community-engaged research in India? 4) How have community members contributed to and benefited from the research process? 5) What are the benefits of using community-engaged research designs to address health problems in India? 6) What are the barriers to conducting community-engaged research to address health problems in India? Obtaining this information allows us to describe the scope and characteristics of community-engaged research in India.

A search of PubMed was conducted using the terms “community-based participatory research” and “India,” along with an additional free text search using Google. Additional articles were reviewed from reference searches of qualifying articles. Studies were included if they: 1) were conducted in India, 2) were conducted to address a health problem, and 3) engaged members of the community in the research process. One study author reviewed all abstracts for relevancy. Three study authors reviewed relevant articles to address the research questions of interest.

Fifteen studies were identified by the various search methods ( 4 – 10 , 12 , 14 , 16 – 18 , 20 – 22 ) ( Table 1 ).

Published Community-Engaged Research in India

Health Problems

The articles revealed that community-engaged research was most often conducted to address pre vention and management of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) ( 4 , 5 , 12 , 17 – 20 , 22 ). Community-engaged research was also used to improve waste management ( 21 ), improve health care seeking for sick infants ( 8 ), evaluate low rates of health care utilization ( 16 ), improve menstrual hygiene ( 7 ), assess the needs of the community regarding cervical cancer prevention and management ( 6 ), and evaluate issues related to improving the quality of life and quality of care of people with disabilities ( 10 , 14 ).

Populations

Most of the community-engaged research studies reviewed involved adults ( 4 , 9 , 17 , 18 , 20 , 22 ), with a few studies including adolescents ( 10 , 12 ). Some studies focused on improving the health and wellbeing of children and adolescents specifically ( 7 , 8 , 10 ). Males were targeted in two studies ( 9 , 20 ), and females in four studies ( 6 , 7 , 17 , 18 ). The most frequently studied and engaged population was sex workers, who participated in the efforts of research described in three studies ( 4 , 5 , 22 ).

Purpose of Research

While four articles only focused on assessing the needs or views of the community ( 6 , 9 , 10 , 16 ), in several other articles community-engaged research was implemented to facilitate the planning of an intervention program for disease prevention or management ( 7 , 8 , 12 , 14 , 17 , 18 , 20 , 21 ). Some studies also implemented the intervention ( 7 , 8 , 20 ). Only a few studies focused on the evaluation of an intervention implemented using community-engaged research ( 4 , 7 , 8 , 22 ).

Partnerships and the Role of the Community

There were a variety of partnerships described in the research reviewed. Partners in community-engaged research described in the articles included community members and organizations ( 4 , 5 , 8 , 21 , 22 ), a tribe ( 16 ), academic institutions ( 4 , 5 , 7 , 8 , 10 , 14 , 16 – 18 , 22 ), health professionals ( 6 , 14 ), governmental organizations ( 21 ), and nongovern ment organizations ( 6 , 10 , 12 , 14 ). Academic partners included researchers from universities in Canada, Europe, and the US ( 4 , 5 , 10 , 14 , 16 – 18 , 22 ), a medical institute in India ( 7 , 8 ), and researchers from India whose institutions were not identified ( 5 , 14 ). Sources of funding were identified in 12 articles ( 5 – 8 , 10 , 12 , 16 – 18 , 20 – 22 ). Funding agen cies included Indian government agencies ( 12 , 21 ); Canadian government agencies, corporations, professional organizations, and universities ( 10 , 16 ); US government agencies and organizations ( 7 , 8 , 17 , 18 , 20 , 22 ); universities and government agencies in the UK ( 5 , 12 ); and other international organizations ( 7 , 8 , 12 ).

The role of community members in each research project described varied widely. Since many articles provided a snapshot of one small part of a larger research or intervention collaboration, it was not fully clear whether community members were included in past or future aspects of the research ( 12 , 14 , 18 , 20 , 21 ). None of the articles described the community as being pivotal in defining the problem of interest. Some studies reported a more limited role of community in the particular aspect of the project that was being described, typically as participants in some type of needs assessment focused on a particular health issue ( 14 , 21 ) or on health in general ( 9 ). For instance, one article described how community representatives participated in a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats (SWOT) analysis in preparation for the design of a solid waste management program ( 21 ). Other types of community participation included roles of leadership in the project, such as serving on a Community Advisory Board or as part of a community organization ( 5 , 17 , 18 , 22 ). Community members also assisted in the development of focus group guides ( 17 , 18 ) or the interpretation of focus group results ( 18 ).

In other articles, community members participated in activities related to a health intervention or program, such as intervention development, implementation, or evaluation ( 4 , 5 , 7 , 12 , 17 , 20 , 22 ). Usually community participation in the needs assessment phase occurred before “mobilization” of community members to address the health issue ( 7 , 8 , 20 , 21 ). In various articles that described the Sonagachi Project, a community participatory and empowerment project among sex workers, community participation went beyond trying to change individual behavior of sex workers related to HIV and other STI prevention. Instead, activities also focused on empowering the sex workers to advocate for their profession, improve their political power, and reduce their societal and occupational vulnerability ( 4 , 5 , 22 ).

Benefits of Community-Engaged Research in India

From researchers’ perspective, there were a number of benefits to engaging the community in research. Often cited in the articles reviewed were the surprising and valuable insights into the views, experiences, and behaviors of community members obtained during community-engaged research ( 7 , 9 , 12 , 14 , 16 – 18 , 20 ). For instance, one article describing an evaluation of the perspectives of implementing a lay health worker program among women living with HIV/AIDS found that women perceived that having a lay health worker visit would be a source of stigma ( 18 ). Formative research to design a HIV/AIDS/STI preventive intervention found that men reported fears of semen loss from masturbation ( 12 ). Educational information addressing these fears was added to the HIV/AIDS intervention, which may have improved community members’ understanding of the topic. In addition, three interventions that used community-engaged research were associated with improvements in health knowledge, health seeking behaviors, and condom use ( 4 , 7 , 8 , 22 ). However, some of the research projects evaluating the efficacy of these interventions had significant design limitations, like small sample sizes and no randomization.

From the communities’ perspective, there were several benefits to taking part in research. Participation from the community often resulted in recommendations of including further community engagement and participation during intervention development ( 16 , 21 ), as well as activism to improve access to care and other health resources ( 9 ). For instance, in an article describing a SWOT analysis, the findings indicated that certain members of the community (youths, “housewives,” and senior citizens) could play a pivotal role in the implementation of a successful waste management program ( 21 ). Sometimes community participation in a needs assessment resulted in community members becoming more engaged with the health issue that was the subject of the needs assessment or participating in more community activities ( 7 , 14 , 20 ). In addition, initiatives that engaged the community in research addressed other problems faced by the community. One article reported that in addition to focusing on the reduction of HIV and other STIs, the Sonagachi Project provided microfinance services and programs to increase literacy among the sex workers. The Sonogachi project also worked to increase the political power of the community and to obtain services and education for the sex workers’ children ( 4 , 22 ).

Challenges in Community-Engaged Research in India

Several articles mentioned challenges of conducting community-engaged research in India. One article, which reported on experiences with a project focused on improving the health of sex workers, indicated that there were challenges in working with groups and individuals who were interconnected in the lives of the sex workers, but who also exploited them ( 5 ). These people and groups had mutually beneficial relationships that centered around economic and physical security and political gain. These relationships required much effort to cultivate and maintain in the face of changing environmental and societal conditions.

In addition, because the sex workers were a marginalized and impoverished group, there was a strong need to have health professional partners who could advocate on their behalf using their political power. These health professionals also provided management and leadership skills in the initial years of the project until members of the community were ready to assume these roles. While this community engagement process began with health professionals at the top of the hierarchy, it was gradually transferred to people in the community. Thus, equity in leadership came over time as the sex workers developed managerial and leadership skills. However, other research utilized naturally occurring social hierarchies to communicate prevention messages by training men identified as “opinion leaders” to provide factual information about HIV prevention ( 20 ).

There were some logistical challenges mentioned in the delivery of a community-engaged intervention or in the implementation of a needs assessment. Some challenges were noted in the training of community members to deliver health promotion interventions, including low literacy among community members ( 20 ). In addition, one article described multiple issues related to the implementation of a community participatory needs assessment ( 14 ), including participants’ frustration answering research questions and conflicts of the research design with communal cultural norms.

One more challenge to community-engaged research projects was the dependence on outside funding and assistance for sustainability ( 5 ). Many of the community groups targeted are marginalized and impoverished and have minimal ability to generate funds to support initiatives. Therefore, these community members rely heavily on a network of insecure and competitive funding agencies and donors to sustain their projects. In addition, some funding agencies have their own agendas with regards to the focus of the funding they will provide. While there are times that the community and the funding agencies agree on the focus, at other times they diverge. Because of the reliance on outside funding, the projects have to produce deliverables, like reports which require additional staff time and effort. In addition, project staff is needed to regularly publicize the project to attract funding ( 5 ).

The purpose of the present article was to describe the state of the science of community-engaged research in India. Community-engaged research is an important and innovative technique that may mobilize communities to improve global health. However, the results show that the use of community-engaged research approaches in India is limited. Most of the existing community-engaged research was conducted to support health promotion initiatives. It appears that it is feasible to engage various Indian communities to support health promotion initiatives, but evidence for the success of the health promotion initiatives developed through community-engaged research is limited. Because it has been rarely used, the potential of this research approach has not yet been realized. Engaging the community in research in other disciplines, like biomedical research, technology research, or health policy research is important to more broadly evaluate the usefulness of the approach in India.

Our review did not restrict research by the type of disease or population of focus, but our findings indicate that most published articles focused on the reduction and management of HIV/AIDS and other STIs ( 4 , 5 , 12 , 17 , 18 , 20 , 22 ), with a particular interest in the health of sex workers ( 4 , 5 , 22 ), and the health needs of adults ( 4 – 6 , 9 , 17 , 18 , 20 , 22 ). Of note, there were two studies that focused on improving the health of people with disabilities ( 10 , 14 ), but otherwise there has been no community-engaged research focused on other chronic conditions, nutrition, injury prevention, or other infectious diseases.

The articles reviewed indicate that there were many benefits to engaging the community in research, including the learning of new insights about the community. Sometimes these new insights helped facilitate the development of a community-engaged intervention. In addition, similar to the findings of Viswanathan et al. ( 25 ), the engagement of the community often led to community empowerment and generated a deeper interest in the health problem under study among the participants. This empowerment enabled community members to act upon other problems of interest to the community.

One interesting finding from the review of published articles was the fact that a number of academic researchers who partnered with various communities were from countries outside of India where community-engaged research is more common, like Canada and the US ( 4 , 5 , 10 , 14 , 16 – 18 , 22 ). There may be several explanations for this phenomenon. It may be that community-engaged research is not widely promulgated or conducted in India. Or, it is possible that community-engaged research activities that are currently being conducted, like outreach and community mobilization, are not considered as topics for publication or future research collaboration, and therefore do not appear in the literature. The high number of published studies from academic researchers from outside India may be explained by requirements of funding agencies. Most of the published research was funded, at least in part, by government agencies, universities, and organizations outside of India ( 5 – 8 , 10 , 12 , 16 – 18 , 20 ). Often funders require a publication as an indication of a completed project, and so there may be more incentives for academic researchers outside of India to publish this type of research.

Although members of the community participated in various ways in the studies reviewed, we did not find any study reporting that community members had defined the health problem of focus. Several articles described research conducted in collaboration with the community; however, upon further examination, three studies indicated that community members only participated as research participants ( 9 , 14 , 21 ). On the whole, most studies reviewed indicated that there was a continuous sharing of information between the community and the academic researchers, with community members participating in leadership on the project, instrument design, or intervention delivery and dissemination ( 4 – 8 , 12 , 17 , 18 , 20 , 22 ).

The Sonagachi Project, as described in three articles ( 4 , 5 , 22 ), was the project that was most integrated in the community as indicated by reports of how decisions were shared and research processes implemented by members of the community. However, it appears that full sharing of power developed over time as the project became more embedded in the interconnected context of the community of sex workers and those who interacted with them. It took some time before the marginalized community became more empowered in the project and more able to fully share power with the other stakeholders. Although the Sonagachi Project was well integrated within the community, it still relied on the use of a hierarchy structure within the project leadership ( 5 ). Another project used a hierarchy structure to their advantage to deliver a health education intervention ( 20 ). These findings are interesting because they show the practical challenges of implementing a research paradigm that emphasizes equity in power and decision making in a culture that focuses on hierarchical decision making and power.

Another cultural aspect noted in a few studies was the challenge of promoting research and interventions focused on individual behavior change in the context of a communal worldview. Some researchers experienced difficulty with asking participants to take part in an individual interview as the participants felt more comfortable participating in an interview along with a friend or family member ( 14 ). Another study found that health decision making occurred in the context of the family, rather than as an individual behavior ( 9 ). One study ( 10 ) noted that community empowerment was more feasible when community members worked in small groups. Community-engaged research in India should consider the collectivist nature of Indian society, which values collaboration, interdependence, and shared benefits ( 9 , 10 ).

There are a number of limitations to this review. This is not a systematic review of the literature, so it is possible that eligible studies may not have been included in the review. Similar to the findings of Viswanathan et al. ( 25 ), there were not enough studies providing data on the efficacy of a CBPR research approach in improving health to draw any conclusions about whether the approach affects health outcomes in India. None of the studies obtained from the search involved full participation of the community in all aspects of a research project from identification of the focus of research to dissemination of the findings. In addition, this article does not include unpublished research or research that was not easily available in a PubMed search. This review does not compare the use of community-engaged research in India to other countries or other areas of the world.

This review of the literature points to several future directions. One future direction for community-engaged research in India is to increase the number of academic researchers from India who conduct and publish community-engaged research. In addition, another direction is to increase the participation of community members in all aspects of the study from planning to dissemination of research data and beyond. Furthermore, the community-engaged research paradigm should be applied to other health conditions experienced by people in India as well as children, adolescents, and older adults. Increasing the number of high-quality intervention research studies that use community-engaged research approaches should also be a priority.

CONCLUSIONS

Innovative community-engaged research approaches are relatively rare in India. This review of research that engaged various communities in India to improve health indicated that this type of research approach has generally been limited to sexually transmitted diseases and the health concerns of adults. In the articles reviewed, there was a range of community participation in the research initiatives from minimal participation as the subjects in a research investigation to participation and empowerment in many aspects of the research. Engaging community members in research can prove to be a mutually beneficial experience for both researchers and community members and may have the potential to improve global health.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The work conducted to produce this article was supported by Award Number D43TW006793 from the Fogarty International Center. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the Fogarty International Center or the National Institutes of Health.

Dr. Kristen J. Wells is an Assistant Professor in the Center for Evidence-based Medicine and Health Outcomes Research at the University of South Florida College of Medicine. She is also Assistant Member at Moffitt Cancer Center. Dr. Wells is a clinical health psychologist with a public health background who has extensive training in cancer prevention and control. Her research focuses on cancer health disparities, cancer health communication, and the development and evaluation of community health worker and patient navigation programs.

Dr. Charles Preuss is Assistant Professor in the Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology, College of Medicine, at the University of South Florida. His scholarly interests are in medical education, pharmacogenomics, and nutraceuticals. He has taught pharmacology for over 9 years in several Colleges of Pharmacy and, most recently, has taught pharmacology to medical, physical therapy, and graduate students at the University of South Florida College of Medicine.

Dr. Yashwant Pathak is Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs at the University of South Florida College of Pharmacy. Dr. Pathak has worked in academics for over 15 years in various capacities—as Chair and Professor and later as Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs and Assistant Dean of Research. He is also associated with Nanotechnology Education and Research Center in College of Engineering and Translational Nano medicine Center in the College of Medicine. He has several years of Industrial experience. In fact, the last job he had was director of Research and Development for formulation and drug delivery systems.

Dr. J. K. Kosambiya is Professor (Additional) at the Department of Community Medicine (PSM), Government Medical College Surat, India. His research focuses on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in vulnerable populations in Gujarat, India. He is currently the Principal Investigator for the project “Targeted Intervention among Female Sex Workers of Surat City.” Dr. Kosambiya also provides assistance in planning and implementing, monitoring, and evaluating various activities for the control and prevention of HIV/AIDS at the state level.

Dr. Ambuj Kumar is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Evidence Based Medicine and Health Outcomes Research, Department of Internal Medicine at the College of Medicine, University of South Florida. He also holds a faculty appointment at the Moffitt Cancer Center in the Department of Health Outcomes and Behavior. Dr. Kumar has successfully applied the principles of evidence-based medicine not only to the practice of medicine by constantly evaluating the evidence of medical interventions, but also has peer-reviewed funding for his work involving the same methodologies in research.

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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