title: Educational Attainment of the Public Health Workforce and Its Implications for Workforce Development.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Educational attainment is a critical issue in public health workforce development. However, relatively little is known about the actual attainment of staff in state health agencies (SHAs).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Ascertain the levels of educational attainment among SHA employees, as well as the correlates of attainment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using a stratified sampling approaching, staff from SHAs were surveyed using the Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey (PH WINS) instrument in late 2014. A nationally representative sample was drawn across 5 geographic (paired adjacent HHS) regions. Descriptive and inferential statistics were analyzed using balanced repeated replication weights to account for complex sampling. A logistic regression was conducted with attainment of a bachelor's degree as the dependent variable and age, region, supervisory status, race/ethnicity, gender, and staff type as independent variables.
  
  
  METHODS
  Web-based survey of SHA central office employees.
  
  
  METHODS
  Educational attainment overall, as well as receipt of a degree with a major in public health.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 10,246 permanently-employed SHA central office staff participated in the survey (response rate 46%). Seventy-five percent (95% confidence interval [CI], 74-77) had a bachelor's degree, 38% (95% CI, 37-40) had a master's degree, and 9% (95% CI, 8%-10%) had a doctoral degree. A logistic regression showed Asian staff had the highest odds of having a bachelor's degree (odds ratio [OR] = 2.8; 95% CI, 2.2-3.7) compared with non-Hispanic whites, and Hispanic/Latino staff had lower odds (OR = 0.6; 95% CI, 0.4-0.8). Women had lower odds of having a bachelor's degree than men (OR = 0.5; 95% CI, 0.4-0.6). About 17% of the workforce (95% CI, 16-18) had a degree in public health at any level.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Educational attainment among SHA central office staff is high, but relatively few have formal training of any sort in public health. This makes efforts to increase availability of on-the-job training and distance learning all the more critical.
authors.affiliation: de Beaumont Foundation. Bethesda, Maryland (Dr Leider and Mr Castrucci); and Association of State and Territorial Health Officials. Arlington, Virginia (Drs Harper and Bharthapudi).
authors.forename: Jonathon P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Leider
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Harper
authors.forename: Kiran
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bharthapudi
authors.forename: Brian C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Castrucci
mesh_terms: D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D011634:Public Health / Q000193:education*; D013192:Staff Development / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires