Charting the Advocacy Landscape: A Qualitative Content Analysis of Syllabi in Public Health Graduate Education

Abstract

Context: Addressing public health challenges necessitates policy approaches, but concerns persist about public health graduates' preparedness to advocate. Objective: This qualitative study sought to assess advocacy content and skills taught to Master of Public Health students enrolled in US accredited schools and programs of public health (SPPHs) by analyzing 98 course syllabi submitted to the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) between 2019 and 2021. Syllabi were submitted by SPPHs during their (re)accreditation process to demonstrate compliance with CEPH's advocacy competency requirement. Design: Qualitative content analysis study. Syllabi were analyzed using MAXQDA Qualitative Data Analysis Software using a 2-coder approach. Setting: SPPHs accredited by CEPH. Participants: Ninety-eight syllabi submitted to CEPH by 22 schools of public health and 54 programs of public health. Main Outcome Measures: Exemplary language from advocacy courses and assignments and aggregate frequency of syllabi advocacy content and skills. Results: Most advocacy courses (61%) were survey, health policy, or health care delivery courses, covering policy (66%), policy communication (46%), coalition-building (45%), lobbying (36%), community organizing (33%), and media advocacy (24%) skills. Only 7% prioritized advocacy skill instruction, and 10% addressed how to advocate in an equitable way. Conclusions: Defining public health advocacy and essential skills is crucial. Issuing competency guidelines, supporting advocacy faculty, offering standardized training, and expanding experiential learning are important first steps. More research is needed on how academic institutions are incorporating equity skill training into courses, whether separate from or combined with advocacy skills.