Public Health Students’ Perspectives on the Future of Public Health Education

Abstract

Our society faces an uncertain future and the field of public health will have an important role to play in shaping this future. This article introduces the special issue The Future of Health Education & Behavior which is focused on perspectives and research led by student authors. Our call for papers encouraged student perspectives that envisioned, challenged, and critiqued the future for health education and behavior. We summarize the articles included in this issue which cover topics such as gaps or future directions for public health training programs, perspectives on pressing issues facing our society, and empirical articles on critical public health topics. Many of the articles in the special issue point boldly to a future that more directly and critically confronts systems of oppression and moves away from a traditional emphasis on individual-level behaviors. These articles can help our field evolve and adapt to fully address the most pressing issues of our time.