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Ike I. Eriator, MD, MPH and Darrell A. Jordan, MPH. Department of Public Health, Jackson State University, 350 W. Woodrow Wilson Ave, Suite 2301B, Jackson, MS 39213 -7681, 6013682095, ikeijen@pol.net
Improved pain management has been listed as one of the top 20 chronic medical problems that the United States government and private healthcare organizations should focus on in order to have the broadest impact on patients, families and communities. Pain is a significant source of personal and family suffering across different cultures and geographical boundaries. Employment outcomes in people with chronic pain are consistently poor. The largest numbers of people turning to alternative medicine today are patients with pain. Considering the impact of pain on peoples’ health, should we be preparing our public health students by including information on pain in the curriculum? We administered a questionnaire to 31 public health students enrolled in the masters program to assess their knowledge and attitude towards the public health problem of pain. The average age was 31 years. 86% were females. 30% have had pain for duration longer than one month. 83% of respondents felt that pain was a major public health problem, while 17% felt it was not. All the respondents agreed that more than 10% of employees take time off work annually due to pain, while 93% of the students surveyed agreed that low back injury or illness is the most common musculoskeletal claim in workers compensation insurance. The results of this preliminary survey suggest that most public health students have the right conceptualization of pain as a public health problem, and this can be easily harnessed in teaching pain related disorders in public health schools.
Learning Objectives: At the end of this session, the participants will
Keywords: Public Health Curricula, Professional Preparation
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.