[Health in All Policies Within Local Public Health Reporting in Public Health Service]. / Health in All Policies in der kommunalen Gesundheitsberichterstattung im Öffentlichen Gesundheitsdienst.

OBJECTIVES: The Public Health Service, as an administrative policy-oriented actor, can be essential for the implementation of Health in All Policies at the county level. Local Public Health Reporting, anchored in the federal state laws, as basis for planning processes can play a potentially central role in this regard. This study will investigate to what extent local health reports fulfill such an overarching role through integration and administrative intersectorality. METHODS: A quantitative document analysis of published reports (random sample; n=53) was conducted based on a nationwide nonreactive data collection of Local Public Health Reporting. The degree of integration was classified in terms of methodological, content and intersectoral aspects. A stratified analysis was performed according to the type of regional authority, the administrative location of the Public Health Service and the type of report. RESULTS: Integration in the form of data from at least two other subject areas was found in 29 reports (55%). Intersectorality was explicitly recognizable in nine reports (17%), and with an above-average frequency in district-free cities and children/youth reports. Integration of reports on infection protection/vaccination was below average. The organizational location with the social and/or youth fields of action was positively associated with the degree of integration. CONCLUSIONS: From the perspective of Health in All Policies, the degree of integration and intersectorality of Local Public Health Reporting assessed so far is too low. There is potential for development through a beneficial organizational structure and the choice of topics, especially in the field of child and youth health.

How to Increase the Attractiveness of the Public Health Service in Germany as a Prospective Employer? Part II of the OeGD-Studisurvey.

The Public Health Service (PHS) in Germany has had difficulties in recruiting enough qualified staff for years, but there is limited research on what factors drive decisions to (not) join the PHS workforce. We explored reasons for this perceived (lack of) attractiveness. We conducted two cross-sectional surveys among medical students (MS), public health students and students from other PHS-relevant fields (PH&ONM) in Germany before (2019/2020) and during the COVID-19 pandemic (2021). Both waves surveyed self-reported reasons for why students did (not) consider working in the PHS as attractive and how this could be improved, using open-question items. Qualitative and quantitative content analyses were conducted according to Mayring. In total, 948 MS and 445 PH&ONM provided valid written responses. Reasons for considering the PHS as attractive were, among others, the perception of a good work-life balance, high impact, population health focus, and generally interesting occupations. Suggestions to increase attractiveness included reducing bureaucracy, modernization/digitalization, and more acknowledgement of non-medical professionals. Among MS, reasons against were too little clinical/patient-related activities, low salary, and occupations regarded as boring. Our findings indicate areas for improvement for image, working conditions in, and institutional structures of the PHS in Germany to increase its attractiveness as an employer among young professionals.

What Factors Influence the Interest in Working in the Public Health Service in Germany? Part I of the OeGD-Studisurvey.

As in many European countries, the Public Health Service (PHS) in Germany has had considerable difficulties in attracting well-qualified personnel for decades. Despite ongoing political and societal debate, limited empirical research on possible causes and explanations is available. To identify areas of action, we explored reasons for the (lack of) interest in working in the PHS by conducting two cross-sectional surveys among 3019 medical students (MS), public health students, and students from other PHS-relevant fields (PH&ONM) in Germany right before (wave 1, 2019/2020) and during the COVID-19 pandemic (wave 2, 2021). While interest in working in the PHS among MS was low, it was considerably higher among PH&ONM. The prevalent underestimation of the importance of public health and low levels of knowledge about the PHS were identified as potential barriers. Although core activities of the PHS were often considered attractive, they were repeatedly not attributed to the PHS. A negative perception of the PHS (e.g., it being too bureaucratic) was prevalent among students with and without PHS interest, indicating that both a negative image and potentially structural deficits need to be overcome to increase attractiveness. Based on the findings, we propose approaches on how to sustainably attract and retain qualified personnel.