A self-assessed tool for risk perception and response capacity of Young Health Professionals to Global Health Emergencies: a pilot validation study from the BePHEP Project
1
BePHEP Project, Young Working Group of World Federation of Public Health Associations (WFPHA), Geneva, Switzerland
2
Public Hygiene and Nutrition Unit, North-West Tuscany Local Health Authority, Carrara, Italy
3
School of Public Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada
4
International Student One Health Alliance, Columbus, Ohio, United States
5
NYU School of Professional Studies, New York, United States
6
Fatima Jinnah Medical University, Lahore, Pakistan
7
Freelance Consultant, Health Policy and System Strategist, Pakruojis, Lithuania
8
Princeton University School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton, United States
9
Jinnah Sindh Medical University, Karachi, Pakistan
10
Faculty of Pharmacy, Latakia University, Latakia, Syrian Arab Republic
Popul. Med. 2026;8(Supplement Supplement 1):A3398
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Strengthening the competencies of the public health workforce is essential to address increasingly complex global health emergencies. However, little evidence exists on the perception of young health professionals in their ability to respond to diverse hazards beyond communicable diseases [1,2]. This study, developed within the BePHEP Project (“Building Evidences in Public Health Emergency Preparedness”) [3], aimed to build a self-assessment tool measuring the young health professionals’ risk perception and response capacity across multiple emergency scenarios.
METHODS:
A cross-sectional online survey was disseminated online through Young WFPHA channels in early 2025, with voluntary participation and no compensation, targeting individuals working or interested in public health and emergency preparedness. Study participants completed a 81-item across 5 domains: Demographics, Previous PHER experience (PHER_exp), Ability to Respond (AtR), Risk Perception (RP) and priorities in public health emergencies. Questions were related to 30 hazards from the WHO-EDRM Hazard Classification Framework [4]. Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha and KR-20.
RESULTS:
104 professionals completed the survey, mainly from high-middle SDI settings (36%). Most were aged 25–34 (53%), held postgraduate degrees (56%) and working in public health field (84%). AtR and RP were highest for communicable diseases. Other RP high-scores were in pollution, vector-borne diseases and floods. PHER_exp was very low overall. WASH, outbreak control and sheltering were stated as priorities; training and policy needs focused on climate, communication, conflict and misinformation. Scales showed reliability in α (RP=0.967, AtR=0.974) and KR-20 (PHER_exp =0.954).
CONCLUSIONS:
This pilot represents the start of a broader effort to institutionalize monitoring of health workforce preparedness. The tool enables the systematic identification of evolving priorities, competencies, and gaps among health professionals and supports the development of training and capacity-building programmes, so that the health workforce could respond effectively to current and emerging health threats.
Strengthening the competencies of the public health workforce is essential to address increasingly complex global health emergencies. However, little evidence exists on the perception of young health professionals in their ability to respond to diverse hazards beyond communicable diseases [1,2]. This study, developed within the BePHEP Project (“Building Evidences in Public Health Emergency Preparedness”) [3], aimed to build a self-assessment tool measuring the young health professionals’ risk perception and response capacity across multiple emergency scenarios.
METHODS:
A cross-sectional online survey was disseminated online through Young WFPHA channels in early 2025, with voluntary participation and no compensation, targeting individuals working or interested in public health and emergency preparedness. Study participants completed a 81-item across 5 domains: Demographics, Previous PHER experience (PHER_exp), Ability to Respond (AtR), Risk Perception (RP) and priorities in public health emergencies. Questions were related to 30 hazards from the WHO-EDRM Hazard Classification Framework [4]. Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha and KR-20.
RESULTS:
104 professionals completed the survey, mainly from high-middle SDI settings (36%). Most were aged 25–34 (53%), held postgraduate degrees (56%) and working in public health field (84%). AtR and RP were highest for communicable diseases. Other RP high-scores were in pollution, vector-borne diseases and floods. PHER_exp was very low overall. WASH, outbreak control and sheltering were stated as priorities; training and policy needs focused on climate, communication, conflict and misinformation. Scales showed reliability in α (RP=0.967, AtR=0.974) and KR-20 (PHER_exp =0.954).
CONCLUSIONS:
This pilot represents the start of a broader effort to institutionalize monitoring of health workforce preparedness. The tool enables the systematic identification of evolving priorities, competencies, and gaps among health professionals and supports the development of training and capacity-building programmes, so that the health workforce could respond effectively to current and emerging health threats.
| eISSN: | 2654-1459 |
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