Core capabilities of Chinese centers for disease control and prevention public health personnel: a network analysis from Northeast China

Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the continued inadequacy of the capability of Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) public health personnel to respond effectively to emerging infectious disease outbreaks, as well as the urgent need for specific tools to assess the...

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Main Authors: Yuxuan Wang, Ruiqian Zhuge, Kexin Wang, Nan Meng, Weiqi Huang, Yingxin Wang, Honghao Zhang, Xin Zhang, Qunkai Wang, Shanshan Gao, Yunxia Ma, Huan Liu, Qunhong Wu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-02-01
Series:BMC Medical Education
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-025-06829-0
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author Yuxuan Wang
Ruiqian Zhuge
Kexin Wang
Nan Meng
Weiqi Huang
Yingxin Wang
Honghao Zhang
Xin Zhang
Qunkai Wang
Shanshan Gao
Yunxia Ma
Huan Liu
Qunhong Wu
author_facet Yuxuan Wang
Ruiqian Zhuge
Kexin Wang
Nan Meng
Weiqi Huang
Yingxin Wang
Honghao Zhang
Xin Zhang
Qunkai Wang
Shanshan Gao
Yunxia Ma
Huan Liu
Qunhong Wu
author_sort Yuxuan Wang
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the continued inadequacy of the capability of Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) public health personnel to respond effectively to emerging infectious disease outbreaks, as well as the urgent need for specific tools to assess the capability needed by CDC public health personnel in the post-pandemic era. Using network analysis, we aimed to analyze the comprehensive capacities of CDC public health staff and the relationships between these capacities. We also examined the impact of standardized public health training on their capacities and provided actionable recommendations for improving their training and overall capability. Methods This study employs a cross-sectional design. A self-developed questionnaire was used to evaluate the capabilities of public health personnel in CDC. Network analysis was conducted using the qgraph package in R (version 4.3.1) to construct a capability network model, while the bootnet package ensured the stability and reliability of the network through bootstrapping. The NetworkComparisonTest package was applied to compare network structures and identify differences between groups. Results Over half (51.80%, N = 11,912) of public health personnel rated their comprehensive capabilities as poor. Core capabilities, including research, motivation, and emergency response, were identified as pivotal within the capability network. The network stability coefficient for strength was 0.75, indicating reliable results. The capability networks of those who participated in standardized training differed significantly from those who did not (P = 0.04). Conclusion CDC public health personnel exhibit significant capability gaps, particularly in research and leadership. Standardized training provides some benefits but remains insufficient. Policymakers should address these gaps by aligning training content with critical capability needs, offering flexible and targeted training methods (e.g., virtual courses, self-paced modules), and implementing capability-based assessments to evaluate training outcomes.
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spelling doaj-art-4da12fa2f5c14ab284016076dcc47aa02025-08-20T02:12:58ZengBMCBMC Medical Education1472-69202025-02-0125111410.1186/s12909-025-06829-0Core capabilities of Chinese centers for disease control and prevention public health personnel: a network analysis from Northeast ChinaYuxuan Wang0Ruiqian Zhuge1Kexin Wang2Nan Meng3Weiqi Huang4Yingxin Wang5Honghao Zhang6Xin Zhang7Qunkai Wang8Shanshan Gao9Yunxia Ma10Huan Liu11Qunhong Wu12Department of Social Medicine, Health Management College, Harbin Medical UniversityDepartment of Social Medicine, Health Management College, Harbin Medical UniversityDepartment of Social Medicine, Health Management College, Harbin Medical UniversityDepartment of Social Medicine, Health Management College, Harbin Medical UniversityDepartment of Social Medicine, Health Management College, Harbin Medical UniversityDepartment of Social Medicine, Health Management College, Harbin Medical UniversityDepartment of Social Medicine, Health Management College, Harbin Medical UniversityDepartment of Social Medicine, Health Management College, Harbin Medical UniversityDepartment of Social Medicine, Health Management College, Harbin Medical UniversityDepartment of Social Medicine, Health Management College, Harbin Medical UniversityDepartment of Social Medicine, Health Management College, Harbin Medical UniversityDepartment of Social Medicine, Health Management College, Harbin Medical UniversityDepartment of Social Medicine, Health Management College, Harbin Medical UniversityAbstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the continued inadequacy of the capability of Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) public health personnel to respond effectively to emerging infectious disease outbreaks, as well as the urgent need for specific tools to assess the capability needed by CDC public health personnel in the post-pandemic era. Using network analysis, we aimed to analyze the comprehensive capacities of CDC public health staff and the relationships between these capacities. We also examined the impact of standardized public health training on their capacities and provided actionable recommendations for improving their training and overall capability. Methods This study employs a cross-sectional design. A self-developed questionnaire was used to evaluate the capabilities of public health personnel in CDC. Network analysis was conducted using the qgraph package in R (version 4.3.1) to construct a capability network model, while the bootnet package ensured the stability and reliability of the network through bootstrapping. The NetworkComparisonTest package was applied to compare network structures and identify differences between groups. Results Over half (51.80%, N = 11,912) of public health personnel rated their comprehensive capabilities as poor. Core capabilities, including research, motivation, and emergency response, were identified as pivotal within the capability network. The network stability coefficient for strength was 0.75, indicating reliable results. The capability networks of those who participated in standardized training differed significantly from those who did not (P = 0.04). Conclusion CDC public health personnel exhibit significant capability gaps, particularly in research and leadership. Standardized training provides some benefits but remains insufficient. Policymakers should address these gaps by aligning training content with critical capability needs, offering flexible and targeted training methods (e.g., virtual courses, self-paced modules), and implementing capability-based assessments to evaluate training outcomes.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-025-06829-0Center for disease control and preventionPublic health personnelStandardized trainingComprehensive capabilitiesNetwork analysis
spellingShingle Yuxuan Wang
Ruiqian Zhuge
Kexin Wang
Nan Meng
Weiqi Huang
Yingxin Wang
Honghao Zhang
Xin Zhang
Qunkai Wang
Shanshan Gao
Yunxia Ma
Huan Liu
Qunhong Wu
Core capabilities of Chinese centers for disease control and prevention public health personnel: a network analysis from Northeast China
BMC Medical Education
Center for disease control and prevention
Public health personnel
Standardized training
Comprehensive capabilities
Network analysis
title Core capabilities of Chinese centers for disease control and prevention public health personnel: a network analysis from Northeast China
title_full Core capabilities of Chinese centers for disease control and prevention public health personnel: a network analysis from Northeast China
title_fullStr Core capabilities of Chinese centers for disease control and prevention public health personnel: a network analysis from Northeast China
title_full_unstemmed Core capabilities of Chinese centers for disease control and prevention public health personnel: a network analysis from Northeast China
title_short Core capabilities of Chinese centers for disease control and prevention public health personnel: a network analysis from Northeast China
title_sort core capabilities of chinese centers for disease control and prevention public health personnel a network analysis from northeast china
topic Center for disease control and prevention
Public health personnel
Standardized training
Comprehensive capabilities
Network analysis
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-025-06829-0
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