Recent work in the field of public health work force training has largely avoided discussions of the work force needs for specific population groups. Yet the imminent arrival of the baby boom and the doubling of the number of people age 65 and over in the next 30 years create a clear need for an expanding cadre of public health professionals with expertise in aging issues.

Data from schools of public health document the rapid growth in both the number of accredited institutions granting public health degrees and the number of students pursuing them over the past 10 years. In 1993-94, a total of 14,600 students were enrolled in schools of public health, rising to more than 20,000 students in 2004-05. There were 36 schools of public health in 2005, up substantially from the 26 accredited schools in 1994. Further, 62 additional departments of community health education and of preventive medicine had accredited public health programs in 2005, up dramatically from 18 in 1993.

Has the growth in institutions offering graduate public health education also fueled an increase in new public health professionals with expertise in aging? Earlier growth in overall public health training did seem to bring more health and aging training with it. In 1985, Magee identified 63 courses being offered in 17 schools of public health on aging topics. By 1992, Prohaska found 96 listed in the catalogs of 23 Schools. Wallace surveyed both schools of public health and other accredited MPH degree programs in 1994, and the 43 responding institutions listed 92 different graduate courses on health and aging that were currently being offered. Most (72 percent) schools of public health had at least one course specifically on aging topics, but only one-third of other degree granting departments did. Course enrollments tended to be modest, so including all health and aging courses offered during a year, it was estimated that only 6 percent of graduates had taken at least one health and aging course. To determine the current state of aging curriculum within public health schools and programs, a follow-up study was conducted starting in the fall of 2005 and concluding mid-2006.

The overall response rate for the follow-up survey was 92 percent for schools of public health and 61 percent for public health programs. Among all respondents, there were a total of 128 aging-related courses offered within both accredited public health schools and programs. Key respondents at schools of public health report that two-thirds of courses are offered once per year, two-thirds are taught by tenure track faculty, and there is an average enrollment of 12 students per class. For public health programs, courses are most commonly offered once per year, 55 percent are taught by tenure track faculty, and there is an average enrollment of 10 students.

These numbers show that there is a definite presence of aging courses offered in accredited public health schools and programs. This is promising for training in the field of gerontological public health. However, our study also found that despite the increase in numbers of public health degree programs and in aging-related public health courses, there has been a decrease in the number of students taking these courses. Findings from the 1994 study show that 6 percent of enrolled students took at least one public health and aging course, but in 2005, only 3 percent of students took at least one course. Thus, among the more than 20,000 students enrolled in accredited public health degree programs, a mere 3 percent are exposed to any aging courses.

The 2005 follow-up survey answers the question of “what is the state of gerontological public health education?” We have information on the number and types of aging courses, faculty, students, field placements, funding, and respondents’ thoughts on barriers, strengths and future directions. What we do not know is why there is a seeming lack of interest in public health gerontology and what can and should be done to expose more students to this field. The number and variety of courses is promising, but what is their impact if only 3 percent of public health students are taking them? Is enrollment low because of the quality of public health and aging courses, a lack of active recruitment, or other reasons? How do we increase funding needed for curriculum development & student incentives? An immediate and concerted effort is needed to address these issues if we are to train a public health work force with expertise in aging. As current gerontological health practitioners and researchers, we must meet the challenge of answering these questions and doing what we can to make a change.