PurposeThe COVID-19 pandemic has brought about a contingent shift to remote working and learning worldwide. However, little is known regarding the impact of this shift on internships. Moreover, much of the available literature studies on internships are focused largely on perceptions by students, less so by supervisors. This paper describes the impact of COVID-19 on public health (PH) internships and examines interns' and supervisors' perspectives on their experiences in internships before and during the pandemic.Design/methodology/approachA cross-sectional study design was conducted on two cohorts of undergraduate students and their supervisors in Singapore. Participants were surveyed using questionnaires with both close-ended and open-ended questions about various aspects of the internship experience. Data were triangulated from these surveys and module evaluation reports, and analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively.FindingsCOVID-19 disrupted internships significantly, with a reduction in the number of placements offered and necessary changes to the internship scope. Overall, the internship experience has been positive. Supervisors and e-interns reported high levels of satisfaction and documented learning gains such as the development of technical skills and soft skills unique to remote work.Originality/valueThe study findings fill current gaps in the literature on supervisor perceptions and internship experiences during COVID-19. Recommendations are proposed to optimize e-internships, a potentially authentic workplace in the post-COVID era.

An unhealthy diet is a major risk factor for chronic diseases. Although nutrition education and cooking demonstrations have resulted in favourable dietary changes, it is unclear whether this is sustainable for longer periods. This study aims to evaluate the long-term impact of a nutrition-led cooking intervention using the culinary education approach on dietary patterns based on My Healthy Plate (MHP). This was a quasi-experimental study involving patients who sought public primary care services in two polyclinics (mean age 59.3 years old). A self-administered survey was done at baseline, 6 months, and 1 year for both the intervention and the comparison groups. Participants in the intervention group were exposed to the health corner, which provided nutrition education and cooking demonstrations using the culinary education approach. A total of 216 participants completed the study at 1 year with a follow-up rate of 86%. Adjusted risk ratios (aRR) were obtained from negative binomial regression. Compared with the comparison group, participants in the intervention group were more likely to report adhering to the requirements of MHP at 6 months (aRR 1.83, 95% CI 1.12–2.99) and 1 year (aRR 1.54, 95% CI 1.10–2.16). Participants in the intervention group were less likely to add salt or sauces to food at 6 months (aRR 0.29, 95% CI 0.12–0.75) and 1 year (aRR 0.21, 95% CI 0.07–0.61) and more likely to remove fat when eating meat at 1 year (aRR 0.30, 95% CI 0.13–0.67) than the comparison group. The interventions at the health corner had a positive impact in helping patients achieve MHP recommendations, not adding salt and sauces to their food, and removing animal fat before eating. There is potential for expanding this initiative to improve healthy eating practices in other polyclinics.

Background: Experiential learning is increasingly important in public health education. Purpose: Based on 33 studies, this is the first scoping review that provides clarity on the types of experiential learning activities (ELAs) used in public health education and the evaluation results from the perspectives of three stakeholders involved: students, faculty, and communities/external agencies. Methodology/Approach: A total of 1,912 citations were sourced from six electronic databases (Education Resources Information Centre, ProQuest Central, PubMed, Scopus, STM Source, and Web of Science) and manual searches (reference lists of included studies) independently by two researchers. A random-effects meta-analysis using forest plots and a meta-synthesis using a thematic synthesis approach were conducted. Findings/Conclusions: There was a diverse range of community-, classroom-, and work-focused ELAs used. Meta-analysis revealed positive outcomes in student satisfaction, problem-solving, and communication skills. This was triangulated with the meta-synthesis results, which also indicated an overwhelmingly positive attitude toward experiential learning by all three stakeholders. Implications: Future educational programs should consider the factors that contributed to the positive experiences from all three stakeholders’ perspectives, address the various challenges highlighted in this review to refine the experience, and assess the negative experiences of faculty, and community/external agencies in greater detail.