Could your dissertation be the next to impact public health?

Discover topics chosen by MSc Global Public Health students to explore in-depth for their dissertations.

A highlight of studying a master’s degree is the chance to conduct your own in-depth research into a particular public health issue. You can choose a topic close to your heart, something that interests you or is relevant to your job.

Gender-based violence, vaccination and child marriage are just a few of the health concerns investigated by previous students. Here we look at four fascinating recent projects.  

In 2023, Queen Mary Online held its first ever MSc Global Public Health Graduate Conference, providing a unique opportunity for a selection of former students to showcase their dissertation to an audience of staff and peers.

Below, we highlight the hard-hitting findings of four projects which demonstrate the kind of cutting-edge research you too could soon be undertaking, should you choose to sign up for our MSc Global Public Health. 

Highlighting serious health risks and inequalities at US-based factory farms 

Examining the local and global public health impacts of waste emissions from US-based concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) was the topic chosen by Elise Pohl, a Communicable Disease Prevention Specialist.

Widely referred to as factory farms, the United States (US) has around 25,000 CAFOs, in which over 1,000 animals are confined for over 45 days a year, and they produce over 401 billion kilograms of waste annually.  

Reviewing literature from 2016-2022 in order to influence future public health policy, Elise identified links to a range of serious health issues, including respiratory conditions, uterine cancer, neonatal mortality and bacterial infections, as well as public health concerns around antimicrobial resistance, MRSA and tuberculosis.

She also highlighted the potential exploitation of foreign CAFO workers, whose health may be jeopardised because they do not understand the hazards, face intimidation or fear being deported. 

Calling out Australia and Canada on failed efforts to tackle disproportionate indigenous drug use 

Amid a growing opioid crisis, Kirsten Edwards, a Sexual Health Advisor, chose to undertake a comparative study of the experiences of indigenous people who inject drugs in Australia and Canada. As a population that has historically suffered trauma and inequality, substance abuse is generally more prevalent among indigenous communities, but this worsened considerably during the pandemic. 

Kirsten compared and analysed current national drug policies, as well as the health status of non-indigenous and indigenous populations. Her findings confirmed that while accounting for less than five per cent of the overall population in both countries, indigenous people earn substantially less than non-indigenous, are less educated, more likely to be in prison and more likely to contract HIV, Hepatitis C or overdose.  

She concluded that the apparent lack of involvement of indigenous people in policy making and consideration given to the critical social determinants of health that affect them demonstrated ongoing oppression and disregard of these communities.

She recommended that there instead needs to be a greater push for indigenous-led harm reduction and culturally safe, stigma-free, accessible care for indigenous drug users to reconnect and re-engage with the community while seeking healing. 

Too many Caesarean sections in low-risk pregnancies by Nigerian private healthcare  

Studying the potential over-medicalisation of low-risk pregnancies in Nigeria was the topic of research chosen by Dr Lotachi Ugwunwa Onyemenam, a practising medical doctor.  

Using the number of Caesarean sections (CS), typically more prevalent in private healthcare, as an indicator of excessive medical intervention, Lotachi interviewed a number of obstetrician’s in private and public health settings.

He wanted to understand what factors – related to the obstetricians, patients and/or providers – affected final decision-making for CS and may be attributable to the higher rates in private hospitals.  

Lotachi found that fear of litigation, poor working schedules and the profit orientation of private facilities, coupled with patients’ socio-economic status and maternal requests were the main contributing factors, all of which need to be equally addressed for a reduction in CS rates in private facilities to become a reality.  

Uncovering mixed knowledge among adolescents about the effects of vaping  

The use of electronic or e-cigarettes, also referred to as vaping, has increased rapidly over the past decade, and is particularly popular among adolescents, even more so in high-income countries.  

Rutendo Kudenga, a practising dentist and lecturer, conducted a literature review to examine the attitude and knowledge among young people aged 12-17 years in the US, UK, Finland, Hong Kong, Germany, France, Canada and Ireland.  

Rutendo found that while the attitudes and beliefs of adolescents varied depending on their environment and surroundings, there were clear differences in understanding. While most were aware of e-cigarettes, some saw them as safe, others were unsure or felt they were harmful to health.

He concluded that more research needs to be carried out in other high-income countries to better understand adolescents' knowledge and attitude toward electronic cigarettes. 

Are you ready to gain the knowledge and research skills to make your own important public health discoveries? Find out more about the Queen Mary Online MSc Global Public Health: