Background: The core competencies for the Bachelor’s program in Health Social Work were first developed in 2016. In 2023, the core competencies were revised in collaboration with international experts through the Fulbright Specialist Program. The updated framework includes nine general and 40 sub-competencies, with an emphasis on training social workers to provide person-centered, integrated services within the health sector. There is a need to further improve the current undergraduate curriculum by aligning with the updated core competencies. Aim: This study aimed to assess the alignment between the current undergraduate health social work curriculum and the revised core competencies. Through program mapping, we sought to identify overlaps, gaps, and areas for improvement that will inform future curriculum development. Materials and Methods: We employed content analysis and program mapping to evaluate 30 course curricula from the Health Social Work program. The selected courses included 6 General Foundation, 9 Professional Foundation, 12 Specialization, and 3 Field Practice courses. Each course’s learning objectives—categorized into knowledge, skills, and attitudes—were assessed against the revised competencies at three levels: Introducing, Applying, and Mastery. NVivo 14 software was used for data analysis. Result: Of the nine core competencies, three were well-integrated across the curriculum: (1) Assessment and (2) Intervention of individuals, families, groups, communities, and organizations; and (3) Engage diversity and difference in practice. Conversely, competencies related to the evaluation of practice and policy engagement were underrepresented. Among the 40 sub-competencies, 11 were either missing or insufficiently addressed in the curriculum. Program mapping revealed that 38% of the courses addressed competencies at the Introducing level, 60% at the Applying level, and only 2% at the Mastery level. Learning outcomes in Professional Foundation and Specialization courses generally demonstrated a progression from introductory to applied learning. Conclusion 1. The revised core competencies are broadly aligned with the current curriculum. However, key areas—particularly evaluation of practice and engagement in policy practice—require further integration. 2. The curriculum also leans heavily toward introductory and applied levels, with limited opportunities for students to achieve mastery. Future curriculum revisions should focus on strengthening these underrepresented areas and enhancing learning outcomes at the mastery level.

Background: It is widely recognized that expenditures for medical treatment, rehabilitation services, and assistive devices for families with children with disabilities place a significant financial burden on household budgets, often making it difficult to meet basic daily needs. In recent years, extensive research has been conducted in countries with well-developed economic and social service systems to examine how disability affects family financial stability. Additionally, there is growing evidence on the relationship between financial burden and quality of life among families raising children with disabilities. Aim: To determine the correlation between financial strain and family quality of life (FQOL) among families raising children with disabilities. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between 2024 and 2025, involving 735 caregivers from both urban (Ulaanbaatar) and rural areas, recruited through governmental and non-governmental organizations. Data were collected using measures of average household income, the proportion of household income spent on disability-related expenses, self-reported financial burden, and the standardized Family Quality of Life questionnaire developed by Hoffman (2006), which includes five domains. Descriptive statistics and linear regression analyses were performed. Result: The average household income of participants was 2,905,277.16±2,141,515.84 MNT. Families with children diagnosed with epilepsy, intellectual disabilities, cerebral palsy, and autism spectrum disorders spent a higher proportion of their annual income on related expenses. Each unit increase in the frequency of financial burden was associated with a 0.22-point decrease in overall family quality of life (p<0.001). Furthermore, a one-unit increase in the proportion of household income spent on child-related treatment and services was associated with a decrease in physical and material well-being by 0.007 points (p<0.001) and overall family quality of life by 0.003 points (p=0.037). Conversely, a 100,000 MNT increase in household income was associated with an increase in family quality of life scores (B=0.00249; p<0.001). Conclusion Household income and the proportion of income spent on disability-related expenses are significant factors influencing quality of life. Financial stress experienced by families with children with disabilities negatively affects family quality of life.

Background: In recent years, the use of social networking sites has rapidly increased, enabling people to communicate more efficiently, quickly, and effectively, as well as to access and share information in real time. Accordingly, various research tools and measurement instruments have been developed to assess the impact of social media on individuals’ daily lives. However, most of these instruments primarily focus on the duration and frequency of use, failing to comprehensively capture the true influence of social media. Therefore, there remains a need to evaluate social media use more broadly. Aim: Determine the reliability and validity of the Social Media Use Scale among adolescents. Material and Methods: This analytic cross-sectional study was conducted among 421 students aged 12–17 years (mean age 15.1±3.6), including 43.7% male and 56.3% female participants. The study assessed the reliability and validity of the Mongolian version of the Social Media Use Integration Scale (SMUIS). Construct validity was examined using Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), while reliability was evaluated using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. Results: The Mongolian version of the Social Media Use Integration Scale revealed two subfactors (eigenvalue > 1.0). In the principal component analysis, all 10 items showed sufficient factor loadings (≥ 0.4) with no cross-loading items (<0.4). Structural regression analysis indicated positive and significant effects among the subfactors (B=0.42–0.82). The reliability of the validated questionnaire was acceptable, with Cronbach’s alpha values above 0.6. Conclusion The Mongolian version of the Social Media Use Integration Scale demonstrated satisfactory validity and reliability and can be appropriately used to assess adolescents’ electronic media use. Further studies are recommended to test the reliability of this instrument among other population groups.

Background: It is stated in the Government Programme of 2016-2020 that public servants, including health care workers, shall be given a gradually increased salary based on their skill, dexterity, workload, and productivity, and such increase started from 2018 as planned. In the health sector of our country, regarding demand and regulation of the programme, the change shall be made that the system for median salary of physicians and overall staff employed at hospitals gets even constructive, and the required human resource for the sector shall be prepared. Thus, inferring from these claims, median salary, real wage, and socioeconomic condition are in critical need for further evaluation. Objective: To examine the current socio-economic condition of health care workers, and to study the influencing factors at play. Methods: In this study, we used quantitative and qualitative methods. In the survey, we involved 655 health care workers from 6 family health centers, 2 district hospitals, 3 health centers (district-based) in Songinokhairkhan, Sukhbaatar, and Baganuur districts; and Provincial hospital, regional diagnosis and health center, 16 soum health centers from Khovd, Uvs, Arkhangai, Bulgan, Khentii, Dornod, Umnugovi, and Dornogovi provinces, along with 3 National specialized health centers and 1 National central hospital. As for data gathering for the qualitative analysis, 30 focus group interviews and 47 key informant interviews were conducted for the purpose of examining socioeconomic condition, real wage sufficiency of health care workers. Results: Average household income of study participants was 1,880,269 tugrik, the real wage was 1,073,065 tugrik, and the overall household is seen to be composed of 2 different sources on average, namely, self-wage and the income coming from family members or supplement of Child Money Programme. It has come to notice that 19.5% of the participants have lower than average living standard, 89.2% have 2 different loans (mortgage, auto loan or mobile application based loans). Material deprivation index is seen to be 2.73, hence deemed as insufficient. In order to increase the real wage of those workers, it shall be taken into consideration that the basic salary is low, and some financial supplements need to be given. Furthermore, the performance based funding system of health sector is seen to be in need of improvement. Conclusion Real wage of the health care workers is, thus, insufficient. The fact that one in every five workers in this sector have lower than average living standard, and the material deprivation index is 2.73 implying that the financial lives of health care workers are immensely fragile.

Background: Psychosocial work environment predicts a range of health risks including sickness absence, poor self rated health, and depression. Objective: To identify association between psychosocial work environment and health related indicators among health care workers in Mongolia Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between January and April, 2023. 655 health care workers from Ulaanbaatar city and 4 aimags were involved. Psychosocial work environment was assessed by the Effort-reward imbalance model. As for the health related indicators, we used the SF-12 questionnaire and sickness absence report. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were performed.
The study was approved by Medical Ethics Review Committee on January 18, 2023 (#23/02). Results: 1 in every 2 health care workers experience effort-reward imbalance at work and rated their health as poor. In average, 32.7 percent of the study participants took 16.6 sick days for the last 1 year. The study identified poor physical (44.7±8.6) and mental health functioning (42.1±9.8) among study participants. Physical functioning was lower among nurses whereas mental health functioning was lower among physicians. Conclusion Poor health related indicators among health care workers are associated with adverse psychosocial work environment such as effort-reward imbalance and high effort and low reward

Justification: Researchers highlighted an importance of health professionals’ participation (1), (2), a role on behavior change in primary health care services (3)evidence based health policy and program (4)(5) байгааг and health promotion to reduce a prevalence of both communicable and non-communicable diseases in Mongolia. Mongolian National University of Medical Sciences trains public health researchers and health social workers in the last ten years. It has been developed a guideline of required compulsory professional competence in which, students of SPH should acquire knowledge, skills including behavior change strategy and implement interventions, behavior change assessment at individual, family, group and community levels. Purpose: Aim of this research is to identify key words and content of "health Behavior" and "health Promotion" in undergraduate courses of School of public health (SPH) and compare with a content of compulsory professional competence requirements. Methodology and Materials: We used a summative content analysis [6] to identify key words and content of ‘’health behavior’’ and ‘’health promotion’’ in 140 courses between 2009 and 2016 and compared with 17 required compulsory professional competence in blue print guideline [7]. Results: Planned academic hours of ‘’health behavior and promotion’’ in courses of health social work was insufficient and they covered several theories with no content of implementation, application, evidence based practices and examples. For students of public health researchers, there are required compulsory 8 skills of health behavior, however skills and knowledge were slightly covered in courses of ”food safety”, “health of kids and adolescent” and “occupational health”. Conclusion Undergraduate courses for health social workers and public health researchers were based solely on “individual health behavior theories’’. The included content of the theory, application of organization and community behaviors was insufficient in the existing “health behavior” course.

Technologies of social and medical work to improve the social status of citizens and their health are used in various spheres of life. One of them is the work of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC), which does a lot to preserve the health of the country›s population, to help the sick, the disabled, the elderly and other needy groups. The article attempts to analyze the forms and methods of medical and social work carried out at churches in the Republic of Buryatia. The efficiency of the performed work is analyzed, the groups of the population who seek help in Orthodox churches are considered. Conclusions are drawn that medical and social technologies of work which are used by the Russian Orthodox Church, promote decrease in diseases of a narcological profile and abortions among the population. Also, medical and social work carried out by the Church increases the social function of the ROC and reduces social tension in society.

Although the Health Law of Mongolia and other legal acts do not prohibit euthanasia and patient hasa rightto refuse treatment. But on the opposite side the criminal law prohibition is still valid by the explanation of Supreme court of Mongolia. If doctors do euthanasia with patients or their loved ones, then doctors have a risk to suits with the sanction of imprisonment for 10-15 years, according to the 2002 Mongolian criminal law’s code 91.1 and it is considered as crime. The Supreme Court interpretation states that doctor must be judged by 91.1 if he/she does euthanasia with the permission of the victim. Legal practitioners of environmental health officers and the lack of action identified for families and patients of consumer awareness, attitude is the basis of our research. The aim of the study is to determine legal knowledge and the attitude of the medical staffs, caregivers of medical clients and palliative patient. This is because in order to achieve integrated understanding of medical and law sciences issues is required in this area of specific research.

Background: Mongolia is one of the most influenced countries by non-communicable diseases among developing countries. Non-communicable diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, cancers, respiratory diseases, diabetes, and injuries have become the major causes of morbidity and mortality in Mongolia.Goal: To assess impact of preventive intervention activities of non-communicable diseases in framework of the Millennium challenge account (MCA) health projectMethods: We conducted 17 focus group discussions (FGD) from March to April 2013 in primary and secondary health care settings, of which six in urban and eleven in rural areas.We identified themes concerning the current situation of NCD related health services from the perspective of health professionals, and insights into institutional and professional experiences related to management, implementation and coordination of the newly implemented MCA-Mongolia NCD prevention and control project.Results: As a result of the health project, NCD related knowledge and skills of health professionals have improved through progressive training, and development of guidelines and manuals. During the project, availability of equipment supplies has improved. Accordingly, medical equipment and laboratory reagents needed for early detection of NCDs were provided to primary and secondary health care settings, despite some challenges in the implementation of the project. As result of theproject implementation, increased public awareness on NCDs, and attitude change were considered as the biggest changes.Conclusion: The health project was considered as successful to provide knowledge on the best practice in NCD prevention.