Faculty and Staff Profile

Erin Hunter

Educational Background

2019 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health; PhD; International Health

2013 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health; MSPH; International Health

2009 Clemson University; BS; Public Health Science (minor in Social Sciences)

Courses Taught

(HLTH 4900) Research and Evaluation Strategies in Public Health
(HLTH 4950) Honors Thesis Seminar
(HLTH 4960) Honors Research Colloquium
(HON 4000) Honors Contract
(HLTH 8220) Health Research II: Qualitative and Mixed Methods (Doctoral)

Profile

Dr. Erin Hunter is a mixed-methods global health researcher running a program of research that seeks to inform the development of social and behavioral interventions to improve the health and well-being of women and girls. She also applies qualitative methods to develop or improve quantitative measures to strengthen survey design and program evaluation in global health. She applies these approaches across a range of topical areas, including sexual, reproductive, and menstrual health. Dr. Hunter is principal investigator of a 19-country study (CoTSIS) that cognitively tested and refined a novel survey instrument (the SHAPE tool) for the World Health Organization (WHO) in order to facilitate cross-national comparison of sexual practices and health data from population representative surveys globally. She is also a chief investigator on the Adolescent Menstrual Experiences and Health Cohort (AMEHC) study which is following a cohort of 2,016 girls in Khulna, Bangladesh to understand girls’ changing menstrual health experiences and needs throughout their adolescent years and examine the impacts of menstrual health on their lives. Prior to joining Clemson, Dr. Hunter was a tenure track faculty member in the School of Public Health at The University of Sydney (Australia) where she coordinated the Master of Global Health program. Prior to Sydney, Dr. Hunter consulted for the WHO Reproductive Health and Research Department on maternal health research and coordinated multi-sectoral research and health systems strengthening projects comprising government, NGO, community, and academic partners while seconded from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health to collaborating institutions in Bangladesh.

Research Interests

menstrual health, menstrual hygiene management, qualitative research, mixed-methods research, formative research, cognitive interviewing

Research Publications

*Indicates student advisee

Hunter EC, Fine E, Black K, et al. Cognitive testing in 19 countries to refine WHO's Sexual Health Assessment of Practices and Experiences. Bull World Health Organ. 2024;102(12):861-872. doi:10.2471/BLT.23.291162

Bick S, Ezezew A, Opondo C, Leurent B, Argaw W, Hunter EC, Cumming O, Allen E, Dreibelbis R. Impact of a school-based water and hygiene intervention on child health and school attendance in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: a cluster-randomised controlled trial. BMC Med 22, 348 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-024-03558-x

Hunter E, Olumide A, & Sommer M. (2024, August 21). Menstrual health. In Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Global Public Health. doi: https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190632366.013.498

Adhikari S*, Anthony S, Baleinamau P, Coriakula J, Daurewa T, Devi R, Gavidi S, Horwitz P, Hunter EC, et al. An assessment of latrine front-end characteristics and associated surface E. coli indicated faecal contamination in rural Fiji. Environ Sci Pollut Res (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-024-34668-x

Hennegan J, Hasan MT, Jalil T, Hunter EC, et al. Menstrual Practice Needs Scale short form (MPNS-SF) and rapid (MPNS-R): development in Khulna, Bangladesh, and validation in cross-sectional surveys from Bangladesh and Uganda. BMJ Open 2024;14:e084581. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2024-084581

Hennegan J, Hasan MT, Jabbar A, Jalil T, Kennedy E, Hunter EC, Kaiser A, Akter S, Zaman A, Rahman M, Dunstan L, Head A, Scott N, Weiss H, Win TM, Melendez-Torres GJ, Than KK, Hughes C, Grover S, Hasan M, Rashid S, Azzopardi P. Protocol for the Adolescent Menstrual Experiences and Health Cohort (AMEHC) Study in Khulna, Bangladesh: A Prospective cohort to quantify the influence of menstrual health on adolescent girls’ health and education outcomes. BMJ Open. April 2024.

Sexual Health Assessment of Practices and Experiences (SHAPE): questionnaire and implementation considerations. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2023. License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO.

Adhikari S*, Hunter EC, van de Vossenberg J, Thomas Jacqueline. A review of latrine front-end characteristics associated with microbial infection risk; reveals a lack of pathogen density data. Int. J. Hygiene Env. Health. Sept 2023.

Almutairi, M* & Hunter, E. Dominant ideologies in sexual health education discourse in Saudi Arabia: a critical discourse analysis of school curricula. Sex Education. 2023. DOI: 10.1080/14681811.2023.2230445

Khan R, Sarker S, Sultana F, Alam MU, Mahfuz MT, Nuruzzaman M, Robi R, Al Masud A, Khan SM, Hunter EC, Unicomb L, Rahman M, Luby SP, Winch PJ. Engaging boys in menstrual hygiene management (MHM) interventions in Bangladeshi schools: a pilot study to assess acceptability and feasibility. Journal of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for Development. 2023. doi: https://doi.org/10.2166/washdev.2023.153.

Hunter EC, Murray SM, Sultana F, Alam MU, Sarker S, Rahman M, Akter N, Mobashara M, Momata M, Winch PJ. Development and validation of the Self-Efficacy in Addressing Menstrual Needs Scale (SAMNS-26) in Bangladeshi schools: a measure of girls’ menstrual care confidence. PLoS One. 2022 Oct 6.

Mehjabeen D*, Hunter EC, Mahfuz MT, Mobashara M, Rahman M, Sultana F. A Qualitative Content Analysis of Rural and Urban School Students’ Menstruation-Related Questions in Bangladesh. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19, 10140. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191610140

Alam MU, Sultana F, Hunter EC. et al. Evaluation of a menstrual hygiene intervention in urban and rural schools in Bangladesh: a pilot study. BMC Public Health 22, 1100 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-022-13478-1.

Munro AK*, Keep M, Hunter EC, Hossain SZ. Confidence to manage menstruation among Australian university students: evidence from a cross-sectional survey. Women’s Health January 2022. https://doi.org/10.1177/17455065211070666.

Gonsalves L, Hunter EC, Brizuela V, Tucker JD, Srinivas ML, Gitau E, Mercer CH, Bajos N, Collins D. Cognitive testing of a survey instrument to assess sexual practices, behaviours, and health outcomes: a multi-country study protocol. Reproductive Health 2021 18,249. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12978-021-01301-w.

Munro AK*, Hunter EC, Hossain SZ, Keep M. A systematic review of the menstrual experiences of university students and the impacts on their education: a global perspective. PLoS One. 2021 Sep 10; 16(9):e0257333. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0257333. PMID: 34506544.

Mahfuz MT, Sultana F, Hunter EC, Jahan F, Akand F, Khan S, Mobasshara M, Rahman M, Alam M, Unicomb L, Luby SP, Winch PJ. Teachers’ perspective on implementation of menstrual hygiene management and puberty education in a pilot study in Bangladeshi schools. Global Health Action 2021; 14:1.

Bohren MA, Titiloye MA, Kyaddondo D, Hunter EC, Oladapo OT, Tunçalp Ö, Byamugisha J, Olutayo AO, Vogel JP, Gülmezoglu AM, Fawole B, Mugerwa K. Defining quality of care during childbirth from the perspectives of Nigerian and Ugandan women: a qualitative study. IJOG 2017; Dec;139 Suppl 1:4-16.

Bohren MA, Vogel JP, Hunter EC, Lutsiv O, Kudesia S, Souza JP, Aguiar C, Saraiva F, Dinis A, Tuncalp O, Javadi D, Oladapo O, Khosla R, Hindin M, Gülmezoglu AM. The mistreatment of women during childbirth in health facilities globally: A mixed-methods systematic review. PLoS Med 2015; 12(6).

Bohren MA, Hunter EC, Munthe-Kaas HM, Souza JP, Vogel JP, Gülmezoglu AM. Facilitators and barriers to facility-based delivery: a qualitative evidence synthesis. BMC Reproductive Health 2014; 11:71.

Hunter E, Callaghan-Koru J, Mahmud A, Shah R, Farzin A, Cristofalo L, Akhter S, Baqui A. Newborn care practices in rural Bangladesh: Implications for the adaptation of kangaroo mother care for community-based interventions. Social Science and Medicine. Volume 122, Dec 2014, Pages 21-30.

Honors and Awards

2025
Community Engaged Scholars Award (South Carolina Clinical and Translational Research Institute)

2024
U.S. Department of State Critical Language Scholarship Refresh Award (Bengali)

2023
Research Development Award, College of Behavioral, Social, and Health Sciences; Clemson University
Top 10% Most Cited Article of 2022, PLOS Medicine

2022
Global Health Teaching Award Nominee, University of Sydney School of Public Health
Highest course evaluation scores, Sydney School of Public Health (Global Qualitative Health Research)

2021
Outstanding Lecturer, Colleague-nominated award, Sydney School of Public Health
Best Teaching in Global Health Award, student-nominated award, Sydney School of Public Health
Highest course evaluation scores, Sydney School of Public Health (Global Qualitative Health Research)
Makers & Shapers Award: Teaching Excellence (team), The University of Sydney
U.S. Department of State Critical Language Scholarship Refresh Award (Bengali)

2020
Top 10% Most Cited Author, PLOS Medicine
Top 10 Abstract Award, UNC Water & Health Conference

2018
David and Elinor Bodian Scholarship, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Dissertation Enhancement Award, Center for Qualitative Studies in Health & Medicine, Johns Hopkins University

2017
Fulbright-Hays Fellowship, United States Department of Education
Graduate Student Employee of the Year, Johns Hopkins University
Procter & Gamble Fellowship, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Global Health Established Field Placement Award, Center for Global Health, Johns Hopkins University
Harvey Fellowship, Mustard Seed Foundation
Pre-Dissertation Fellowship, American Institute of Bangladesh Studies
Guyer Fellowship, Save the Children USA

2016
Georgeda Buchbinder Fund Award, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
U.S. Department of State Critical Language Scholarship Alumni Development Fund Award

2015
Research Poster First Place Winner, Generating Evidence and Translating into Policies and Practice Symposium, International Center for Maternal and Newborn Health, Johns Hopkins University

U.S. Department of State Critical Language Scholarship Alumni Development Fund Award

2013
U.S. Department of State Critical Language Scholarship Alumni Development Fund Award
U.S. Department of State Critical Language Scholarship (Intermediate Bengali)

2012
U.S. Department of State Critical Language Scholarship (Beginner Bengali)
Delta Omega Research Scholarship, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

2011
Future Care Scholarship, Tylenol

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