Leader: Ms Julie Woods (Nutrition and Dietetics)

Offered

Clayton First semester 2008 (Day)

Synopsis

Health education and promotion for individuals and groups will be the main focus for this unit. Theories of health behaviour and health education will be studied to fully understand how programs assist in preventing disease and managing chronic illness. The topics will include models of individual health behaviour and group intervention models of health behaviour change. The practical application of these models, with particular emphasis on nutrition, will be studied. Nutrition counselling knowledge and skills will be developed and students will complete a four-week guided practical counselling program. Students will also develop and conduct a group health education and promotion program.

Objectives

On completion of this unit, students will be able to:

1. define and describe health education and promotion;

2. explain the theories of learning and health behaviour and illustrate how these can be applied in dietetic practice;

3. discuss the basic aspects of an effective counselling relationship;

4. implement a counselling model to direct the flow of counselling interactions; and

5. plan, conduct and evaluate a group nutrition education session.

Assessment

Examination (3 hours): 50%
4 week guided counselling program: 20%
Design and present a health education and health promotion program for small groups: 30% (Group presentation: 15%
1500 word paper 15%)

Contact hours

4 hours per week (lectures and tutorials)

Prerequisites

BND1011 or BME1141 or BND1032