Leader: Ms Claire Palermo

Offered

Clayton Second semester 2008 (Day)

Synopsis

This unit will address prevention of disease at the population level. It will examine epidemiological indicators of nutrition related disease, the value of monitoring and surveillance in evaluating health indices over time, the role of targeted health promotion and health education strategies, and the use of upstream public health approaches to address nutrition related disorders like childhood obesity. The links between sectors like economics, advertising, and regulation will be examined for sociological and epidemiological impact as well as the social determinants of nutritional health.

Objectives

On completion of this unit students will be able to:

1. describe the impact of diet on disease at a population level;
2. critically appraise the use of epidemiology in the development and prioritisation of public health priorities;
3. analyse population nutrition data and apply to the nutritional status of populations and the development of public health nutrition priorities;
4. describe the history and development of public health and public health nutrition and outline the current key public health nutrition issues in Australia and the policy frameworks that support these;
5. outline the goals of public health and the key concepts of public health practice, including, capacity building, prevention and health promotion;
6. explain public health advocacy and apply the advocacy framework to a current public health nutrition issue;
7. identify determinants of population nutrition issues and employ the program planning cycle to these issues in the development of nutrition interventions; and
8. evaluate the effectiveness of public health nutrition approaches to nutrition related disease and issues compared to clinical approaches.

Assessment

Examination: 50%
Assignments: 40%
Reflective journal/portfolio: 10% +
Tutorial and rural practice tasks and activities: ungraded. It is essential that students submit all assessment tasks to pass the unit overall. BND course students must complete a compulsory 2-week rural placement to successfully complete this unit. Non BND students must complete a negotiated practical task to successfully complete this unit.

Contact hours

Weeks 1 - 10: 3 hours per week (interactive classes and tutorials), 9 hours self-directed study. Two weeks, full-time equivalent (compulsory rural placement BND students or other negotiated practical task non BND students)

Prerequisites

BMS1042, BND1011 or equivalent