HSC5012 - Strategies for health promotion

Leader(s): Professor Helen Keleher

Offered

Peninsula Second semester 2009 (Off-campus)

Synopsis

In this unit, participants will examine the range of strategies that can be used to achieve health promotion goals and objectives, and consider their strengths and weaknesses when applied to different needs, populations groups and settings. Case studies will be used to illustrate the application of strategies in clinical settings, schools, worksites and the wider community, and for projects with high needs and hard-to-reach groups. Techniques and implementation models that can improve the delivery and sustainability of strategies will be examined. Case studies of staged multi-faceted projects will be presented.

Objectives

1. Describe effective education strategies that can be used to promote health among individuals and groups in different settings;
2. Critically discuss the application of mass communication strategies, community development, environmental modification and policy development for different contexts;
3. Select appropriate strategies for promoting health among disadvantaged and hard-to-reach groups;
4. Describe capacity building strategies to improve the delivery and sustainability of interventions;
5. Apply theories and health promotion principles to improve strategy design and delivery;
6. Summarise evidence concerning the effectiveness of health promotion strategies to address current health priorities.

Assessment

Review of evidence concerning health promotion strategies (30%)
Presentation of strategies for a selected issue (20%)
Critical analysis of current health promotion project (50%)

Prerequisites

HSC5002 Health promotion: A determinants approach