6 points, SCA Band 2, 0.125 EFTSL
Undergraduate - Unit
Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.
Faculty
Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences
Organisational Unit
South Africa School of Health Sciences
Chief examiner(s)
Coordinator(s)
Unit guides
Synopsis
In this unit, students will develop knowledge and skills for public health and health promotion program design and implementation. These are core competencies for health promotion practice. Students will develop skills in community needs assessment, determining priorities and defining target populations, and selecting an appropriate mix of strategies based on evidence and theory. Strategies that take into account social and health inequalities will be examined. Students will consider key steps in implementation management and methods for building program sustainability. Case studies, group work, planning tools and evaluations of health promotion programs will be used to develop practical problem-solving skills.
Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this unit, students should be able to:
- describe the steps in planning a preventive health program;
- identify data sources for needs assessment and community profiles;
- develop a needs assessment incorporating elements of community profiling as the basis of an evidence-based program plan;
- use published literature and formative research to identify determinants of population health needs that can be changed by health promotion action;
- write SMART project goals and objectives that are clearly linked to health determinants;
- apply a range of theories and evidence to select strategies that will meet project objectives;
- identify administrative and management issues that need to be addressed for successful program implementation;
- select approaches that maximise the potential for program sustainability;
- describe the links between project planning and evaluation and the key steps in evaluation planning.
Assessment
- Group presentation (10 minutes) (15%)
- Participation in seminars (10%)
- Report (2,000 words) (15%)
- Intervention plan (4 page template) (40%)
- Project implementation plan (2,000 words) (20%)
Hurdle: 80% attendance at tutorials.
Workload requirements
4 contact hours per week PLUS 8 hours of private study hours per week.
See also Unit timetable information