SFOK26003U Nutritional Epidemiology

Volume 2026/2027
Education

MSc in Public Health Science - elective course

MSc in Global Health - elective course

MSc in Health Informatics - elective course

Content

Diet is a key and modifiable determinant of health, with suboptimal dietary patterns across the life-course consistently associated with increased risk of cardiometabolic diseases and premature mortality. This course provides an introduction to nutritional epidemiology, with a particular focus on methods for assessing dietary intake and understanding the role of diet in the prevention of non-communicable diseases. Topics include the impact of diet on population health, study designs and dietary assessment methods, diet–disease relationships, sustainable diets and health, public health nutrition and dietary guidelines, as well as the integration of big data into nutritional epidemiology, with a perspective on precision nutrition.

 

This course will advance students’ understanding of the contribution of diet and nutrition to human health and its public health implications. It will also enable students to develop critical skills to critically evaluate publications, evidence, and practice in the field of nutritional epidemiology.

Learning Outcome

A student who has met the objectives of the course will be able to:

Define the principles of nutritional epidemiology and understand the importance of diet on population health;

  1. Understand the methods for designing, conducting, and analysing nutritional data from epidemiological studies;
  2. Understand and interpret results from nutritional epidemiology studies;
  3. Understand the impact of diet on non-communicable diseases;
  4. Become familiar with the impact of diet on public health;
  5. Become familiar with the interplay between diet, multi-omics, and health.

Knowledge

  • Define the principles of nutritional epidemiology and explain the role of diet in population health.
  • Describe methods for dietary assessment and study designs in nutritional epidemiology.
  • Recognize the links between diet, non-communicable diseases, and public health.

Skills

  • Identify strengths and limitations in nutritional epidemiology studies.
  • Critically evaluate scientific publications and evidence in the field.

Competences

  • Integrate knowledge of diet, health, and public health.
  • Reflect on the interplay between diet, multi-omics, and precision nutrition.

Extract from books, scientific papers, and reports

Passed course in Epidemiology SFOA09007U / SFOA09006E or Advanced Epidemiology SFOK23002U/ SFOK23002E in the MSc in Public Health Science or similar courses in epidemiology.
The course will employ a combination of teaching and learning strategies including lectures with problem-based learning in small groups.  Students are encouraged to ask questions and to engage in formulating responses to questions that lecturers raise. Students are also encouraged to provide feedback on the content and the quality of teaching.
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Class Instruction
  • 20
  • Preparation
  • 50
  • Exam
  • 68
  • Total
  • 138
Collective

Continuous feedback during the course of the semester

Credit
5 ECTS
Type of assessment
Written assignment
Type of assessment details
The students are expected to develop a brief research project proposal within the area of nutritional epidemiology during the course.
The written assignment can be made individually or in groups of 2-3 students.
Aid
All aids allowed

It is the responsibility of the student to ensure the accuracy, integrity, and originality of the text, including ensuring that the text is not factually incorrect, plagiarized, or contains copyrighted material. AI/LLM’s may not be used as an actual author or a scientific source cf. Vancouver Guidelines.

You must use  KU’s template to declare your use of gAI in your assignment.

Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
No external censorship
Exam period

Please see the exam schedule at KUnet 

Re-exam

Please see the exam schedule at KUnet 

Criteria for exam assesment

Criteria for exam assesment

The assignment is expected to fulfil the requirements for a brief research project proposal.

To achieve the maximum grade, the student must be able to:

 

Knowledge

  • Make a coherent justification for and describe a scientific problem within nutritional epidemiology
  • Describe the detailed design of an epidemiologic project that addresses this scientific problem, using sound epidemiologic methodology
  • Describe a feasible study plan, including a realistic time frame.

Skills

  • Identify and justify a relevant scientific problem within nutritional epidemiology

Competencies

  • Design, implement and assess data collection systems for public health research
  • Appropriately interpret epidemiologic data within nutritional epidemiology