SGLK15007U Strategies for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention

Volume 2024/2025
Education

MSc Programme in Global Health - compulsory

Content

The purpose of the course is to introduce students to the theories and strategies of health promotion and disease prevention.  

The course will include a focus on selected types of structural interventions (e.g. taxation, pricing, national legislation),  bio-medical interventions (e.g. vaccine- and drug-based interventions), and behavioural change related health promotion. 

The course will also focus on approaches to plan and evaluate health promotion and interventions in low-, middle- and high-income contexts.

The students will be introduced to strategies to reduce health-related inequalities in low-middle- and high-income contexts. The students will combine relevant skills obtained in previous courses. 

Students will be introduced to methods, tools and skills necessary to facilitate health promotion and disease prevention activities concerning individuals, families, groups, and communities, including interactions between individuals and social groups.

There will be a focus on the analysis of stakeholders and actors as well as health care systems and their interaction with the population and other sectors of society in a wider socio-political context. This part of the course will also address a decolonization of the global public health agenda. 

The course will address existing knowledge and experiences in health promotion and disease prevention-related eHealth and mHealth approaches.

The course includes discussions of values and ethics in health promotion and disease prevention, priorities and dilemmas in health interventions.

Skills will be acquired in developing health-related advocacy-products and strategies of relevance for decision makers, media, organizations, as well as population groups – using a range of tools and strategies and through different media, including social media.

 

Learning Outcome

Intended learning outcomes:

Knowledge

On completion of the course, the students will be able to:

  • Describe and discuss the approaches, theories and strategies of health promotion and disease prevention

  • Discuss approaches to planning and evaluation of health promotion and disease prevention programmes in low-, middle- and high-income contexts
  • Describe strategies to reduce health related inequalities

  • Describe and discuss barriers and possibilities regarding use of e-health, m-health and social media approaches in relation to health promotion and disease prevention

  • Describe dilemmas related to values and ethics in health promotion and disease prevention, including a decolonization of the global health agenda

   

Skills

On completion of the course, the students will be able to:

  • Contribute academically to an interdisciplinary environment

  • Plan activities to counteract a major global health problem by identifying primary stakeholders and barriers to changes that might improve health

  • Develop health-related advocacy-products, strategies of relevance for decision makers, media, organizations, as well as population groups – using a range of tools and strategies and through different media, including social media

 

Competencies

On completion of the course, the students will be able to:

  • Describe and discuss central theories of health promotion and disease prevention - including theories on health behaviour, empowerment, planning, intervention, and communication

  • Identify and critically discuss strategies to reduce health related inequalities in high- middle- and low income societies

  • Critically analyze evidence criteria for evaluating the effects of health promotion and disease prevention-related interventions

For credit transfer students:
If you are applying for the course as a credit transfer student, you must have passed courses in qualitative and quantitative research methodology, for 5 ECTS respectively. Documentation for corresponding competencies in the form of a course description and an exam result must be attached to your application.
The course will include a combination of lectures, group work, facilitated group sessions and portfolio development.
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Lectures
  • 36
  • Preparation
  • 143
  • Exercises
  • 13
  • Exam
  • 14
  • Total
  • 206
Written
Oral
Collective
Continuous feedback during the course of the semester
Peer feedback (Students give each other feedback)
Credit
7,5 ECTS
Type of assessment
Portfolio
Type of assessment details
Type of examination:
Portfolio exam

Three portfolios, dealing with three different themes, are developed individually during the course, one of which will be assessed and graded. During groups sessions, the students will be supported in developing their portfolios. The exam office will, by drawing a theme, determine which portfolios will be assessed.
Aid
All aids allowed
Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
No external censorship
One internal examiner
Exam period

See the exam schedule

Re-exam

See the exam schedule

Criteria for exam assesment

To achieve the maximum grade of 12, the student must be able to:

Knowledge

  • Describe and discuss the approaches, theories and strategies of health promotion and disease prevention

  • Discuss approaches to planning and evaluation of health promotion and disease prevention programmes in low-, middle- and high-income contexts
  • Describe strategies to reduce health related inequalities

  • Describe and discuss barriers and possibilities regarding use of e-health, m-health and social media approaches in relation to health promotion and disease prevention

  • Describe dilemmas related to values and ethics in health promotion and disease prevention

   

Skills

On completion of the course, the students will be able to:

  • Contrbute academically to an interdisciplinary environment

  • Plan activities to counteract a major global health problem by identifying primary stakeholders and barriers to changes that might improve health

  • Develop health-related advocacy-products, strategies of relevance for decision makers, media, organizations, as well as population groups – using a range of tools and strategies and through different media, including social media

 

Competencies

On completion of the course, the students will be able to:

  • Describe and discuss central theories of health promotion and disease prevention - including theories on health behaviour, empowerment, planning, intervention, and communication

  • Identify and critically discuss strategies to reduce health related inequalities in high- middle- and low income societies

  • Critically analyze evidence criteria for evaluating the effects of health promotion and disease prevention-related interventions