LLEK10291U Nutritional Study Design and Status Assessment

Volume 2013/2014
Education
MSc Programme in Human Nutrition and MSc Programme in Clinical Nutrition.
Content
Introduction to theoretical and practical application of energy metabolism and measuring methods in indirect calorimetry. Theoretical introduction and practical use of anthropometric measurements. Theoretical introduction and practical use of various biochemical measurements, including blood and urine parameters. Theoretical introduction to analyses of weighed dietary food registrations, food frequency questionnaires and 24 hour recall as methods for determination of nutrient intake on group and individual level.
Learning Outcome

Knowledge:
- To understand the principles behind study design and different scientific methods used in nutritional research.
- To understand the role of different factors that influence the validity of an experiment and the parameters that describes the quality of analyses.
- To understand the principles behind the methods used in research to assess energy requirements and energy expenditure, and discuss their pros and cons.
- To understand the principles behind the methods used in research to assess dietary food intake, and discuss their pros and cons.
- To understand the principles behind the methods used in research for anthropometric measurements, and discuss their pros and cons.
- To understand the role of biological and laboratory factors in assessment of mineral and vitamin status and reflect on the use of appropriate biological materials, as well as discuss the pros and cons of different biomarkers as methods for evaluation of nutrient intake and status in a research set-up.
- To understand the principles behind basic statistical methods used for data analyses.

Skills:
- Be able to use, and critically evaluate, all the mentioned methods used for nutritional study design and status assessment.
- Be able to perform basic statistical analyses and critically evaluate biological data.
- Be able to design, perform, document and present own methodological study used for determination of energy and nutritional status.

 Competences:
- To evaluate and critically judge scientific results.
- To work in a proactive manner to assure own learning outcome.
- To work both independently and in a students’ group.

Course literature will be announced at study start on the course’s Absalon page.
LLEK10264 Nutrition Physiology. The course Nutrition Physiology should be passed or to be taken at the same time.
The course includes one teaching module each week with lectures, and theoretical and practical exercises. Lectures will be given in plenum and theoretical exercises in smaller groups. During the practical exercises the students will work together in groups and are expected to carry out some practical exercises. During the practical exercises, measurements are produced and analyses on the students themselves or on the students’ own blood, respiratory gasses urine etc. Subsequently, the students are to design and perform in groups their own experiment based on the learning outcomes from the lectures and practical exercises. This part of the work will result in a written report and abstract, to be orally presented during a common conference. The students are expected to act as opponents for other groups, but the final judgment of the project and oral presentation quality will be done by the course responsible.
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Exam
  • 3
  • Lectures
  • 38
  • Preparation
  • 119
  • Theory exercises
  • 46
  • Total
  • 206
Credit
7,5 ECTS
Type of assessment
Written examination, 1 hour under invigilation
Description of examination: One hour individual multiple choice exam.
Exam registration requirements
Approval of written report and participation in the group based oral presentation of the report.
Aid
Without aids
Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
No external censorship
Internal grading. One assessor.
Re-exam
If 10 or fewer register for the reexamination the examination form will be oral.
Criteria for exam assesment
Please see "Learning Outcome"