SGLK13009U Strategies for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention

Volume 2013/2014
Education
MSc Programme in Global Health - compulsory
Content

The purpose of the course is to introduce students to the strategies and theories of disease prevention and health promotion, including health communication in different settings, and to train the students in planning and evaluating interventions in low-, middle- and high-income countries. The students should be trained in including the skills achieved in the previous courses. 

Students will be introduced to methods used for health education, as well as tools and skills necessary to provide health promotion and disease prevention services to individuals, families, groups, and communities. There will be a focus on the functioning of actors and decision makers as well as health care systems and its interaction with the population and other sectors of society (e.g. NGOs, water suppliers, the agricultural sector, etc.) in the wider socio-political context.

Skills will be acquired in communicating evidence-based knowledge, advice, and decisions across cultures and on different levels to policy decision makers, media, organizations, as well as population groups – using a range of tools and strategies and through different media, Health impact assessments (HIA) will be introduced as a participatory tool in planning for sustainable development.

The students will be introduced to strategies to reduce social inequalities in health in low-middle- and high-income countries, as well as criteria for evaluating effects of interventions and prevention strategies.

They will also be trained in planning activities to counteract a major global health problem by identifying primary stakeholders and barriers to changes that might improve health.

Learning Outcome

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

  • Describe and discuss central theories of prevention and health promotion -including theories on health behaviour, empowerment, planning, intervention, and communication.
  • Describe and discuss significant national and international prevention and health promotion programs and strategies to counter essential health problems.
  • Identify and critically discuss strategies to reduce social inequalities in health in high- middle- and low income societies.
  • Critically evaluate health promotion through the health impact assessment (HIA) as a participatory tool in planning for sustainable development - utilizing HIA processes and methods.
  • Critically analyze evidence criteria for evaluating the effects of interventions.
  • Develop and present a proposal for planning a prevention and health promotion activity to counteract a given health problem or evaluating effects of interventions based on case studies and/or critical reading of articles.

 

The course will include a combination of lectures, student activating sessions and group work based on an assignment with supervision. The students will be introduced both to theories and empirical material on all the course topics. A compendium of texts will be prepared for the course, but the students will also be trained in finding and reading scientific articles.
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Exam
  • 1
  • Exercises
  • 40
  • Lectures
  • 30
  • Preparation
  • 135
  • Total
  • 206
Credit
7,5 ECTS
Type of assessment
Oral examination, 30 minutes
Written assignment
Type of examination:

Assessment is based on an oral exam (30 min.; no preparation) based on a report (max. 6 pages- 14000 characters incl. spaces), which has been drawn up during the classes and forms the basis for the examination. The report must be handed in seven days prior to the oral examination.

Group exam: The report may be worked out individually or in groups consisting of up to four students, in which case the oral exam may also be carried out in a group. The report will be assessed as a group product, and the oral examination will be assessed individually. The report counts 67% and the oral examination count 33% of the grade.

For group reports two pages extra per extra group member.

The oral group examination will be extended with 15 minutes per extra student (i.e. 2 students: 45 min, etc.)
Exam registration requirements
The exam will consist of an oral exam based on a report, which must be handed in seven days prior to the oral exam. Questions for the report are handed out seven days prior to that deadline.
Aid
Only certain aids allowed
All, except devices allowing for external communication.
Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
External censorship
Criteria for exam assesment

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

  • Describe and discuss central theories of prevention and health promotion -including theories on health behaviour, empowerment, planning, intervention, and communication.
  • Describe and discuss significant national and international prevention and health promotion programs and strategies to counter essential health problems.
  • Identify and critically discuss strategies to reduce social inequalities in health in high- middle- and low income societies.
  • Critically evaluate health promotion through the health impact assessment (HIA) as a participatory tool in planning for sustainable development - utilizing HIA processes and methods.
  • Critically analyze evidence criteria for evaluating the effects of interventions.