1MFV1011 Introduction to public health
- Course code1MFV1011
- Number of credits20
- Teaching semester2024 Autumn
- Language of instructionEnglish
- CampusElverum
- Required prerequisite knowledge
No special prerequisites.
- Modern society and its challenges for public health
- Measuring population health and assessing health needs
- Patterns of health at global, national and local levels
- Social inequalities and health: gender, class, ethnicity
- Determinants of health
- Limits to medicine and health education
- Evaluating public health interventions
- Settings-based approaches to promoting health
- Ethics and values in public health
Learning Outcome
After successful completion of the module, the student will have the following knowledge, skills and general competence.
The student
- has in-depth knowledge and understanding of the emergence and development of public health and health promotion;
- has comprehensive and critical understanding of the role of epidemiology and demography in public health;
- has in-depth knowledge and understanding of the social gradient in health throughout the entire population;
- has in-depth knowledge and critical insight into the determinants of health at global, national, community and individual levels;
- has advanced knowledge and critical insight into the concept of ‘lifestyle’;
- has extensive knowledge of strategies for disease prevention and health protection.
The student
- is able to critically appraise initiatives directed towards changing lifestyles at population, group and individual levels;
- is able to analyse, present and interpret qualitative and quantitative population data relating to health and wellbeing;
- is able to assess population health needs with the aid of qualitative and quantitative data;
- is able to evaluate the effectiveness of measures implemented to prevent disease, and to promote health and wellbeing;
- is able to understand and analyse the challenges of working in multidisciplinary teams including cooperation and teamwork.
The student
- can discuss the complexity of factors influencing the health and wellbeing of populations;
- can discuss the challenges and possibilities for promoting health and preventing disease;
- can communicate and debate the main challenges within the contemporary Public health field both with specialists and the general public;
- can identify public health issues and discuss these in a critically reflective manner.
The course is taught in English throughout the whole of the first semester. The following approaches are used:
- interactive lectures
- student presentations
- student-led seminars
- group work with students from different professional/disciplinary backgrounds.
- A reflective memorandum in which the individual student critically reflects on him/herself and his/her own background regarding the objectives of the programme.
- Two group presentations:
-
- students with different backgrounds present and reflect on how different professions/disciplines contribute to public Healt
- discussion and debate of key conceptsh
3. Participation in group work twice a week (at least 80%)
| Form of assessment | Grading scale | Grouping | Duration of assessment | Support materials | Proportion | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Written assignment | ECTS - A-F | Group | 40 | |||
Oral examination | ECTS - A-F | Individual | 60 |
A group-written examination with 2–5 participants (weighted 40%) in addition to an individual oral examination (weighted 60%) based on the written assignment. Both are assessed with grades A – F, with E as the lowest pass grade. Both examinations must be passed before a final course grade can be given.
Reading list
No reading list available for this course