PE4S237 - Contemporary issues in Public Health 01 Sep 2021 - 31 Aug 2027 | Version 1

Associated Module Information

Module Code: PE4S237
Module Title: Contemporary issues in Public Health
Faculty: Faculty of Life Sciences and Education
Faculty Group: Allied Health and Chiropractic
Faculty Sub Group: Clinical Services
Module Leader: Karl New
Module Team:
First Intended Intake: SEP 2021 Final Year of Intake:
Date Closed:
Credit Value: 20 Credit Level: 7
Language: English
Percentage of Module Taught in Welsh: 0
Equivalent Module:
HECOS codes: 100260 - healthcare science
HECOS Code Weighting: 100

Document Version Information

Version 1
Valid From 01 Sep 2021
Valid To 31 Aug 2027

Module Aims

To provide an overview of public health and explore relevant definitions. To critically use relevant data and evidence to understand contemporary issues within the public health arena. To develop an understanding of evidence-based interventions, to prevent contemporary issues or to protect the population’s health.

Content Summary

Indicative content to include topics outlined in notes and/or any other relevant current topics:

Week Topic notes

Week 1

Overview/history of public health
demographic data.
Definition of health - physical, mental and social.
Wider determinants of health.
Overview/history of public health and descriptions.
The sources of and how to use data on demographic structure and demographic change.
The significance of demographic changes for the health of the population and its need for health and related services.
The sources of useful public health information e.g. limitations and use of data on social determinants, including Social Deprivation indices.

Week 2

Global burden of disease.
Definitions of communicable disease, non-communicable disease, and wider determinants.
Overview/history of global burden of disease.
The sources of data and how data is used to provide a global picture.
The significance of global burden of disease data. The significance of trend changes in global burden of disease data.
The use of global burden of disease data and limitations of the data and its use.

Week 3

Non-communicable disease.
Causation of non-communicable disease - mental wellbeing, lifestyle, drugs (links to crime, the consequences, and possible responses), alcohol.
Sources of data and evidence - non-communicable disease
Health outcomes of non-communicable disease
Evidence -based interventions to prevent non-communicable disease.
Opioids, lifestyle

Week 4

Infectious disease.
Causation of communicable disease - transmission.
Sources of data and evidence - communicable disease.
Health outcomes of communicable disease.

Evidence -based interventions to prevent communicable disease.

Week 5

Personal Factors contributing to non-communicable disease and infectious disease.
Health and social behaviour contributing to non-communicable disease and communicable disease.
Models of behaviour change to support protection and prevention.

Week 6

Wider determinants contributing to non-communicable disease and infectious disease.
Sources of data and evidence - wider determinants of health
Health outcomes of wider determinants of health
Water quality, air pollution, housing, traffic, education, income, social contacts, access to food, healthcare etc.

Learning and Teaching Methods

Activity Type Hours
Independent Study 60
Groupwork 40
Directed Study 99
Formative Assessment - Independent 1
Total Hours Selected 200

Learning Outcomes

# Learning Outcome
LO1 Critically apply relevant understanding of data and evidence to understand the factors that impact on contemporary public health issues, whilst reflecting on the strength, weaknesses and limitations of using robust data and evidence.
LO2 Critically apply appropriate statistical and evidence-based analysis techniques and methods to contemporary public health issues.

Module Requisites

N/A

Assessment Criteria

Assessment Category Assessment Type Description Duration Word Count Weight (%) Best of? Pass Mark
Synchronous Online Assessment Time-constrained assessment (Online) 1 End of Module examination related to contemporary issues in public health 60 N/A 30 No 40
Asynchronous Assessment Self Reflective Assessment 1 Reflective Journal 0 600 10 No 40
Asynchronous Assessment Project 1 Completion of a group project related to contemporary issues in public health 0 N/A 20 No 40
Asynchronous Assessment Case study 1 Case based scenarios and discussion Forum related to contemporary issues in public health 0 N/A 40 No 40

Assessment Matrix

Assessment Type Learning Outcomes
LO1 LO2
Time-constrained assessment (Online) 1
Self Reflective Assessment 1
Project 1
Case study 1

Reading List

The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. Global Burden of Disease (GBD). Available at: http://www.healthdata.org/gbd/publications (Accessed 16 January 2020).

The Lancet. Global Burden of Disease. Available at: https://www.thelancet.com/gbd (Accessed 16 January 2020).

HealthKnowledge. Disease Causation and Diagnostic. Available at: https://www.healthknowledge.org.uk/public-health-textbook/disease-causation-diagnostic (Accessed 16 January 2020).

HealthKnowledge. Health Everyone’s Business. Available at: https://www.healthknowledge.org.uk/teaching/health-everyones-business (Accessed 16 January 2020).

HealthKnowledge. Major national and global policies relevant to public health. Available at: https://www.healthknowledge.org.uk/content/major-national-and-global-policies-relevant-public-health (Accessed 16 January 2020).

HealthKnowledge. Screening - Angela Raffle. Available at: https://www.healthknowledge.org.uk/interactive-learning/screening (Accessed 16 January 2020).