Introduction to Public Health

On successful completion of the module, you will be able to:

• Demonstrate ability to access and interpret public health data and its validity.
• Critically analyse the wider determinants of health and health inequalities.
• Demonstrate skills in identifying and meeting population health needs
• Demonstrate in-depth awareness of health promotion approaches and how they are applied in practice to empower people and communities to make informed healthy lifestyle decisions.

Indicative module content includes:

• The structure and nature of public health within the social and political context.
• Processes of health surveillance and assessment of a population’s health and well-being.
• Resources needed to implement public health initiatives and support public health practice at local, national and international levels.
• Causation and critical evaluation of selected therapeutic and preventative interventions.
• Theories and concepts underpinning public health practice.
• Collaborative working with individuals, groups and communities to enhance health and well-being.
• Exploration of the wider determinants of health and the use of advocacy to promote client perspective in the assessment process.
• Appraising the quality of communication with individuals, groups and communities in assessment processes.
• Identifying, collating, analysing and critically interpreting data relating to health and well-being of an identified population and using this to make recommendations for service development.
• The bio-psychosocial aspects of group and community assessment.
• Contemporary issues in public health or social care.
• Health promotion models and approaches underpinning health promotion work.
• Social marketing.

Learning and teaching methods include:

• Lectures
• Online – learning materials/ discussion board
• Classroom discussions to link theory to practice
• Problem based learning
• Student led workshops
• Professional led case studies and scenario’s
• Data workshop
• Simulation.

Summative assessment

Using data you have collected, drawing on and appraising the varying levels and sources of data, perform a health needs assessment of a defined population. Using the data you have collated, identify a health need and examine a current national and/or local health promotion intervention, considering its impact on health outcomes.  

Word count: 2,500 

Formative assessment:

Dragons Den: students will demonstrate skills of health needs assessment, examining health promotion interventions.

Take a look at the module reading list.