Please note: you are viewing unit and programme information
for a past academic year. Please see the current academic year for up to date information.
| Unit name |
Nutrition, Disease and Public Health |
| Unit code |
PHEDM4012 |
| Credit points |
20 |
| Level of study |
M/7
|
| Teaching block(s) |
Academic Year (weeks 1 - 52)
|
| Unit director |
Ms. Sue Baic |
| Open unit status |
Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None
|
| Co-requisites |
None
|
| School/department |
School for Policy Studies |
| Faculty |
Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
Description including Unit Aims
This unit will critically review key public health nutrition issues enabling students to understand the links between diet and health for people of all ages and across a range of lifestyles and backgrounds. It will highlight the differences in requirements for optimal nutrition between these different populations and explore how these needs can be met in practice to prevent and manage major public health problems in society.
Aims:
- To critically review the key public health nutrition issues in Western society
- To enable students to understand the links between nutrition and health for people of all ages and across a range of lifestyles and backgrounds.
- To highlight the differences in requirements for healthy eating between different populations
- To explore how nutritional needs can be met in practice to prevent and manage major public health problems
Intended Learning Outcomes
On completion of this unit, students will:
- Be familiar with and able to critically appraise the theory and evidence base for the role of food and nutrition in the aetiology of diet related diseases including obesity, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, cancer, osteoporosis and mental disorders.
- Have an advanced understanding of the practical role of dietary strategies in the promotion of health and well being, and in the prevention and treatment of the major diseases affecting the developed world.
- Be familiar with the evidence base and understand the key dietary issues involved in optimising health at different life stages and transitions including pregnancy and infancy, childhood and adolescence, older age and in groups such as athletes in training, vegetarians and black and ethnic populations.
- Be able to identify, design and evaluate strategies which are effective in optimising dietary intake for health within these populations
Teaching Information
Teaching will be via face to face lectures and small group work in which students will work together to evaluate dietary interventions and real food resources as learning aids.
Assessment Information
Assessment is via the completion of a critical review of public health nutrition theory, evidence and practice directly related to one or more learning outcomes for the unit . This can be submitted either as a written essay equivalent to 4000 words or as a hard copy PowerPoint presentation of 30 slides in note page format plus a 2 page extended summary clearly defining the audience, aim and learning outcomes of the presentation .. Students are required to show an in depth understanding of nutrition in health and disease at a level consistent with a Master’s degree.
Reading and References
- Barasi, ME (2003) Human Nutrition: A Health Perspective, 2nd Edition .London: Hodder Arnold.
- Gibney MJ, Margetts BM, Kearney JM and Arab L (2004) Public Health Nutrition. Blackwell Publishing.
- Mann J and Truswell SA (2007) Essentials of Human Nutrition, 3rd Edition. Oxford University Press.
- Thomas B. (ed.) (2007) Manual of Dietetic Practice, 4th Edition. Blackwell Science.
- Thompson J, Manore M and Vaughan L (2007) The Science of Nutrition Pearson Benjamin Cummings
- Thompson J and Manore M (2006) Nutrition for Life. Pearson Benjamin Cummings
