Faculty of Health, Engineering and Science

School: Exercise and Health Sciences

This unit information may be updated and amended immediately prior to semester. To ensure you have the correct outline, please check it again at the beginning of semester.

  • Unit Title

    Public Health: Philosophy, Principles and Practice
  • Unit Code

    HST5161
  • Year

    2015
  • Enrolment Period

    1
  • Version

    1
  • Credit Points

    20
  • Full Year Unit

    N
  • Mode of Delivery

    On Campus
    Online

Description

This unit introduces students to the history, philosophy and underlying principles of public health. By examining critically the development of public health within a social and historical context, public health priorities and practices change with changing technology and social values. Attention is directed also to the current practice of public health within Australia and comparable countries.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Demonstrate an understanding of the wide range of factors that need to be considered in thinking about the possible "causes" of specific health outcomes.
  2. Demonstrate the nature and importance to human health of communicable diseases,environmental health, food and nutrition and non-communicable diseases.
  3. Describe in detail the nature of public health information, including public health surveillance and other epidemiological methods.
  4. Discuss in detail selected recent developments in public health nationally and internationally.
  5. Discuss in detail the nature and scope of public health, including attention to current challenges.
  6. Explain the general organisation of public health services, with specific attention to the Australian situation.

Unit Content

  1. Aspects of public health in Australia.
  2. Determinants of health.
  3. Elements of public health.
  4. Ethical issues in public health.
  5. New challenges for public health.
  6. Organisation of public health services.
  7. Public health information.
  8. The nature, history and scope of public health.

Additional Learning Experience Information

Seminars, readings and e-learning activities.

Assessment

GS1 GRADING SCHEMA 1 Used for standard coursework units

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant Board of Examiners.

ON CAMPUS
TypeDescriptionValue
ExercisePublic health source summary and interpretation20%
EssayAustralian public health issue and response40%
ExaminationEnd of semester examination40%
ONLINE
TypeDescriptionValue
ExercisePublic health source summary and interpretation20%
EssayAustralian public health issue and response40%
ExaminationEnd of semester examination40%

Text References

  • ^ Baum, F. (2008). The new public health (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press: Melbourne.
  • Schimpff, S.C. (2012). The future of health-care delivery: Why it must change and how it will affect you. Washington: Potomac Books.
  • Hampton, R., & Toombs, M. (Eds.). (2013). Indigenous Australians and health: The wombat in the room. Melbourne, Australia: Oxford University Press.
  • Gordis, L. (2009). Epidemiology (4th ed.). Philadephia, PA: Saunders.
  • Fleming, M. L., & Parker, E. (2012). Introduction to public health (2nd ed.). Chatswood, NSW: Elsevier.
  • Australian National Preventive Health Agency. (2013). State of preventive health 2013. Report to the Australian Government Minister for Health. Canberra: ANPHA.
  • Australian Institute of Health & Welfare. (2012). Australia's health 2012. Australia's health series no. 13. Cat no. AUS 156. Canberra: AIHW.
  • Duckett, S., & Willcox, S. (2011). The Australian health care system (4th ed.). Melbourne, Australia: Oxford University Press.
  • Seedhouse, D. (2006). Health promotion: Philosophy, prejudice and practice (2nd ed.). West Sussex, England: John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
  • Friis, R. H. (2012). Essentials of environmental health (2nd ed.). Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Journal References

  • Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health
  • Journal of Epidemiological Community Health
  • American Journal of Public Health

Website References

^ Mandatory reference


Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005)

For the purposes of considering a request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005), inherent requirements for this subject are articulated in the Unit Description, Learning Outcomes and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the support for students with disabilities or medical conditions can be found at the Access and Inclusion website.

Academic Misconduct

Edith Cowan University has firm rules governing academic misconduct and there are substantial penalties that can be applied to students who are found in breach of these rules. Academic misconduct includes, but is not limited to:

  • plagiarism;
  • unauthorised collaboration;
  • cheating in examinations;
  • theft of other students' work;

Additionally, any material submitted for assessment purposes must be work that has not been submitted previously, by any person, for any other unit at ECU or elsewhere.

The ECU rules and policies governing all academic activities, including misconduct, can be accessed through the ECU website.

HST5161|1|1

Faculty of Health, Engineering and Science

School: Exercise and Health Sciences

This unit information may be updated and amended immediately prior to semester. To ensure you have the correct outline, please check it again at the beginning of semester.

  • Unit Title

    Public Health: Philosophy, Principles and Practice
  • Unit Code

    HST5161
  • Year

    2015
  • Enrolment Period

    2
  • Version

    1
  • Credit Points

    20
  • Full Year Unit

    N
  • Mode of Delivery

    On Campus
    Online

Description

This unit introduces students to the history, philosophy and underlying principles of public health. By examining critically the development of public health within a social and historical context, public health priorities and practices change with changing technology and social values. Attention is directed also to the current practice of public health within Australia and comparable countries.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Demonstrate an understanding of the wide range of factors that need to be considered in thinking about the possible "causes" of specific health outcomes.
  2. Demonstrate the nature and importance to human health of communicable diseases,environmental health, food and nutrition and non-communicable diseases.
  3. Describe in detail the nature of public health information, including public health surveillance and other epidemiological methods.
  4. Discuss in detail selected recent developments in public health nationally and internationally.
  5. Discuss in detail the nature and scope of public health, including attention to current challenges.
  6. Explain the general organisation of public health services, with specific attention to the Australian situation.

Unit Content

  1. The nature, history and scope of public health.
  2. Determinants of health.
  3. Public health information.
  4. Elements of public health.
  5. Organisation of public health services.
  6. Aspects of public health in Australia.
  7. Ethical issues in public health.
  8. New challenges for public health.

Additional Learning Experience Information

Lectures, tutorials, readings and e-learning activities.

Assessment

GS1 GRADING SCHEMA 1 Used for standard coursework units

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant Board of Examiners.

ON CAMPUS
TypeDescriptionValue
ExercisePublic health approaches10%
Literature ReviewEmerging Australian public health issue50%
ExaminationEnd of semester examination40%
ONLINE
TypeDescriptionValue
ExercisePublic health approches10%
Literature ReviewEmerging Australian public health issue 50%
ExaminationEnd of semester examination40%

Text References

  • Australian Institute of Health & Welfare. (2012). Australia's health 2012. Australia's health series no. 13. Cat no. AUS 156. Canberra, Australia: AIHW.
  • Seedhouse, D. (2006). Health promotion: Philosophy, prejudice and practice (2nd ed.). West Sussex, England: John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
  • Australian National Preventive Health Agency. (2013). State of preventive health 2013: Report to the Australian Government Minister for Health. Canberra, Australia: ANPHA.
  • ^ Baum, F. (2008). The new public health (3rd ed.). Melbourn, Australia: Oxford University Press.
  • Cohen, L., Chavez, V., & Chehimi, S. (Eds.) (2010). Prevention is primary: Strategies for community well-being (2nd ed.). San Fransisco, CA: Jossey Bass.
  • Duckett, S., & Willcox, S. (2011). The Australian health care system (4th ed.). Melbourne, Australia: Oxford University Press.
  • Fleming, M. L., & Parker, E. (2012). Introduction to public health (2nd ed.). Chatswood, NSW: Elsevier.
  • Gordis, L. (2009). Epidemiology (4th ed.). Philadephia, PA: Saunders.
  • Hampton, R., & Toombs, M. (Eds.). (2013). Indigenous Australians and health: The wombat in the room. Melbourne, Australia: Oxford University Press.
  • Helman, C. G. (2007). Culture, Health and Illness (5th ed.) London, England: Hodder Arnold.
  • McMurray, A., & Clendon, J. (2014). Community health and wellness: primary health care in practice (5th ed.). Sydney: Elsevier.

Journal References

  • American Journal of Public Health
  • Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health
  • Journal of Epidemiological Community Health

Website References

^ Mandatory reference


Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005)

For the purposes of considering a request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005), inherent requirements for this subject are articulated in the Unit Description, Learning Outcomes and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the support for students with disabilities or medical conditions can be found at the Access and Inclusion website.

Academic Misconduct

Edith Cowan University has firm rules governing academic misconduct and there are substantial penalties that can be applied to students who are found in breach of these rules. Academic misconduct includes, but is not limited to:

  • plagiarism;
  • unauthorised collaboration;
  • cheating in examinations;
  • theft of other students' work;

Additionally, any material submitted for assessment purposes must be work that has not been submitted previously, by any person, for any other unit at ECU or elsewhere.

The ECU rules and policies governing all academic activities, including misconduct, can be accessed through the ECU website.

HST5161|1|2