92483 Epidemiology and Global Population Health
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Credit points: 6 cp
Result type: Grade and marks
Requisite(s): (90 credit points of completed study in spk(s): C10360 Bachelor of Public Health AND 92569 Fundamentals of Epidemiology and Population Health) OR (92574 Introduction to Public Health AND 92566 Introduction to Health Care Systems AND 92571 Principles of Primary Health Care AND 92569 Fundamentals of Epidemiology and Population Health)
These requisites may not apply to students in certain courses. See access conditions.
Description
Epidemiology provides the basis for significant public and global health decisions. This subject reinforces and extends the basic principles of epidemiology introduced in 92569 Fundamentals of Epidemiology and Population Health. It explores important epidemiologic concepts, including how to describe disease risk, common study designs, bias and confounding, and the importance of appropriate measures in epidemiological research in a global health context. Students are able to describe and analyse variation in health on a national, regional and global level and to explore causes of the variation. It examines global health within the context of social, environmental, economic and demographical changes. This subject provides an understanding of, and skills in applying the core epidemiological methods that are necessary for those seeking to work in a global health context.
Subject learning objectives (SLOs)
| A. | Apply core epidemiological methods and concepts to global population health. |
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| B. | Describe epidemiological data in tabular and graphical format including the calculation and interpretation of common measures of the burden of disease. |
| C. | Describe the shift in the global burden of diseases from infectious to non-communicable diseases. |
| D. | Critically explain and compare the different patterns and causes of health and disease on national, regional and global levels. |
| E. | Evaluate the relevance of the epidemiological approach to global population health. |
Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)
This subject also contributes specifically to the following graduate attributes:
- Respect and respond to the needs of diverse groups to improve health outcomes (1.2)
- Promote and enhance the health of diverse groups through evidence-based advocacy strategies and techniques (1.3)
- Recognises the need of supportive and responsive evidence-based practice in diverse communities (4.2)
- Translate research and evaluation into social and professional practice through critical thinking and knowledge integration (5.0)
- Assess and evaluate the relevance and quality of research in the context of specific health issues and populations (5.3)
Contribution to the development of graduate attributes
This subject contributes specifically to the following graduate attributes:
- Recognise and respond to the diverse health needs of communities both locally and abroad (1.3)
- Apply newly generated or existing data to inform optimal care and/or service development (2.5)
- Promote health equity by recognizing and seeking to address disadvantage (4.1)
- Make use of research and data to enable responsible, ethical and equitable service provision (4.2)
- Identify appropriate information resources and apply effective and creative solutions for the improvement of individuals and communities (5.1)
- Critically evaluate research and practice for socially driven change (5.3)
Teaching and learning strategies
In this subject, a range of teaching and learning strategies will be used to engage students with the content and achieve student learning outcomes. Face-to-face lectures will provide students with both the real time delivery of content and access to online resources including podcasts and videos. Face-to-face lectures in this subject are designed to be participatory to engage students and enable them to clarify complex concepts and terminology. Tutorials will complement the lecture content by providing and promoting in-depth learning and discussions.
Content (topics)
- Review of epidemiological concepts
- Measuring the global burden of disease: Epidemiological concepts used to understand global health – mortality, morbidity, lost years of healthy life etc.
- Key indicators of global health: DALY, PYLL etc.
- Case study of data use, coverage, quality and accessibility: Sexual and reproductive health
- Case study of data use, coverage, quality and accessibility: Women’s health
- Infectious and communicable diseases: emergence of infectious disease in high income settings
- Non-communicable diseases: Increasing shift from infectious and communicable diseases, to non-communicable diseases (the epidemiological transition)
- Disease prevention and control: Monitoring and evaluation programs, information systems, treatments, interventions.
Assessment
Assessment task 1: Individual Multiple Choice Quizzes (3 Quizzes)
| Intent: | These quizzes are designed to assess students understanding of the content delivered in the lectures and tutorials. Conducting these quizzes will help students to grasp fundamental terms, concepts and ideas in epidemiology and in global population health. |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses subject learning objective(s): A and B This assessment task contributes to the development of graduate attribute(s): 4.2 and 5.0 |
| Type: | Quiz/test |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 30% |
| Length: | Each quiz will be 15 minutes long. |
Assessment task 2: Critical Appraisal of an article
| Intent: | This assessment will allow students to engage with a peer-reviewed article on global health issue and to provide a detailed critical appraisal of the reported issue. An ability to provide a high-level critique of an epidemiological study is a key skill for an epidemiologist, and this assignment provides an opportunity for students to develop this skill in a global health context. Students may have had previous experience with conducting critical appraisals in introductory subjects in epidemiology and evidence based, however, this assignment seeks a higher-level of critical engagement and assessment of the article incorporating references to contemporary principles of epidemiology in global health setting. |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses subject learning objective(s): B, D and E This assessment task contributes to the development of graduate attribute(s): .5, 1.2 and 5.0 |
| Groupwork: | Group, group and individually assessed |
| Weight: | 30% |
| Length: | 20 minutes presentation where all members of the group must present (plus 5-10 minutes discussion) |
| Criteria: | You will be assessed on the following:
|
Assessment task 3: Individual Assessment – Analysis of global health issue
| Intent: | This assessment task focusses on gathering current information on a global health problem and to identify advantages and disadvantages to the current services/problems and to critique them and to provide recommendations. |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses subject learning objective(s): B, C, D and E This assessment task contributes to the development of graduate attribute(s): 1.2, 1.3, 5.0 and 5.3 |
| Type: | Report |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 40% |
| Length: | Report - 1200 words (excl. references). |
| Criteria: | Each report should include:
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Required texts
All readings will be available via links from within UTSOnline. The required prelearning activities for this subject will be advised on UTSOnline prior to any on campus lectures and tutorials. Please complete the set prelearning activities prior to the tutorial class in the week required. NB: It is essential that students complete all required prelearning activities. The required prelearning activities will be considered assumed knowledge for tutorial classes and the examination.
Recommended texts
Bonita, R. (2006). Basic epidemiology (2nd ed.). Geneva: World Health Organization.
Detels, R. (2015). Oxford Textbook of Global Public Health (6th ed.). Oxford University Press.
Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME). (2018). Findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017. IHME.
Jamison, D. T., Breman, J. G., Measham, A. R., Alleyne, G., Claeson, M., Evans, D. B., Musgrove, P. (2006). Disease control priorities in developing countries. The World Bank.
Koplan, J. P., Bond, T. C., Merson, M. H., Reddy, K. S., Rodriguez, M. H., Sewankambo, N. K., & Wasserheit, J. N. (2009). Towards a common definition of global health. The Lancet, 373(9679), 1993-1995. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(09)60332-9
Markle, W. H. (2014). Understanding Global Health (2nd ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.
Mew, E. J., Padmanathan, P., Konradsen, F., Eddleston, M., Chang, S. S., Phillips, M. R., & Gunnell, D. (2017). The global burden of fatal self-poisoning with pesticides 2006-15: Systematic review. Journal of Affective Disorders, 219, 93-104. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2017.05.002
Rothman, K. J. (2012). Epidemiology : An Introduction (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press.
Skolnik, R. L. (2020). Global health 101 (4th ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.
References
Webb, P., Bain, C., & Page, A. (2019). Essential epidemiology : An introduction for students and health professionals (4th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
Other resources
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