HEALTH SCIENCES

Credit Points

20

Course Coordinator

Dr Fiona Marshall

Pre-requisites

Overview

1. An introduction of concepts concerned with health from a variety of intellectual
   approaches, to include sociological, biological, psychological, environmental,
   economic viewpoints.


2. To follow this, the subjects covered will be topic based, covering issues
   to include measuring health, health policy, health and the family, public
   health, health promotion, provision of health care research, disability, food
   safety, health in developing countries. In each case the topic will be considered
   from the perspectives outlined at (1).

2 one-hour lectures, one-hour self-directed learning, 1 one-hour tutorial each fortnight.
1 two-hour examination (50%) and continuous assessment (50%).

Credit Points

20

Course Coordinator

Dr E van Teijlingen

Pre-requisites

CS 1011 or CS 1511

Notes

Available only to students in programme year 3 and above.

Overview

Literature review; research styles, formulating a research question; study design; sampling; interviewing; observation; questionnaire design; ethics in research; writing a research proposal; data collection and analysis; writing up research; uses of research and dissemination; theoretical approaches.
1 three-hour seminar per week.
Continuous assessment (100%).

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Dr Brenda Wilson

Pre-requisites

ST 1002 or ST 1504

Overview

Epidemiology & Demography: Basic concepts and terminology in epidemiology; introduction to demography; measuring and comparing the health of populations; routine sources of health data; incidence and prevalence; conducting epidemiological studies; association and causality; bias and confounding; interpreting epidemiological data.

Medical Statistics: Interpreting figures and tables; relative risk and odds ratio; statistical analysis of epidemiological studies; statistical inferences and hypothesis testing.
1 three-hour seminar per week plus statistical practicals.
1 two-hour written examination (40%) and continuous assessment, review (40%) plus (20%) statistics.

Credit Points

20

Course Coordinator

Mrs F Douglas

Pre-requisites

SO 2002 or SO 2502

Overview

Social aspects (Health and illness in the context of social structure); cultural aspects (definition of reality in diagnosis and treatment); personal aspects (the experiences of sickness and of caring for a relative); political and economic aspects (health services and planning).
1 three-hour seminar per week.
1 two-hour written examination (50%) and continuous assessment: 1 essay (50%).

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Dr E van Teijlingen

Pre-requisites

TS 1001 (students with more that ‘C’ at Higher or equivalent in Maths or Physics are exempt), SR 1501, SR 2002, SR 2501, SO 2002, SO 2502, PS 1005, PS 1505, PS 2007, PS 2507.

Co-requisites

HE 3010, SR 3013 (Sports Practicum 1).

Overview

Four major sociological areas will be covered in the course:

1. Inequality – an examination of the relationship of health to age,
   gender, race and socio-economic status;


2. Definitions of reality – in diagnosis and treatment of ill health.
   In particular stress and handicap will be considered;


3. Organisation of health care – different health care systems will
   be examined, and their effect on the health status of populations;


4. Power – an analysis of the position in society of both of health
   care systems and health care professionals.

1 three-hour seminar per week, and 3 one-hour tutorials per semester.
1 two-hour examination (50%) and continuous assessment (50%).

Credit Points

10

Course Coordinator

Dr Stephen Brindle

Pre-requisites

HE 3012, HE 3009.

Notes

Available only to students in programme year 3 or above.

Overview

Students will select an organisation for attachment; attend the organisation’s activities over 12 weeks; write and present a report on the organisation.
Written report (75%) and presentation (25%).

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Mrs H Peace

Pre-requisites

BI 1004 and BI 1505

Notes

Available only to students in programme year 3 or above.

Overview

This course is designed to introduce students to the concepts of scientific nutrition. Topics covered include: nutritional constituents of food, assessment of dietary intake and nutritional status, nutrition and the life-cycle, the role of nutrition in the prevention and development of chronic diseases, malnutrition, current nutritional recommendations and nutritional policy.
1 three-hour seminar per week.
1 ninety minute written examination (50%) and continuous assessment (one essay and one report) (50%).

Credit Points

20

Course Coordinator

Ms F Douglas

Pre-requisites

At least 240 credit points including PS 1005 and PS 1505.

Notes

Available only to students in programme year 3 or above.

Overview

Concepts of health and health promotion; identifying needs and priorities for health promotion; health education (models and approaches); lifestyle surveys and community analysis; prevention of coronary heart disease; screening (effectiveness); community participation; workshop; role of the mass media; smoking.

1 three-hour seminar per week.

1 one and a half-hour written examination (50%) and continuous assessment (50%).

Credit Points

60

Course Coordinator

Mrs H Peace

Pre-requisites

360 credit points BI 20P2 or BI 25M1 or BI 25P2 , HE 3010, HE 3012, HE 3511, HE 3512, HE 3508 and HE 3509.

Overview

This is the taught component of an honours year in the BSc Health Sciences Programme and must be followed by HE 4502. Topics are: Foundation for Nutrition, Dietary Assessment, Nutrient Metabolism, Growth and Nutritional Status, Energy Balance and Diet and Health.
Continuous assessment (20%) and written examination (80%) which together are worth 50% of the assessment for the honours year.

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Paul McNamee

Pre-requisites

Available only to candidates for Honours in Health Care.

Overview

Topics will include: basic principles of opportunity cost; economic definitions and approaches to assessing “need”; distinguishing between different techniques of economic evaluation; how to measure the costs and effects of health care inventions; concepts of marginal analysis, discounting and sensitivity analysis; critical appraisal of articles on economic evaluations of health care.
1 two-hour seminar per week.
Continuous assessment (50%) and 1 two-hour examination (50%).

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Dr J Mollison

Pre-requisites

Available only to candidates for Honours in Health Care.

Overview

Topics include: Formulating a research question; research designs for health care evaluation; sampling and sample size; criteria for evaluation; design of data collection instruments, data management, analysis and reporting the findings; qualitative approaches to health services research; systematic reviews and meta-analysis; critical appraisal of articles; getting research findings into practice; writing a research protocol.

One three-hour seminar per week.
Continuous assessment (60%) and written examination (40%)

Credit Points

60

Course Coordinator

Dr Stephen Brindle

Pre-requisites

Available only to candidates for Honours in Health Care.

Overview

At the end of the course the student will have: defined a research question on a given topic; designed a method of answering the question; used that method to collect the relevant information; analysed and interpreted the results; reported the findings in written and oral form.
1 one-hour tutorial per week.
Dissertation on project (100%).

Credit Points

60

Course Coordinator

Mrs H Peace

Pre-requisites

Available only to candidates for Honours in Human Nutrition in the BSc Health Sciences course.

Overview

A project which can be survey, laboratory, clinic or library-based, according to students’ individual interests.
Assessment by project report and oral examination. This comprises 50% of the Honours year project.

Credit Points

20

Course Coordinator

Ms F Douglas

Pre-requisites

HE 3010

Notes

Open to part-time Honours students taking Health Care Option.

Overview

Under close supervision from a member of staff, students develop a research problem, which they will attempt to solve with the collection and analysis of original data. Students formulate their research problem, review the relevant literature and formulate their research strategy, with an appropriate defence of the techniques/methods to be used.
1 tutorial per fortnight.
One written paper (100%).

Credit Points

40

Course Coordinator

Ms F Douglas

Pre-requisites

HE 4503

Notes

Open to part-time Honours students taking Health Care Option.

Overview

Students collect data with the aid of the methods selected in part 1, with the guidance of a member of staff. This material will be analysed and written up in a dissertation. The techniques of analysis will vary with the nature of the research problem, but all students will be guided in the art of critical analysis, report planning and report writing. As in part 1, particular emphasis will be placed on helping students to develop their own skills.
1 tutorial per fortnight, plus regular one-to-one supervision meetings.
Dissertation (100%).

Credit Points

60

Course Coordinator

Mrs F Douglas

Pre-requisites

Three of the following: HE 3009; HE 3010; HE 3012; HE 3508; HE 3509; HE 3510.

Overview

With supervisory guidance, students select dissertation topics based on a list of suggested study areas. Three group tutorials are run covering generic issues of topic selection, defining a research question, developing research protocols, project planning and the management and writing up of projects. Plus individual time with supervisor, 1 hour x 12 sessions.
Dissertation (100%).

Credit Points

60

Course Coordinator

Dr S Brindle

Pre-requisites

Three of the following: HE 3009; HE 3010; HE 3012; HE 3508; HE 3509; HE 3510.

Overview

With supervisory guidance, students select dissertation topics based on a list of suggested study areas. Three group tutorials are run covering generic issues of topic selection, defining a research question , developing research protocols, project planning and the management and writing up of projects. Plus individual time with supervisor, 1 hour x 12 sessions.
Dissertation (100%).

Credit Points

60

Course Coordinator

Dr E van Teijlingen

Pre-requisites

Three of the following: HE 3009; HE 3010; HE 3012; HE 3508; HE 3509; HE 3510.

Overview

With supervisory guidance, students select dissertation topics based on a list of suggested study areas. Three group tutorials are run covering generic issues of topic selection, defining a research question, developing research protocols, project planning and the management and writing up of projects. Plus individual time with supervisor, 1 hour x 12 sessions.
Dissertation (100%).

Credit Points

60

Course Coordinator

Mrs F Douglas and Dr J King

Pre-requisites

Available only to candidates for the degree of Bachelor of Health Sciences (Health and Women's Studies) in Programme Year 4.

Co-requisites

None

Overview

Students will spend the majority of their time in designing, executing, and writing up the results of a small scale research project with support from an academic supervisor and additional departmental input. Students will receive at least 6 x 1hour sessions with their academic supervisor. Departmental input and guidance will take the form of three group tutorials covering generic issues of topic selection, defining a research question, developing research protocols, project planning and the management of writing up of projects.
Dissertation (100%).