Bachelor of Applied Public Health

---

This course draws together all the strands of knowledge and skill to date and positions the students with an external body that needs to write a grant for external funding for a public health initiative. Students will learn the project management skills associated with grant writing, hone their writing skills for a particular audience and further develop their expertise in data presentation. OR This second capstone option gives students the opportunity to plan a health promotion campaign for a special population of their choice. The course accentuates their cultural sensitivity, critical evaluation skills, and systems thinking as they plan a campaign to hit different elements of a system to achieve a common goal.

---

This subject gives students an overview of the methods used in social science research. It examines the models and techniques of social research across quantitative and qualitative methods, including surveys and sampling, questionnaires, focus groups, structured, semi-structured and unstructured interviews. It asks, what is the research basis of knowledge and how do we know what we know? It prepares students for understanding the nature of the research process, through direct application of basic interview technique, transcription and first level analysis. Students learn to reflect on their findings and the process involved for conducting social research through their experience of interviewing using techniques such as unstructured, semi-structured and structured interviews, and through a scholarly analysis of literature on research methods.

---

This subject introduces students to population health patterns, epidemiology, social determinants of health, and health systems and political policies in a manner that allows them to ask questions of data, ethical issues with data, draw out points of significance, and present data in different ways to different audiences. An inquiry-based approach to learning underpins this subject.

---

Focusing on environmental influences on health, this subject introduces students to the role of environmental risk factors and determinants of disease in illness and injury. Students will understand the regulatory influences on environmental risk factors and environmental influences on health, analyse risk factors and identify vulnerable populations, and strategise interventions using real-world scenarios.

---

This subject challenges students to make an impact and introduces students to being change agents, teaching them how to recognise health needs in a community and equipping them with the skills they need to communicate to a wide variety of audiences, preparing them to engage with communities to promote health and engage in health advocacy with intersectoral stakeholders and influencers. Special populations and social determinants of health focus strongly in this subject, and students consider how to engage with different communities, and the formation of partnerships with other sectors.

---

This subject draws together the strands of data analysis from the other subjects thus far and puts them within a policy and management context. Students need to put together an operational plan for a public health intervention, justified with a strong evidence base to secure buy-in and budget commitment. Students also develop their systems thinking skills in this subject as they start to analyse how 1 change in the system has a knock-on effect, planning which elements of the system to address, when and how. Students will learn about the Australian healthcare system and legislative and policy frameworks and standards.

---

Within this introductory subject, students learn the principles and practice of public health and improving the health of populations. Students learn how public health is defined, the origins of public health and its evolution as a discipline. Students learn the key principles of the 'new public health', public health practice, the functions of public health, the role of government in improving the health and wellbeing of citizens, and public health service models, including comprehensive primary health care. They consider different understandings of health and illness, including professional, lay and Australian Indigenous definitions. They are introduced to key concepts in public health, including a human rights approach to health, an ecological perspective and the social determinants of health.

---

Further developing students' understanding and manipulation of epidemiological data sets, this subject focuses on modifiable risk factors and behaviour, taking a case based approach to learning, exploring current and past public health issues, evaluating different approaches to their control and prevention.

---

This subject aims to provide an understanding of the sociology of food, nutrition and health. Students will explore the relationships between human behaviour and dietary intake from a public health perspective. Students will be engaged in community based research to identify a public health issue which is prevalent in their community.

---

Public health professionals take a systems or ecological approach whereby health is seen as the result of an interrelationship between biological, psychological, familial, social, economic and political factors. Political, economic and social conditions are considered major determinants of health. This subject considers inequitable patterns of health and illness across the community, and the underlying determinants of these patterns. Students will learn to identify the main social determinants of health including those for Indigenous Australians, and how they impact upon health. These include the social gradient of health, gender, child development, social exclusion, work conditions, social support, housing, education, culture/racism and access to health care. Students will develop an understanding of cultural competency and cultural safety. The need to consider the impact of policies in other sectors upon health and intersectoral collaboration strategies are explored.

---

Mental health problems and disorders contribute significantly to the burden of disease; unipolar depression is now the second leading cause of disability worldwide. Mental health disorders and problems with alcohol and other drugs are closely intertwined and linked to the social determinants of health such as gendered violence. In this subject, students will learn about the main types of mental health and AOD issues and their prevalence, comorbidity between mental health and alcohol and other drugs, Australia's mental health policy and service system and AOD policies. Students will learn how to analyse data on mental health and AOD, health promotion and prevention for mental health problems and AOD, socio-economic determinants of mental health and AOD and the association between mental health, AOD and family and interpersonal violence. Students will also learn about the strong relationship between mental health and physical health.

---

Students will undertake an industry placement to be arranged with a partner organisation. Projects will focus on one of the following areas: 1) a critique of current practice (based upon health promotion frameworks or relevant theory) and development of alternatives; 2) undertaking a literature review on a given area and providing critical analysis; or, 3) developing a policy briefing and recommendations on a topic selected by the host organisation. The time commitment will be equivalent to 1 day per week over the trimester. Assessment will include a report from the host organisation, as well as a written report and oral presentation by the student.

---

Changing demographics including the ageing of the population has major implications for the planning and delivery of public health and health care services. This subject considers the way in which mental and physical health issues change over the lifespan, and according to health determinants such as one's gender and culture. Students in this subject will learn about maternal child health, the in utero environment, child development issues, adolescent health, the development of chronic conditions in adult life, carer roles and health, issues for women in the middle years and health issues facing older people, including disability and dementia. Students will learn about health promotion needs and opportunities across the lifespan and measuring mental and physical health across the lifespan.

---

Relevant, accessible, effective and equitable health programs that consistently deliver high quality outcomes are the cornerstone of public health service delivery. Public health program development and implementation skills covered in this subject include needs assessment, setting health priorities, development of program objectives, conducting a risk analysis and consulting with relevant stakeholders and developing options, monitoring implementation, financial management and working to deadlines. This subject also provides an introduction to evaluating public health programs, including formative, process, outcome, and impact evaluations. Students in this subject will be required to conduct a needs assessment and prioritise findings, and develop an evaluation plan.

---

A knowledge and understanding of the Australian health care system and how it compares with the organisation of health care in other countries is fundamental for the public health professional. In this subject students learn about the key building blocks of a health care system, including health service delivery, health workforce, health information, medicines, vaccines and technologies, health financing and governance (including community involvement). Students learn about the Australian health care system and health care financing in a global context including an overview of the principles of universal health coverage, mechanisms of health care reimbursement (both private and public) in Australia, principles of health economics and health outcomes (measuring health and wellbeing). Students learn about health system integration across levels of the health sector (primary, secondary and tertiary care services). Health workforce issues are also be covered as health systems need to balance human resources, physical capital and consumables in order to function equitably and efficiently.

---

This subject introduces students to the theory, principles and skills of community development practice as a way of building capacity in community groups over the long term. The philosophical basis of community development as a method of social change and social action through building consensus, participation, advocacy and democracy are examined. Examples of innovative community development programs in public housing, Indigenous communities, disadvantaged areas and cultural communities are an important part of this subject, and guest lecturers from the field will provide practical examples of community development. In acknowledging the diversities and differences within communities, students consider the possibilities for collaboration, advocacy and strategic community planning in initiating action and change. Students develop community development skills in working with advisory groups and communities, community consultation, and running public forums to develop their skills as community development practitioners.

---

Public health officials use qualitative research methods to probe the social aspects of public health such as people’s experience of health and public health interventions or their interaction with health systems. Qualitative methods may be used for explorative research, to illuminate the findings of quantitative research or for program evaluation purposes. Students in this course will be introduced to the theoretical basis for qualitative research, methodology and methods. This includes case studies, ethnographic approaches, observation, interviews, focus groups and participative action research. Methods to ensure rigour in qualitative research, such as triangulation will be considered. Steps such as coding, theming, and analysis of qualitative research will be explored. Students in this course will have the opportunity to conduct a project using qualitative methods.

---

This subject provides students with fundamental nutrition knowledge through examining the relationship between food, nutrition and human health. Students will learn about macro and micro-nutrition, dietary guidelines, role of nutrition in metabolism, health maintenance and disease, nutrient rich food sources, and the specific nutritional requirements throughout the lifespan. Students will also learn how to identify and construct a healthy diet according to specific dietary guidelines, and know the impact of nutritional deficiency and excess as they relate to health and disease.

---

Public health officials use quantitative research methods to describe health issues in populations and sub-populations, examine the extent and impact of a public health problem, and to evaluate the outcome of a health intervention. Students in this course will learn survey design and how to apply and interpret statistical data in a public health setting. The course covers use of descriptive methodologies, statistical inference and probability, analysis of variance, simple and linear regression, and survival analysis. Students in this course will use a statistical package such as SPSS. No prior knowledge of statistics is assumed.