Skip to main content

Health Promotion Policy and Practice

Study Course Description

Course Description Statuss:Approved
Course Description Version:4.00
Study Course Accepted:29.08.2024 11:14:53
Study Course Information
Course Code:SVUEK_055LQF level:Level 7
Credit Points:4.00ECTS:6.00
Branch of Science:Clinical Medicine; Public HealthTarget Audience:Public Health
Study Course Supervisor
Course Supervisor:Anita Villeruša
Study Course Implementer
Structural Unit:Institute of Public Health
The Head of Structural Unit:
Contacts:Riga, 9 Kronvalda boulevard, svekatrsu[pnkts]lv, +371 67338307
Study Course Planning
Full-Time - Semester No.1
Lectures (count)8Lecture Length (academic hours)4Total Contact Hours of Lectures32
Classes (count)8Class Length (academic hours)2Total Contact Hours of Classes16
Total Contact Hours48
Study course description
Preliminary Knowledge:
Introduction in health promotion and health education, Public health, Environmental health, global health, Epidemiology.
Objective:
To provide students with knowledge of evidence-based health promotion policy and practice and its effectiveness. To analyze the effectiveness of health promotion measures and to acquire practical and theoretical skills in policy/ programme planning, introducing and supervision. To know the essence of prevention programs to reduce various problems related to health and health affecting lifestyle. To define and understand indicators for assessment of health promotion. To analyze the presence of various political and socioeconomic aspects in the development of health promotion. To widen the world-outlook using the experience of major foreign countries in the development of health promotion policy. To know health promotion supporting legislation and policy documents.
Topic Layout (Full-Time)
No.TopicType of ImplementationNumberVenue
1Development of the concept of health promotion. Planning, implementation and monitoring of health promotion work. Principles of creating a health promotion program/plan. Health promotion in different environments. Elements of a health promotion program. Public health analysis. The need for the program. Theoretical basis. The aim of the program, tasks. Content. Implementation plan. Evaluation.Lectures1.00auditorium
Classes1.00auditorium
2Health promotion in the human life cycle. Micro, meso and macro level determinants of lifestyle. The impact of social culture on the individual and the family. Organization of health promotion work in Latvia. Current directions of health promotion work for the population in different age groups. Approaches and methods for health-related lifestyle changes in populations of different age groups.Lectures1.00auditorium
Classes1.00auditorium
3Health promotion for working age adults and seniors. Lifestyle risks of chronic non-communicable diseases, mitigation strategies. Major health problems and prevention strategies with a health promotion approach. International experience in the development of health promotion policy in the world and in Europe in addressing various lifestyle-related problems (nutrition, physical inactivity, HIV/AIDS reduction, etc.) International activities in the implementation of various prevention programs.Lectures1.00auditorium
Classes1.00auditorium
4General principles of injury prevention and safety promotion. The most common types of injuries in different age groups and their prevention strategies. Policy making to reduce injuries. Strategies and approaches for the prevention of various injuries (traffic accidents, drowning, fire accidents, falls, etc.).Lectures1.00auditorium
Classes1.00auditorium
5Intentional self-harm. Violence against oneself – suicide, prevention strategies. The most common forms of violence against others. Violence reduction strategies at individual, family, community and community levels. Frequent forms of violence, their recognition. Risk factors, approaches to prevention work.Lectures1.00auditorium
Classes1.00auditorium
6Addiction, their types: the substance and process addictions. Addiction risk factors and their reduction in different target groups. Addiction reduction strategies in health promotion work. Partnership and multisectoral cooperation. International experience.Lectures1.00auditorium
Classes1.00auditorium
7Mental health promotion. The most common mental health disorders in different groups of the population. Psychiatric stigma. International experience and Latvian initiatives in the development of health promotion policy for the improvement of mental health. Diversity of different prevention programs.Lectures1.00auditorium
Classes1.00auditorium
8Development of evidence-based health promotion programs and evaluation of their effectiveness. Examples of good practice in the implementation of various programs. Implementation of international recommendations in local health promotion programs/policies. Analysis and presentation of individual policies.Lectures1.00auditorium
Classes1.00auditorium
Assessment
Unaided Work:
Analysis, comparison and evaluation of different health promotion programs implemented to reduce public health problems and promote healthy lifestyles.
Assessment Criteria:
Participation in classes (10%), group work (10%), individual presentation (25%), written exam (55%).
Final Examination (Full-Time):Exam
Final Examination (Part-Time):
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge:Students will know and understand main principles of evidence-based health promotion policy and practice, national and international policy, strategies used in health promotion. Recognize the presence of different political and socio-economic aspects in health promotion policies and practices addressing different public health issues. Will be able to name documents supporting health promotion policy.
Skills:Students will be able to collect and analyze and prioritize data about problematic health promotion issues; to select and justify the best strategy for problem solving in health promotion in different environments; to harmonize planned health promotion activities with health policy; to work out indicators for process, short and long term evaluation of health promotion policy; to work out working plan for implementation of EU recommendations in field of HP.
Competencies:The student can Select and adapt the best approaches and strategies to solve various problems related to a healthy lifestyle. Will be able to compare and interpret policy documents supporting health promotion and the results obtained in health promotion programs, will integrate international recommendation into local health promotion programs and policies can argue their views, discuss about the chosen solution, to generalize health promotion benefits, to draw conclusions.
Bibliography
No.Reference
Required Reading
1Health Promotion Theory. Cragg L., Macdowall W., Davies M., Berkshire. Open University Press. 2013.
2A Guide to Practical Health Promotion. Gottwald M., Goodman-Brown J., McGraw-Hill. Open University Press. 2012. (akceptējams izdevums)
3Health Promotion Practice. Edited by Cragg, Liza, Nutland, Will. 2015, Open University PressMcGraw- Hill.
4Health Promotion Programs: From Theory to Practice. Fertman, Carl I., Grim, Melissa; and more. John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated, 2016 (ProQuestEbookCentral)
5Introduction to Global Health Promotion. Zimmerman, Rick S.; DiClemente, Ralph J., and more. John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated, 2016 (ProQuestEbookCentral)
Additional Reading
1Understanding Public Health: Health Promotion Practice. by Macdowall, Wendy, Bonnell, Chris, Davies, Maggie. Open University Press, 2006.
2Health Promotion and Aging: Practical Applications for Health Professionals. Haber D. New York: Springer Publishing Company, 2016. (EBSCOhost)
3Key Topics in Public Health. Essential Briefings on Prevention and Health Promotion. Ewles L. Elsevier, 2005
4Health Behavior: Theory, Research, and Practice. Glanz, Karen; Rimer, Barbara K.; and more. John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated, 2015.
5Evaluating Public and Community Health Programs. Harris, Muriel J. John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated, 2016 (ProQuestEbookCentral)
Other Information Sources
1Sabiedrības veselības pamatnostādnes 2021.-2027. gadam, VM, 2021
2Vadlīnijas pašvaldībām veselības veicināšanā, VM, 2011.
3Veselība 2020, PVO
4WHO Health topics/ Health promotion
5Veselības veicināšana un slimību profilakse Latvijā