James Cook University Subject Handbook - 2003

TM5528:03

Health Promotion

Townsville HECS Band 2

December block mode.

Available to all postgraduate students enrolled in the Master of Public Health and Tropical Medicine and the Postgraduate Diploma of Public Health and Tropical Medicine.

Staff: Ms S Devine (Coordinator).

Students are encouraged to enrol in the subject with a designated health problem in mind, preferably in their own field of work. Literature, previous studies, related health promotional material, demographic, epidemiological, social and cultural information relating to this problem should be collected for the course. Contact Course Coordinator to discuss this in further detail.

This subject is designed to introduce students to the competencies involved in the development of health promotion activities and programs with a special emphasis on remote, tropical and Indigenous contexts. Students will be introduced to the principles and theory of health promotion and to the processes of health promotion program planning, design, implementation and evaluation. Theories, barriers and techniques involved in knowledge and behaviour change will be examined. The subject is designed to enable students to develop the skills necessary to address identified health issues within their own working context. Students will apply subject knowledge to the development of their own project.

Learning Objectives:

  1. to understand the role of health promotion in public health;
  2. to understand the historical, political and cultural factors which have contributed to health promotion thinking;
  3. to become familiar with at least three models of health promotion;
  4. to understand the role of health education in health promotion;
  5. to be able to design a plan for a health promotion project which includes needs analysis, planning, implementation and evaluation factors;
  6. to be able to identify health promotion opportunities in student’s workplace or community;
  7. to become familiar with a range of major health promotion strategies including harm minimisation, screening, legislation, policy;
  8. to become familiar with a range of rural and Indigenous health promotion activities and resources;
  9. to become familiar with the barriers and opportunities posed by working in cross cultural situations.

Assessment by examination (20-30%); assignments (50-60%); group oral presentation (20%).