Description This subject will provide you with foundational concepts and factors relating to population health in our society. The social and environmental determinants of health will be introduced and their roles toward disease, health and wellbeing will be explored. The Australian health care system will be compared with alternative models to examine strengths and challenges in advancing population health.
School Health Sciences
Discipline Public Health
Student Contribution Band HECS Band 2 10cp
Check your HECS Band contribution amount via the Fees page.
Level Undergraduate Level 1 subject
Equivalent Subjects PUBH 1006 - Population Health and Society PUBH 1001 - Dynamics of Health HLTH 1005 - Meanings of Health and Models of Care
Restrictions
Students must be enrolled at Western Sydney University, The College. Students enrolled in Extended Diplomas must pass 40 credit points from the preparatory subjects listed in the program structure prior to enrolling in this University level subject. Students enrolled in the combined Diploma/Bachelor programs listed below must pass all College Preparatory subjects listed in the program structure before progressing to the Year Two subjects.
On successful completion of this subject, students should be able to:
Identify social and environmental factors that determine health and illness across the lifespan
Outline the relationship between social, environmental and biological determinants and inequitable health outcomes
Compare the advantages and disadvantages of Australian and other health systems
Identify and reflect on personal health risk factors
Communicate effectively about population health issues in both a written and oral format
Critically evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of various health systems;
Critically evaluate roles of various stakeholders in the Australian health system;
Identify and reflect on contemporary issues in the provision of health care;
Analyse the complexities of health and well-being;
Analyse individual and group situations in terms of the social and environmental (including built environment) factors that are relevant to health;
Identify and reflect on personal health risk factors;
Work in groups; and
Communicate effectively about population health issues in both a written and oral format.
1.Global, national and regional patterns in the distribution of health, wellbeing, and illness
2.Models of health and health systems
3.Structure and organisation of the Australian health system
4.Emerging trends and issues in the provision of health care and notion of wellbeing
5.Social determinants of health (e.g. socioeconomic status, gender, location, and culture)
6.Environmental determinants of health (e.g. the built environment, and climate change)
7.Biological determinants of health (e.g. sex, age, genetics)
8.Role of social factors and inequity for communicable diseases and non-communicable disease
9.Causes of health inequities, locally and globally
1. Global, national and regional patterns in the distribution of health, wellbeing, and illness
2. Measuring population health ? basic epidemiology
3. Models of health and health systems
4. Structure and organisation of the Australian health system
5. Emerging trends and issues in the provision of health care and notion of wellbeing
6. Social determinants of health (e.g. socioeconomic status, gender, location, and culture)
7. Environmental determinants of health (e.g. urbanization, the built environment, and climate change)
8. Biological determinants of health (e.g. sex, age, genetics)
9. Contemporary issues related to communicable diseases
10. Contemporary issues related to non-communicable diseases (e.g. obesity, substance abuse, heart disease, diabetes and depression)
11. Policy and intervention in population health
Assessment
The following table summarises the standard assessment tasks for this subject. Please note this is a guide only. Assessment tasks are regularly updated, where there is a difference your Learning Guide takes precedence.
Type
Length
Percent
Threshold
Individual/Group Task
Essay
500 words
25
N
Individual
Case Study
1,000 words
35
N
Individual
Quiz
2 hours
30
N
Individual
Participation
Over 10 weeks
10
N
Individual
Prescribed Texts
Keleher, H., & MacDougall, C. (Eds.). (2016). Understanding health (4th ed.). Melbourne: Oxford University Press.
Keleher, H., & MacDougall, C. (Eds.). (2011). Understanding health (3rd ed.). South Melbourne, Vic: Oxford University Press
