MSc Nutrition and Health Specialization: Nutritional Epidemiology and Public Health (Distance Learning) Wageningen University Course Descriptions (First Version 13-05-2015) Wageningen University, part of Wageningen UR For quality of life 21 HNE28303 Introduction Descriptive Epidemiology and Public Health (Distance Learning) Language of instruction: English Teaching methods: 1.3 DKC; 03 DT; 03 DG; 0.2 DEL; 0.6 IP; 0.3 IS Contact person: Joanne Leerlooijer Lecturer(s): Dr JM (Marianne) Geleijnse, prof. dr. ir. P (Pieter) van ’t Veer, Prof dr ir E (Ellen) Kampman, Prof dr ir EJM (Edith) Feskens, Dr ir GJ (Truus) Groenendijk-van Woudenbergh, Dr SS (Sabita) Soedamah- Muthu Examiner(s): Dr JM (Marianne) Geleijnse, gelei001 Content: In this course you will learn about the basic concepts, measures and study designs in analytical epidemiology and public health. Analytical studies investigate patterns, causes and effects of health and disease conditions in certain populations. These studies give insight in risk factors of diseases and can inform policy makers in the field of public health to design prevention strategies. You will learn common measures as well as methods that support interpretation of study results, including their strengths and limitations. In addition, risk factors of major communicable and non-communicable diseases are discussed. Learning outcomes: After successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to: 1) calculate basic measures used in epidemiology and public health, including various measures of association, including PR, IRR, IPR and OR, and (population) attributable risk and fraction 2) understand basic study designs used in analytical epidemiology and public health and indicate the major (dis)advantages of the various study designs, including: a. ecological study b. cross-sectional study c. cohort study d. case-control study e. randomized controlled trial; 3) understand selection bias, information bias, and confounding; 4) explain the difference between internal and external validity of epidemiological findings; 5) interpret precision measures; 6) calculate various measures used for disease screening, including: a. sensitivity b. specificity c. diagnostic value 7) describe the main determinants of major communicable and non-communicable diseases: a. infectious diseases b. diabetes mellitus c. cancer d. cardiovascular diseases e. mental health disorders among elderly people f. osteoporosis Activities: knowledge clips, self-study, online group discussions, calculation exercises, individual assignments 2 Wageningen University, part of Wageningen UR For quality of life 21 Literature: Webb C. & Bain P. (2010). Essential epidemiology: an introduction for students and health professionals. Cambridge University Press, 2nd revised edition. HNE28803 Introduction Analytical Epidemiology and Public Health (Distance Learning) Language of instruction: English Teaching methods: 1.3 DKC; 0.3 DT; 0.3 DG; 0.6 IP; 0.3 IS Contact persons: Joanne Leerlooijer Lecturer(s): Dr JM (Marianne) Geleijnse, prof. dr. ir. P (Pieter) van ‘t Veer, Prof dr. ir E (Ellen) Kampman, Prof dr ir EJM (Edith) Feskens, Dr ir A (Annemien) Haveman-Nies, Dr JN (Joanne) Leerlooijer Examiner(s): Dr JM (Marianne) Geleijnse Content: The course will teach you the basic concepts, measures and study designs of descriptive epidemiology and public health. Descriptive studies investigate when, where and among whom health and disease in certain populations occur. Results of these studies can be used by policy makers in the field of public health. Different epidemiological and public health measures are introduced to describe health, disease and mortality. You will learn when to use these measures and how to calculate them. In addition, you are introduced to some major diseases, including infectious diseases, diabetes mellitus, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases. Learning outcomes: After successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to: 1. describe the field of epidemiology and public health and the work of scientists in this field; 2. calculate basic measures used in epidemiology and public health, including: a) prevalence b) incidence rate and proportion c) DALY, Years of Life Lost, Healthy Life Expectancy 3. understand basic study designs used in descriptive epidemiology and public health and indicate the major (dis)advantages of the various study designs. 4. perform standardization of public health data; 5. describe the prevalence and incidence of major communicable and non-communicable diseases: a) infectious diseases b) diabetes mellitus c) cancer d) cardiovascular diseases e) mental health disorders among elderly people f) osteoporosis Activities: knowledge clips, self-study, online group discussions, calculation exercises, and individual assignments including writing an advice for a Minister of Health and making a glossary Literature: Webb C. & Bain P. (2010). Essential epidemiology: an introduction for students and health professionals. Cambridge University Press, 2nd revised edition. 3 Wageningen University, part of Wageningen UR For quality of life 21 4 Wageningen University, part of Wageningen UR For quality of life 21 HNE30403 Integration of evidence I (Distance Learning) Language of instruction: English Teaching methods: 0.5 DKC; 0.2 DT; 1.0 DG; 0.6 DEL; 0.4 IP; 0.3 IS Contact person: Dr. ir. M.C (Cora) Busstra Lecturer(s): Dr. ir M.C. (Cora) Busstra, prof. dr. ir. P (Pieter) van ’t Veer, Dr. ir. A (Alida) Melse-Boonstra Examiner(s): Dr. ir M.C. (Cora) Busstra, busst001 Assumed knowledge: Content: This course focusses on integrating and judging the strength of scientific evidence for a proposed causal relation between a certain (nutritional) exposure and a health outcome. We take the ‘evidence pyramid’ as a starting point. The top of the evidence pyramid, the RCT, is discussed in more detail as a ‘gold standard’ research method. This gives a solid basis to contrast other research approaches and discuss the potential biases. In addition, you study basic statistical analyses methods to quantify intake-health associations in observational studies, as these are the associations that will be judged for their strength of evidence. Learning outcomes: After successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to: 1. Discuss strengths and limitations of observational studies, human intervention studies and animal or cell line studies 2. Explain under which circumstances a RCT can/cannot be considered as a gold standard research approach 3. Be able to quantify intake-health associations based on results of observational studies. Activities: e-modules, knowledge clips, online group discussion & individual assignment (including oral presentation at WUR) Literature: Petrie & Sabin, Medical statistics at a glance, selection of chapters) Webb & Bain, Essential Epidemiology, 2nd ed, Ch 10 MJ. Gibney et al, Public health nutrition, 2004. Ch 11 5 Wageningen University, part of Wageningen UR For quality of life 21 HNE30903 Epidemiology and Public Health Policies (Distance Learning) Language of instruction: English Teaching methods: 1.0 DKC; 01 DT; 1.4 DG; 0.1 IP; 0.4 IS Contact person: Dr J.N. (Joanne) Leerlooijer Lecturer(s): Dr ir A. (Annemien) Haveman-Nies, Dr J. (Joyce) de Goede, Dr J.N. (Joanne) Leerlooijer, prof. dr. ir. P (Pieter) van ’t Veer Examiner(s): Dr ir A. (Annemien) Haveman-Nies, havem001 Assumed knowledge: DL course ‘Introduction Descriptive epidemiology and Public Health’, ‘Introduction Analytical epidemiology and Public Health’ Content: This course is one of the core-courses for future public health professionals aiming at a career in the public and private sector. In this course students learn how public health policy and interventions are developed. In society, health is an important asset as it is a resource for everyday living. It enables children to go to school and develop their potential, adults to work and care for their families and elderly to remain involved in society. Health is more than an individual matter; the functioning of our society depends on healthy people. Therefore, it is of great importance to optimize health and its related lifestyle factors (healthy diet, moderate alcohol consumption, non-smoking, physical activity etc.). Analysis of major health problems and their determinants is needed to develop public health policies and programmes that intend to result in considerable health gains in the long term. In this course methods will be introduced and explained which support the planning and implementation of public health policies and programmes. Relevant theories, concepts and tools will be presented, and illustrated with practical examples. For this purpose, the public health cycle will be introduced. This planning model provides a basic framework for professionals working in the field of public health that can be used for planning, implementing and evaluating policies and programmes. This planning model includes the following seven steps: conduct a needs assessment, support priority setting, formulate aims and objectives, construct a logic model, develop an evaluation plan, perform quality control, and analyse processes and outcomes. Learning outcomes: After successful completion of this course students are expected to be able to: - explain the public health system and working processes that are applied in the public health sector, namely the seven steps in the public health cycle: conduct a needs assessment, support priority setting, formulate aims and