DSOC 3280

Fundamentals of Population Health

Course Description

Course information provided by the Courses of Study 2016-2017.

Provides students with training in the language, theories, concepts, methods, measurement, analysis, and implementation of population health. A framework of core functions and essential features of population health is used to familiarize students with the unique challenges of disease surveillance, health measurement and monitoring, identification of health indicators and determinants, measuring health disparities, and developing population health policies and programs. Key to this course is the role of epidemiology in evaluating population health, and developing interventions to improve different populations' health and reduce health disparities. Students develop competencies in population health analysis and management such as identification, analysis, evaluation, estimation, inference, implementation, and evaluation that are valued not only in the job market but also welcomed in a variety of research and other employment fields.

When Offered Fall.

Permission Note Enrollment limited to: sophomore standing or above.
Prerequisites/Corequisites Prerequisite: At least one of the following: HD 1150, HD 1170, HD 2180, HD 2510, SOC 1101, DSOC 1101, DSOC 2200, PAM 2030, PAM 3360, PSYCH 1101, FGSS 3500, PAM 3500.

• Apply the basic terminology and definitions of population health to the study of health, health determinants, and health behaviors.
• Identify and utilize descriptive social epidemiology including: measurement of risk, crude rates, specific rates, standardized rates, and risk ratios.
• Identify and utilize demographic techniques appropriate to the study of population health including: population definition, life table analyses and direct standardization.
• Identify and utilize summary measures of population health to explain (a) health expectancies (e.g., DFLE, HLE), and (b) health gaps (e.g., DALY, QALY).
• Identify the social determinants of health and health disparities within and across populations.
• Critically evaluate current health issues from a population health perspective.
• Interpret morbidity and mortality statistics and draw appropriate inferences from demographic and health data; identify and evaluate the strengths and weakness of current measures of population health.
• Identify sources of population health data; access, analyze, and interpret population health data; display population health data in a meaningful format (e.g., charts and graphs).
• Develop awareness of academic and professional interests and goals and academic strengths and areas of improvement.

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