NS 1600

Introduction to Public Health

Course Description

Course information provided by the Courses of Study 2024-2025.

Introduction to Public Health is intended for Global and Public Health Sciences majors and for other students majoring in related disciplines. The course provides the basic principles, practices, and policies of public health, including an introduction to the infrastructure and organization of public health; methods of data collection and surveillance; disease promotion and prevention; health disparities; the achievements, challenges, and controversies in the field; and the range of career opportunities available in the field. This course has a particular focus on public health assessment, policy development, and assurance in the United States.

When Offered Fall, Summer.

Distribution Category (D-HE, SBA-HE) (D-AG, SBA-AG)

• Articulate basic public health functions of assessment, policy development, and assurance.
• Describe major public health achievements, challenges, and controversies.
• Identify major epidemiological study designs and compare their attributes and limitations for answering different public health questions.
• Describe the differences and commonalities between public health approaches to health prevention versus an individual-level medical approach to health.
• Describe the organization of the US healthcare system.
• Summarize the major steps involved in designing, implementing, and evaluating a public health program.
• Give examples of career opportunities in public health.
• Assess the impact of a public policy position on nutrition and dietetics practice. (Satisfies DPD learning outcome KRDN 2.3)
• Discuss the impact of health care policy and different health care delivery systems on food and nutrition services. (Satisfies DPD learning outcome KRDN 2.4)

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