Syllabus

Schedule

 Week 1: October 28 – November 4

Course Introduction and Overview/Impact of Individual Causal Factors on Health

Welcome Video

 Textbook Readings: 

• Pgs. 50-52: This section introduces the basic link of poverty and health.
• Pgs. 53-55: This section introduces the biophysical pathway of poverty on health.
• Pgs. 57-61: This section introduces race as a social determinate of health.
• Pgs. 117-123: This section introduces gender as a social determinant of health. 

For additional readings on this topic, see Chapter 1: Why Study Social and Behavioral Factors in Public Health? and Chapter 2: Historical Perspectives on Population and Disease

Lecture

• Week One Lecture

 

External Readings:

To access journal articles, click the links included or visit the UNE Library’s Full Text Journal page and search by journal title. If you cannot find the full text of the article, then look to the upper right-hand corner of your screen — the link to the full text can usually be found there.

 

The following three studies present important findings, demonstrating concepts and complexities important to the class:

Davis SK, Gebreab S, Quarells R, Gibbons GH. Social determinants of cardiovascular health among black and white women residing in Stroke Belt and Buckle regions of the South. Ethn Dis. 2014 Spring;24 (2):133-43.  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4051397/

Tjepkema M, Wilkins R, Long A. Socio-economic inequalities in cause-specific mortality: a 16-year follow-up study.Can J Public Health. 2013 Oct 10;104(7):e472-8. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24495823

Ullits LR, Ejlskov L, Mortensen RN, Hansen SM, Kræmer SR, Vardinghus-Nielsen H, Fonager K, Bøggild H, Torp-Pedersen C, Overgaard C. Socioeconomic inequality and mortality–a regional Danish cohort study. BMC Public Health. 2015 May 14;15:490. doi: 10.1186/s12889-015-1813-3.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4451930/

 

The following report explores how concepts in public health are related, presenting an in-depth exploration of  the causes of important issues in public health: 

Ataguba JE, Day C, McIntyre D. Explaining the role of the social determinants of health on health inequality in South Africa. Glob Health Action. 2015 Sep 16;8:28865. doi: 10.3402/gha.v8.28865. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26385543

 

This article highlights that the causes of public health issues extend beyond problems of healthcare or unhealthy behaviors:

Marmot M, Allen J. Social Determinants of Health Equity. Am J Public Health. 2014 September; 104(Suppl 4): S517–S519. Published online 2014 September. doi:  10.2105/AJPH.2014.302200.  PMCID: PMC4151898.  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4151898/

 

For an additional in-depth perspective:

Jayasinghe S. Int J Equity Health. 2015 Aug 25; 14 (1):71. doi: 10.1186/s12939-015-0205-8. Social determinants of health inequalities: towards a theoretical perspective using systems science. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4549102/

 

The CDC Health Disparities and Inequalities Report. United States, 2013, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (2013) is included as reference material.

 

Here is a helpful link to help you better understand factors that influence health: the WHO Social Determinants of Health website

 

Videos:

This video introduces the overall concept of how casual factors influence health:

YouTube Video:  Health Inequalities – Social Determinants of Health Film (Glasgow).  YouTube.  https://youtu.be/aS3-MZZyVNI

 

Introductions

Please introduce yourself. Briefly, tell us who you are, what you do, and whether you’ve had any previous public health experience.

Your original contribution responding to this request is due by 11:59 pm Wednesday.

 

Discussion Assignment One: Social Factors Web

Post your original contribution by 11:59 pm Sunday, and post at least one substantive response to a classmate’s post by 11:59 pm on Wednesday. 

Choose one of the first three studies listed under “External Readings” above and identify the main social factors examined by the authors. Then describe the web of social factors (i.e., the web of social, political, material, and cultural conditions that shape lives) examined in the study that are associated with the health outcome under consideration (stroke, heart attack, etc.).

Think of this as a treasure hunt; ferret out the complexity.  Explore the connections between social factors. Make sure to also consider the methodology the study uses to identify and explore related social factors.

Once you have explored the social factors listed in your study and their relationship to one another, develop a visual that captures the different relationships. This visual should show how all of the social factors identified in your chosen study connect to each other and to health outcomes. (You can accomplish this in many ways. You can draw your visual, take a picture of it with your phone, and then upload it to the forum. You can use one of the many free mind-mapping software applications. Coggle and Freemind, for example, are both free mind-mapping applications. Or you can submit it in some other way that allows you to complete the requirements of the assignment.)

You will be using and adding to this visual in Module 2.

In addition to creating a visual you will need to include a short description where you discuss the main social factor(s), the extended related social factors, and the methodology used to identify these social factors. Make sure to support your ideas with information and data from the study you have chosen to examine.  Feel free to also refer to the readings from the textbook.

You are also expected to respond to your peers’ discussion posts. Compare and contrast your ideas and connections with those of your peers. Do your views of the connections between the social factors and health outcomes differ? Why?

 

Learning Objectives:

 In this module, we are evaluating the studies on individual causal factors.  

We are doing this so that we can more competently understand the causal web and more effectively intervene in public health issues.

We will achieve this by:

• examining research reports for what other factors were studied and adjusted for in the statistical model. 
• looking beyond the reported association to: Individual income (SES) – This association holds even after adjusting for healthcare; demographics/race – minorities, for example, have lower health expectations even when one adjusts for income; neighborhood – this association holds even when we adjust for income and services.

 

Week 2:   November 4 – November 11

Societal Causal Factors: Impact of Societal Health on Individual Health

Textbook Readings:

• Pgs. 112-114 This section introduces and describes the concept of social capital.
• Pg. 56 This section links income inequality to social capital through a discussion of issues of trust.

For additional readings on this topic, see Chapter 3: Social Epidemiology and Chapter 6: The Social Environment and Health

Lectures:

• Week Two Lecture     

 

External Readings:

These articles actually draw a link between income inequality, relative income, social capital, and social cohesion and mobility:

Murayama H, Yoshinori Fujiwara Y, and Kawachi I. Social capital and health: A review of prospective multilevel studies. J Epidemiol. 2012;22(3):179-187.  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3798618/

Sundquist K, Hamano T, Li X, Kawakami N, Shiwaku K, Sundquist J. Exp Gerontol. Linking social capital and mortality in the elderly: a Swedish national cohort study. 2014 Jul;55:29-36. doi: 10.1016/j.exger.2014.03.007. Epub 2014 Mar 13. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24632181

Pickett KE, Wilkinson RG.  Income inequality and health: a causal review. Soc Sci Med. 2015 Mar;128:316-26. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2014.12.031. Epub 2014 Dec 30. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25577953

Fritzell J, Rehnberg J, Bacchus Hertzman J, Blomgren J. Absolute or relative? A comparative analysis of the relationship between poverty and mortality. Int J Public Health. 2015 Jan;60(1):101-10. doi: 10.1007/s00038-014-0614-2. Epub 2014 Oct 31. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25359309

Simons AM, Groffen DA, Bosma H. Socio-economic inequalities in all-cause mortality in Europe: an exploration of the role of heightened social mobility. Eur J Public Health. 2013 Dec;23(6):1010-2. doi: 10.1093/eurpub/ckt145. Epub 2013 Sep 24. http://eurpub.oxfordjournals.org/content/23/6/1010.long

 

Videos:

Video talks by two leading scholars:

TedTalk Video:  Richard Wilkinson: How economic inequality harms societies.  TedTalk.  http://www.ted.com/talks/richard_wilkinson

YouTube Video:  Ichiro Kawachi.  Social Capital.  Kreuter Katz Lecture 2014.  YouTube. https://youtu.be/u29-Sh8N9Jo

 

Discussion Assignment Two: Income and Social Capital Graphic

Post your original contribution by 11:59 pm Sunday, and post at least one substantive response to a classmate’s post by 11:59 pm on Wednesday.

The studies you have read this week introduced you to the concepts of social capital and income inequality. Taking these concepts into consideration, you will add these additional social factors to the visual you created in Week One. As you do so, consider how income inequality and social capital are inter-related and how they are connected to individual-level social factors and health outcomes. 

Along with your graphic, include a short description, which explains the ideas you have visually represented. Make sure to supports your ideas with evidence from the research articles, as well as the textbook. What methodologies have the investigators you referenced used to associate social capital and income inequality with particular health outcomes?

 

Course Objectives:

In this module, we are evaluating the influence and role of societal factors on the individual causal factors.

We are doing this so that we can expand our understanding of the causal web and develop more effective interventions.

We will accomplish this by looking at what social factors are influencing individual factors, such as:

• Income inequality – even the highest income levels suffer
• Social capital – association holds even if we adjust for stress
• Ways in which unhealthy society breeds unhealthy individuals

 

Week 3:  November 11 – November 18

Exploring the “How” and “Why”: Evaluating the Biopsychosocial and Physical Mechanisms Which Mediate the Association Between Social Factors and Health Outcomes

Textbook Readings:

• Pgs 16-18  Introduces the concept of the influence of social factors on health behaviors and, ultimately on disease, using the spread of HIV as an example.
• Pg. 93  Discussion of ways in which the social environment facilitates physical activity
• Pg. 94  Discussion of the link between Type A behavior and CHD.  Introduces the concept of personality type behavior as a health behavior
• Pgs. 97-104.  Introduction of healthcare utilization and disease management as health behaviors (with example of TB)

For additional readings on this topic, see Chapter 4: Behavioral and Social Science Theory and Chapter 5: Health and Illness Behavior

Lecture:

Week Three Lecture

Week Three Supplemental Video

External Readings:

These studies report a direct effect of psychological stress on health outcomes:

Marmot MG, Smith GD, Stansfeld S, Patel C, North F, Head J, White I, Brunner E, Feeney A. Health inequalities among British civil servants: the Whitehall II study. Lancet. 1991 Jun 8;337(8754):1387-93.  http://web.b.ebscohost.com.une.idm.oclc.org/ehost/detail/detail?vid=3&sid=fc2a2d86-f6b5-40eb-b82d-c67318bfce52%40sessionmgr113&hid=123&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#AN=9107080526&db=a9h

Joensuu M, Kivimäki M, Pentti J, Virtanen M, Väänänen A, Vahtera J. Jun Components of job control and mortality: the Finnish Public Sector Study. Occup Environ Med. 2014 Aug;71(8):536-42. doi: 10.1136/oemed-2014-102111. Epub 2014 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24891558

Lund R, Christensen U, Nilsson CJ, Kriegbaum M, Hulvej Rod N.  Stressful social relations and mortality: a prospective cohort study. J Epidemiol Community Health. 2014 Aug;68(8):720-7. doi: 10.1136/jech-2013-203675. Epub 2014 May http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24811775

 

An article on the effect of environmental exposures:

Deguen S, Petit C, Delbarre A, Kihal W, Padilla C, Benmarhnia T, Lapostolle A, Chauvin P, Zmirou-Navier D. PLoS One. Neighbourhood Characteristics and Long-Term Air Pollution Levels Modify the Association between the Short-Term Nitrogen Dioxide Concentrations and All-Cause Mortality in Paris. 2015 Jul21;10(7):e0131463. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0131463. eCollection 2015. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4510557/

 

How to evaluate and assess relative contribution of factors:

Kruize H, Droomers M, van Kamp I, Ruijsbroek A. What causes environmental inequalities and related health effects? An analysis of evolving concepts. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2014 May 30;11(6):5807-27. doi: 10.3390/ijerph110605807.  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4078549/

 

Articles exploring how lifestyle is associated with SES:

Whitley E, Batty GD, Hunt K, Popham F, Benzeval M. The role of health behaviours across the life course in the socioeconomic patterning of all-cause mortality: the west of Scotland twenty-07 prospective cohort study.  Ann Behav Med. 2014 Apr;47(2):148-57. doi: 10.1007/s12160-013-9539-x. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3964290/

 

An article on public health and healthcare:

Thomas B. Health and health care disparities: the effect of social and environmental factors on individual and population health. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2014 Jul 21;11(7):7492-507. doi: 10.3390/ijerph110707492.  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4113890/

 

Videos:

This video lecture clip is an example of the assessment of the mechanism of impact of social factors – that is, the balancing of direct psychosocial versus impact from health behavior:

YouTube Video:  Health Disparities, Social Stress, and Asthma – Rosalind Wright MD, MPH.  YouTube.  https://youtu.be/Q4cv1RaT97A

 

Discussion Assignment Three: Biopsychosocial and Physical Mechanisms

In the last couple of weeks, you have explored the effects of social capital, income inequality, and other social factors on an individual’s health. This week your focus will be on how to evaluate and measure the influence of stress and other biopsychosocial factors on health behaviors. The readings this week describe how biopsychosocial/physical mechanisms impact social factors on health.

We’re doing this to understand the various pathways of biopsychosocial mechanisms so that we can make more effective professional interventions. To further our understanding of these mechanisms, we will consider examples and demonstrations of studies and investigator methodology.

For this week’s assignment, you will need to consider how the investigators in this week’s readings evaluate the relative impact on health of stress, lifestyle factors, inadequate healthcare, and environmental exposures. In your discussion post discuss the major biopsychosocial and physical mechanisms that mediate the health impact on social factors and health outcomes. In other words, how do stress, lifestyle factors, inadequate healthcare, and environmental exposures affect health?

 

Learning Objectives:

In this module, we are evaluating and measuring the influence of social factors on health behaviors.

We are doing this to understand the pathways of biopsychosocial mechanisms so that we can more effectively intervene in health issues.

We will accomplish this by examining the associations between social determinants and these factors:

 

Week 4:  November 18 – November 25

Biopsychosocial and Physical Health Impact Evaluation

Textbook Readings:

• Pgs. 69-75  This section discusses the ways in which social factors influence health behavior.
• Pgs. 76-77  This section introduces self-efficacy as a social determinant through a discussion of the Health Belief Model.
• Pgs. 110-112  This section introduces social support as a determinant of health, including:

 

Lecture:

Week Four Lecture

 

External readings:

These studies explore the association between social factors, smoking, and health:

Nandi A, Glymour MM, Subramanian SV. Association among socioeconomic status, health behaviors, and all-cause mortality in the United States. Epidemiology. 2014 Mar;25(2):170-7. doi: 10.1097/EDE.0000000000000038. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24487200

Cano MÁ, Wetter DW. Socioeconomic status and smoking cessation: neighborhood context as an underlying mechanism.  Tex Heart Inst J. 2014 Jun 1;41(3):309-10. doi: 10.14503/THIJ-14-4096. eCollection 2014.  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4060343/

Pförtner TK, De Clercq B, Lenzi M, Vieno A, Rathmann K, Moor I, Hublet A, Molcho M, Kunst AE, Richter M. Does the association between different dimension of social capital and adolescent smoking vary by socioeconomic status? A pooled cross-national analysis. Int J Public Health. 2015 Sep 4. [Epub ahead of print]  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26337555

 

This study explores the relationship between stress and smoking:

Mulder BC1, de Bruin M, Schreurs H, van Ameijden EJ, van Woerkum CM. Stressors and resources mediate the association of socioeconomic position with health behaviours. BMC Public Health. 2011 Oct 13;11:798. doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-11-798.  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3205066/

 

This study reports evidence that some of the stress-mortality link is mediated by health behavior:

Rutters F, Pilz S, Koopman AD, Rauh SP, Te Velde SJ, Stehouwer CD, Elders PJ, Nijpels G, Dekker JM. The association between psychosocial stress and mortality is mediated by lifestyle and chronic diseases: the Hoorn Study. Soc Sci Med. 2014 Oct;118:166-72. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2014.08.009. Epub 2014 Aug 9. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25137635

 

Assignment Four: Formal Scientific Argument

We’ve read many scholarly papers over the past few weeks. They’ve all examined, in one way or another, how various social, economic, and biopsychosocial factors affect health. Now you will craft your own argument. Your assignment this week is to formulate a scientific argument which uses evidence from the scientific literature posted here in the External Readings, to make a case about the effect of the biopsychosocial and physical mechanism on health. Look to the readings in your textbook for additional ideas on various mechanisms that could be examined for this assignment.

In this assignment you will be practicing the skills you will use in your final assignment. Think of it as a diagnostic evaluation tool for the final assignment. 

 

Learning Objectives:

In this module, we will evaluate and assess the role of stress and other psychosocial pathways as secondary mechanisms in health outcomes.

We are doing this to understand biopsychosocial mechanisms to more effectively intervene in public health issues.

We will achieve this by:

• Examining studies which adjust their statistical model for stress.  
• Examining studies which measure chronic stress, trust, social support, and self-efficacy.

 

Week 5:  November 25 – December 2

Theoretical Models of Social Behavioral Health

Textbook Readings:

• Pgs. 14-16 This section offers a description of the social ecology of health model (value = inter-relationship of social factors)
• Pgs. 46-49 This section offers a description of pathways of influence model (value = causal continuum concept)
• Pgs. 78-79 This section offers a description of the trans-theoretical model (value = behavior modification)
• Pgs. 85-86 This section offers a description of the biopsychosocial model (value = comprehensive approach)

For additional readings on this topic, see pages 80-88

Lecture:

• Week Five Lecture

 

Discussion Assignment Five: Biopsychosocial and Physical Mechanisms Visual

Post your original contribution by 11:59 pm Sunday, and post at least one substantive response to a classmate’s post by 11:59 pm on Wednesday.

This week’s assignment asks you to model the particular biopsychosocial or physical mechanism you wrote about last week. Choose one of the models discussed in the textbook readings this week and apply it to the biopsychosocial or physical mechanism you chose for your paper last week. Draw a graphic or create a visual of this evidence to reflect the structure of the model.

In addition to your visual include a short description that discusses the way in which modeling the evidence broadened or enhanced your understanding of the causal web affecting the health issues investigated in your scientific argument paper. 

 

Learning Objectives:

In this module we will learn how to use models to connect the causal factors in a meaningful way. Its intent is to show how the pieces we’ve examined so far fit together.

We are doing this so that we can better understand the inter-relationship of the causal factors and thereby help identify where and how to intervene in public health issues.

The focus of this week’s module is on how models enhance our understanding of the pathways of causation. These models are:

• Social ecology of health model (levels of influence)
• Pathways of influence model (direction of influence)
• Trans-theoretical model  (behavioral health)

These models describe various aspects of the inter-relationship of the factors in the causal mechanism.  The focus of each model can be a guide to its usefulness and function.

 

Week 6: December 02 – December 09

Strategic Planning Framework

Textbook readings:

• Pgs. 251-261 This section offers a description, with graphics and examples, of strategic planning frameworks and instructions on how to use them. This section covers SMART, Precede-Proceed, and Intervention Mapping frameworks.

For additional readings on this topic, see Chapter 14: Community-Based Approaches to Health Promotion

Lectures:

Week Six Lecture

 

Assignment Six: Strategic Planning Framework

Using the evidence you gathered in Week Four for your Formal Scientific Argument, as well as the model you generated in Week Five, apply the strategic planning framework tools discussed in this week’s reading to your work to identify potential points of intervention.

This assignment should help you to see how to address the public health issue you examined in Weeks Four and Five using a structured, organized, and systematic process. Please discuss your strategy for addressing the causal web of social factors associated with the public health outcome you looked at for the Formal Scientific Argument.  How might using intervention planning frameworks help you better address this public health problem? Refer to the textbook readings for ideas on how planning frameworks assist in implementing public health programs.

 

Learning Objectives:

In this module we learn how to use standard public health strategic planning tools.

We are doing this to learn how to build a more effective intervention strategy. Our focus will be on how these frameworks can be used to identify new points of intervention.

We will learn how the following three models can be linked and used together to create an effective intervention strategy:

• SMART objectives
• Precede-proceed model
• Intervention mapping

 

Week 7:  December 09 – December 16

Final Assignment

Lecture: 

Week Seven Supplemental Video

 

Final Assignment:

For this final project, you will be developing your own intervention strategy in response to a public health problem.

Select one of the following topics:

1. Heroin Abuse in the US Northeast
2. Infectious disease (HIV, STD’s, Hepatitis-B & C) among homeless juveniles
3. Childhood Asthma in low-income, inner-city areas of Boston, New York, or Baltimore

Write an 8 to 10 page paper (2000 to 2500 words) that includes:

• Description of the problem: brief review of the issue, history, and public health severity (i.e., what is the health threat, how many people involved)
• Comprehensive identification and description of the causal factors involved (and their inter-relationship)
• In-depth analysis of the mechanism by which these factors exert their influence on health
• The contribution of any guiding theoretical models and their contribution to our understanding of the problem
• Critical analysis and evaluation of the existing approach to the problem
• Description of a feasible, effective intervention strategy (using strategic planning models)

Evaluation Criteria:

• Comprehensive identification and description of the causal factors involved
• In-depth analysis of the mechanism by which these factors exert their influence on health
• Description of guiding theoretical models and their contribution to the understanding of the problem
• Critical analysis and evaluation of the existing approach to the problem
• Competent application of strategic planning models
• Insight, innovation, and feasibility of a suggested effective intervention strategy

 

Learning Objectives:

This week we will be working on our final assignment, which entails developing an intervention framework. 

 

Week 8:   December 16 – December 20 (SUNDAY)

The Social and Behavioral Determinants of Obesity

Textbook Readings:

• Pgs. 327-347 This chapter (Chapter 17, Childhood Overweight & Obesity) offers a comprehensive discussion of the multiple levels of social influence on the health outcome.  

Lecture:

Week Eight Lecture

 

External Readings:

Cheng JK. Confronting the social determinants of health–obesity, neglect, and inequity. N Engl J Med. 2012 Nov 22;367(21):1976-7. doi: 10.1056/NEJMp1209420.  http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp1209420

Egger G, Dixon J.  Beyond obesity and lifestyle: a review of 21st century chronic disease determinants. Biomed Res Int. 2014;2014:731685. doi: 10.1155/2014/731685. Epub 2014 Apr 7.  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3997940/

Breland JY1, McAndrew LM, Gross RL, Leventhal H, Horowitz CR. Challenges to healthy eating for people with diabetes in a low-income, minority neighborhood. Diabetes Care. 2013 Oct;36(10):2895-901. doi: 10.2337/dc12-1632. Epub 2013 Jul 22.  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3781525/

 

Videos:

YouTube Video: HBO Documentary:  The Weight of the Nation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pEkCbqN4uo

YouTube Video: TedTalk: What if blaming the obese is blaming the victim? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3oI104STzs

 

Discussion Assignment Eight: Final Reflection

Your original contribution and responses are due by 11:59 pm Sunday.

After watching the TedTalk on obesity, and taking into consideration the textbook readings, discuss your thoughts on whether blaming the obese is blaming the victim. Bring into your discussion issues and themes discussed over the past seven weeks. What have you learned about social factors and their contributions to public health issues? How is the obesity problem in the United States representative of the relationship between causal factors and public health? How do social, cultural, and behavioral factors influence the obesity epidemic? And how do they shape our individual and collective responses to this public health issue? Use this final discussion forum to reflect not only on this particular issue, but also on what you learned throughout the course.

 

Learning Objectives:

 In this week’s module, we are reviewing the concepts we learned over the past few weeks. We will also be looking at the effect of various factors on obesity.

At the end of this week, you will be able to identify the multifactorial nature of obesity. This will allow you to be able to stage an effective intervention.

We will accomplish this by examining how the various factors in each level of the socio-ecological model are involved in producing the obesity epidemic.

 

Student Resources

Online Student Support

Your Student Support Specialist is a resource for you. Please don't hesitate to contact them for assistance, including, but not limited to course planning, current problems or issues in a course, technology concerns, or personal emergencies.

Questions? Visit the Student Support Public Health page

UNE Libraries:

• Library Access for all students: Your library login ID and password are the same as the ones you use to log into Blackboard/Brightspace.
• Public Health Databases: https://library.une.edu/library-materials/find/research-by-subject/public-health/
• Library Tutorial: Find an article
• Library Questions: Ask a librarian or phone library staff at (207) 602-2361 or (207) 221-4330.

UNE Student Academic Success Center

UNE's Student Academic Success Center (SASC) offers a range of free online services to support your academic achievement. Writing support, ESOL support, study strategy and learning style consultations, as well as downloadable resources, are available to all matriculating students. The SASC also offers tutoring for GPH 712 Epidemiology, GPH 716 Biostatistics, GPH 717 Applied Epidemiology, GPH 718 Biostatistics II, and GPH 719 Research Methods. To make an appointment for any of these services, go to une.tutortrac.com. For more information and to view and download writing and studying resources, please visit:

• UNE Student Academic Success Center

Information Technology Services (ITS)

• ITS Contact: Toll Free Help Desk 24 hours/7 days per week at 1-877-518-4673

Accommodations

Any student who would like to request, or ask any questions regarding, academic adjustments or accommodations must contact the Student Access Center at (207) 221-4438 or pcstudentaccess@une.edu. Student Access Center staff will evaluate the student's documentation and determine eligibility of accommodation(s) through the Student Access Center registration procedure.

Policies

Written Assignments are due by Wednesday 11:59 pm of the week they are assigned, except in Week 8 when the course ends on Sunday. 

Late Policy

During weeks 1-­7, assignments submitted after the due date will receive a 5% penalty for each day the assignment is late. Late papers will not be accepted after 5 days. In week 8, the same penalty applies, however late assignments will not be accepted after the course end date on Sunday at 11:59 pm. Please make every effort ahead of time to contact your instructor and your student support specialist if you are not able to meet an assignment deadline. Your instructor may grant an extension without penalty for extenuating circumstances such as an emergency, serious illness, power outage, etc.

AMA Writing Style Statement

The American Medical Association Manual (AMA) of Style, 11th edition is the required writing format for this course. Additional support for academic writing and AMA format is provided throughout the coursework as well as at the UNE Portal for Online Students.

Online resources: AMA Style Guide

Turnitin Originality Check and Plagiarism Detection Tool

The College of Professional Studies uses Turnitin to help deter plagiarism and to foster the proper attribution of sources. Turnitin provides comparative reports for submitted assignments that reflect similarities in other written works. This can include, but is not limited to, previously submitted assignments, internet articles, research journals, and academic databases.

Make sure to cite your sources appropriately as well as use your own words in synthesizing information from published literature. Webinars and workshops, included early in your coursework, will help guide best practices in APA citation and academic writing.

You can learn more about Turnitin in the Turnitin Student quick start guide.

Technology Requirements

Please review the technical requirements for UNE Online Graduate Programs: Technical Requirements

Course Evaluation Policy

Course surveys are one of the most important tools that University of New England uses for evaluating the quality of your education, and for providing meaningful feedback to instructors on their teaching. In order to assure that the feedback is both comprehensive and precise, we need to receive it from each student for each course. Evaluation access is distributed via UNE email at the beginning of the last week of the course.

Late Policy

Students are responsible for submitting work by the date indicated in Brightspace.

Quizzes and Tests: Quizzes and tests must be completed by the due date. They will not be accepted after the due date.

Assignments: Unless otherwise specified, assignments will be accepted up to 3 days late; however, there is a 10% grade reduction (from the total points) for the late submission. After three days the assignment will not be accepted.

Discussion posts: If the initial post is submitted late, but still within the discussion board week, there will be a 10% grade reduction from the total discussion grade (e.g., a 3 point discussion will be reduced by 0.3 points). Any posts submitted after the end of the Discussion Board week will not be graded.

Please make every effort ahead of time to contact your instructor and your student support specialist if you are not able to meet an assignment deadline. Arrangements for extenuating circumstances may be considered by faculty.

Student Handbook Online - Policies and Procedures

The policies contained within this document apply to all students in the College of Graduate and Professional Studies. It is each student's responsibility to know the contents of this handbook.

Student Handbook

UNE Course Withdrawal

Please contact your student support specialist if you are considering dropping or withdrawing from a course. The last day to drop for 100% tuition refund is the 2nd day of the course. Financial Aid charges may still apply. Students using Financial Aid should contact the Financial Aid Office prior to withdrawing from a course.

Academic Integrity

The University of New England values academic integrity in all aspects of the educational experience. Academic dishonesty in any form undermines this standard and devalues the original contributions of others. It is the responsibility of all members of the University community to actively uphold the integrity of the academy; failure to act, for any reason, is not acceptable. For information about plagiarism and academic misconduct, please visit https://www.une.edu/studentlife/plagiarism.

Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to the following:

1. Cheating, copying, or the offering or receiving of unauthorized assistance or information.
2. Fabrication or falsification of data, results, or sources for papers or reports.
3. Action which destroys or alters the work of another student.
4. Multiple submissions of the same paper or report for assignments in more than one course without permission of each instructor.
5. Plagiarism, the appropriation of records, research, materials, ideas, or the language of other persons or writers and the submission of them as one's own.

Charges of academic dishonesty will be reviewed by the Program Director. Penalties for students found responsible for violations may depend upon the seriousness and circumstances of the violation, the degree of premeditation involved, and/or the student’s previous record of violations.  Appeal of a decision may be made to the Dean whose decision will be final.  Student appeals will take place through the grievance process outlined in the student handbook.

Attendance Policy

Online students are required to submit a graded assignment/discussion prior to Sunday evening at 11:59 pm ET of the first week of the term. If a student does not submit a posting to the graded assignment/discussion prior to Sunday evening at 11:59 pm ET, the student will be automatically dropped from the course for non-participation. Review the full attendance policy.

Late Policy

Assignments: Late assignments will be accepted up to 3 days late; however, there is a 10% grade reduction (from the total points) for the late submission. After three days the assignment will not be accepted.

Discussion posts: If the initial post is submitted late, but still within the discussion board week, there will be a 10% grade reduction from the total discussion grade (e.g., a 3 point discussion will be reduced by 0.3 points). Any posts submitted after the end of the Discussion Board week will not be graded.

Please make every effort ahead of time to contact your instructor and your student support specialist if you are not able to meet an assignment deadline. Arrangements for extenuating circumstances may be considered by faculty.

Student Handbook Online - Policies and Procedures

The policies contained within this document apply to all students in the College of Graduate and Professional Studies. It is each student's responsibility to know the contents of this handbook.

UNE Online Student Handbook

UNE Course Withdrawal

Please contact your student support specialist if you are considering dropping or withdrawing from a course. The last day to drop for 100% tuition refund is the 2nd day of the course. Financial Aid charges may still apply. Students using Financial Aid should contact the Financial Aid Office prior to withdrawing from a course.

Academic Integrity

The University of New England values academic integrity in all aspects of the educational experience. Academic dishonesty in any form undermines this standard and devalues the original contributions of others. It is the responsibility of all members of the University community to actively uphold the integrity of the academy; failure to act, for any reason, is not acceptable. For information about plagiarism and academic misconduct, please visit UNE Plagiarism Policies.

Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to the following:

1. Cheating, copying, or the offering or receiving of unauthorized assistance or information.
2. Fabrication or falsification of data, results, or sources for papers or reports.
3. Action which destroys or alters the work of another student.
4. Multiple submissions of the same paper or report for assignments in more than one course without permission of each instructor.
5. Plagiarism, the appropriation of records, research, materials, ideas, or the language of other persons or writers and the submission of them as one's own.

Charges of academic dishonesty will be reviewed by the Program Director. Penalties for students found responsible for violations may depend upon the seriousness and circumstances of the violation, the degree of premeditation involved, and/or the student’s previous record of violations.  Appeal of a decision may be made to the Dean whose decision will be final.  Student appeals will take place through the grievance process outlined in the student handbook.