Syllabus
Graduate Programs in Public Health
GPH 734 Obesity Epidemic from a Public Health Perspective – Summer A 2017
Credits - 3
Description
This course will review the socio-ecological model and systems science, and discuss how we, as individuals, interact with our social, cultural and political environments to make decisions surrounding our weight-related behaviors. Students will be graded on individual assignments and discussion board posts. The course will be structured according to the socio-ecological model, focusing on variations, influences, and interactions between the individual, interpersonal, organizational, community, and policy levels.
Materials
Learning Objectives and Outcomes
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Program Competency |
Course Outcome |
Weekly Outcomes |
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Utilize effective communication skills to convey public health data and information to professionals and the public.
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Translate research into a policy brief to convince a public health supervisor to address a public health issue for a specific target population.
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Promote policies, programs, and services for diverse populations that demonstrate cultural proficiency and community collaboration.
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Apply tenets from the socio-ecological model and systems science to inform problem identification, etiology, and suggested solutions in the area of weight-related behavior for a specific target population.
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Articulate the role and value of public health in the social, political, and economic development of a community.
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Evaluate how weight-related behaviors are influenced by a variety of social, environmental, and organizational factors.
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Read, interpret and use different types of evidence–including peer-reviewed journals, policy briefs, and national guidelines–to determine how they relate to weight-related behaviors. |
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*May be adapted by students outside the United States with prior permission from the instructor.
Assignments
Discussion Board: Each week you will be asked to respond to a prompt, and foster discussion by responding to at least one response by a classmate.This is intended to help you think more critically about the readings and lectures. Your initial response should be approximately 250 words.
Please post your initial post by Sunday at 11:59 pm ET. Your response should be posted by Wednesday at 11:59 pm ET.
Reflection Papers: For the first six weeks you will be asked to complete a two-page (approx. 350 – 500 words) Reflection Paper each week. These short assignments are intended to help you test ideas, gather research, and build the skills necessary to complete the Policy Brief.
Policy Brief: The Policy Brief is the final project for the course. It is a ten-page document intended to be a synthesis of the knowledge gained and research completed throughout the course. It also offers you a chance to master a type of writing you will encounter often in the field of public health.
Grading Policy
Your grade in this course will be determined by the following criteria:
Grade Breakdown
| Discussion Board | 40% (5% each week) |
| Reflection Paper | 30% (5% each week) |
| Final Paper | 30% |
| Total | 100% |
Grade Scale
| Grade | Points Grade | Point Average (GPA) |
| A | 94 – 100% | 4.00 |
| A- | 90 – 93% | 3.75 |
| B+ | 87 – 89% | 3.50 |
| B | 84 – 86% | 3.00 |
| B- | 80 – 83% | 2.75 |
| C+ | 77 – 79% | 2.50 |
| C | 74 – 76% | 2.00 |
| C- | 70 – 73% | 1.75 |
| D | 64 – 69% | 1.00 |
| F | 00 – 63% | 0.00 |
Schedule
Course Weeks
Week 1: May 3 – May 10
Week 2: May 10 – May 17
Week 3: May 17 – May 24
Week 4: May 24 – May 31
Week 5: May 31 – June 7
Week 6: June 7 – June 14
Week 7: June 14 – June 21
Week 8: June 21 – June 25
Week 1: Overview / Research Methods in Measuring Weight Status and Energy Balance
*See modules in Blackboard for weekly readings.
Learning Outcomes
- Explain the adverse health outcomes that are linked to obesity in children, adolescents, and adults.
- Describe at least three methods commonly used to assess weight status.
- Identify and compare the pros and cons of the various methods used to assess weight status
- Identify and compare the pros and cons of the various methods for evaluating energy balance.
Lectures
- Introduction to GPH 734
- Week One Lecture
Assignments
- Introduction
- Discussion Post and Response
- Week One Reflection Paper
__________________________________________________________
Week 2: Determinants of Weight
*See modules in Blackboard for weekly readings.
Learning Outcomes
- Explain the energy balance equation and the role of dietary intake and physical activity in determining weight status.
- Describe factors that influence energy balance. Consider biological, behavioral, environmental, and social/cultural, and how these factors are interrelated.
- Distinguish between factors most likely to influence the weight status of marginalized or vulnerable populations as compared to more privileged populations.
Lectures
- Week Two Lecture
- HBO’s The Weight of the Nation: http://theweightofthenation.hbo.com/
- Watch the four main episodes, and read through the companion material on the website.
Assignments
- Discussion Post and Response
- Week Two Reflection Paper
__________________________________________________________
Week 3: Policy and Regulation
*See modules in Blackboard for weekly readings.
Learning Outcomes
- Define the “nutrition transition.”
- Summarize the U.S. Food system and explain how it affects weight status through its influence on food/nutrition-related policies and regulations*
- Explain at least four (4) different federal food/nutrition related policies or regulations and describe how they influence weight status of the intended target population(s).*
- Describe current trends in physical activity and education policies and evaluate their effectiveness.
*May be adapted by students outside the United States with prior permission from the instructor.
Lectures
- Week Three Lecture
- Tina Pettingill, MPH: Obesity Policy Information and Planning
Assignments
- Discussion Post and Response
- Week Three Reflection Paper
__________________________________________________________
Week 4: Environmental Factors Influencing Physical Activity and Dietary Intake
*See modules in Blackboard for weekly readings.
Learning Outcomes
- Describe how food-related marketing influences food intake in different populations.
- Explain how environmental factors (including food and eating environments as well as the physical build environment) influence food intake and physical activity levels.
- Recommend evidence-based policies that would improve the food and physical activity environment of various populations.
Lectures
- Week Four Lecture
Assignments
- Discussion Post and Response
- Week Four Reflection Paper
- Optional Policy Brief Rough Draft
__________________________________________________________
Week 5: Social and Cultural Influences on Weight-Related Behaviors
*See modules in Blackboard for weekly readings.
Learning Outcomes
- Define social determinants of health
- Describe the relationship between socio-cultural factors and health-related behaviors.
- Recommend interventions to improve health related behaviors in different populations which take into account the unique social and cultural networks established.
Lectures
- Week Five Lecture
- Alison Tovar, PhD, MPH: Environmental influences on diet: Role of parents | Slides
- Advice for the Final Assignment
Assignments
- Discussion Post and Response
- Week Five Reflection Paper
__________________________________________________________
Week 6: Effects of Poverty on Obesity
*See modules in Blackboard for weekly readings.
Learning Outcomes
- Explain how food insecurity and economic status influences weight status in the United States.
- Describe the three major food assistance programs in the U.S.: SNAP, WIC & NSLP, including their history, design and recipient eligibility.
- Evaluate the influence state and federal food programs have on obesity prevalence.*
- Explain how economic status influences physical activity behaviors in the United States.
*May be adapted by students outside the United States with prior permission from the instructor.
Lectures
- Week Six Lecture
- Kate Sweeney, MS, RD: WIC Presentation | Slides
Assignments
- Discussion Post and Response
- Week Six Reflection Paper
__________________________________________________________
Week 7: Obesity Stigma
*See modules in Blackboard for weekly readings.
Learning Outcomes
- Apply what was learned through the course materials, assignments, and lessons to the development of a policy brief.
- Identify the situations and settings in which obese individuals experience weight bias and weight-based discrimination.
- Describe the implications for the health (physical, social, psychological, etc) of obese individuals due to weight-related biases and attitudes.
- Recognize characteristics of public health campaigns that may inadvertently contribute to the widespread prevalence and acceptability of the stigmatization of obese individuals.
- Develop weight-related public health messages that do not stigmatize obese individuals.
Lectures
- Week Seven Lecture
- Advice for the Final Assignment
Assignments
- Discussion Post and Response
- Obesity Policy Brief Final Assignment
Week 8: Final Discussion and Wrap-Up
*See modules in Blackboard for weekly readings.
Learning Outcomes
- Describe how public health approaches to obesity can be undertaken that appropriately take into account the complexity of this epidemic’s contributing factors.
- Identify effective and efficacious obesity treatment strategies at the individual, community, and national level.
Lectures
- Week Eight Concluding Thoughts
Assignments
- Discussion Post and Response
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:
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
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.
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:
- Cheating, copying, or the offering or receiving of unauthorized assistance or information.
- Fabrication or falsification of data, results, or sources for papers or reports.
- Action which destroys or alters the work of another student.
- Multiple submissions of the same paper or report for assignments in more than one course without permission of each instructor.
- 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 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:
- Cheating, copying, or the offering or receiving of unauthorized assistance or information.
- Fabrication or falsification of data, results, or sources for papers or reports.
- Action which destroys or alters the work of another student.
- Multiple submissions of the same paper or report for assignments in more than one course without permission of each instructor.
- 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.