MAVIT5500 Adolescent Health Course description

Language of instruction: Norwegian

This course looks at different perspectives on adolescent health and political guidelines for public health work targeting young people. Social factors that are significant to the environment where young people grow up and their habits and lifestyles are thematised through the Ungdata surveys and relevant research. How population data can be used in local health promoting and preventive work is explored through the planning of concrete projects. Young people’s participation is a key aspect of this work. The course emphasises critical reflection on different approaches to health promoting and preventive work among adolescents at the group and system level. The course is organised in cooperation with NOVA (Norwegian Social Research) at OsloMet, which is among other things responsible for the Ungdata surveys.

The student must have been admitted to the Master’s Degree Programme in Health Sciences.

After completing the course, the student should have the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence: 

Knowledge 

The student

• can describe different perspectives on adolescent health and challenges in the adolescent period
• can discuss development trends in society that are significant to adolescents’ development, health and quality of life
• can describe political guidelines related to local public health work
• can discuss how adolescents can be involved in the planning and implementation of projects

Skills 

The student

• can take a critical approach to debate on adolescent health and different approaches to health promoting and preventive work among young people
• can design evidence-based and locally-based health promoting and/or preventive measures for young people

General competence  

The student

• can critically reflect on the knowledge basis of health promoting and preventive work among young people
• can identify and deal with professional and ethical problems related to public health work for young people
• can communicate up-to-date knowledge in the field of public health to partners, decision-makers and the population at large

The course will use varied, student-active work methods. Teaching is session based and is organised as two sessions lasting four or five days, including one study day. Teaching methods vary between lectures and more student-active learning methods. Aside from session-based teaching, the teaching methods used are preparations and self-study, and work on the examination assignment. Students will choose an area of interest relevant to work with young people on the basis of the knowledge base introduced in the course. The students will prepare a project plan for a health promoting/preventive project that is feasible in practice.

None.

Individual project examination in the form of a topic chosen by the student that is developed during the course. Scope: 2,500 words (+/- 10%).

Resit examination: If the student is awarded the grade F (fails the written assignment), he/she will be given one (1) opportunity to submit a reworked version.

All aids are permitted, as long as the rules for source referencing are complied with.

Grade scale A-F.

Two examiners will assess all examination papers. At least 20% of the examination papers will be assessed by an external examiner. The external examiner’s assessment should benefit all students.