FYB2600 Public health, working life, and physical function in the elderly Course description

Public health emphasises how health challenges are distributed in the population based on causal relationships and risk factors related to health, education, work and living conditions. Work and health are closely linked, and the physiotherapist must be aware of factors that can promote and inhibit participation and inclusion in working life. Older people make up a large group in society, and physiotherapists must have knowledge of ageing processes, how to assess physical function and health-promoting and preventive measures at the individual and group level. The course will also provide knowledge in planning and leading activity and movement groups.

The student can only remain with one failed course from the first year of the study.

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

Knowledge

The student

• can describe the purpose, organisation and coordination of the health and social services, including laws and regulations
• is familiar with health and function in different phases of life, with emphasis on the elderly
• can describe and explain factors that affect health, disease and quality of life for population groups or the population as a whole
• can describe the epidemiological and demographic basis for public health work
• can describe social inequality in health and is familiar with national and global consequences of this
• is familiar with methods to promote public health and societal sustainability at group and system level

Skills

The student can

• apply standardised measurement methods and assessments for physical function and quality of life in the elderly
• plan and justify health-promoting and preventive measures in a diverse society that promotes mental and physical health
• plan and facilitate training in groups in a preventive and health-promoting perspective, and adapt activity to different levels, individually and in groups
• collect information about the state of public health at the municipal level, and discuss factors that affect public health and that can explain social inequality in health
• assess factors within school or workplace environment that may impact health and participation

General competence

The student can

• reflect on how priorities within the health sector and other sectors of society can affect the health of the population
• reflect on ethical challenges related to public health work that aims to change behaviour
• account for how physiotherapists can strengthen health literacy in encounters with users, patients and relatives
• reflect on the status of the Sami as indigenous people in relation to the design of the health and social services

The work and teaching methods in the course include lectures, group work, seminars, skills training and self-study.

The following must have been approved in order for the student to take the exam

• Minimum of 80 % attendance in teaching activities marked as "compulsory attendance" in the schedule

Project-based, written exam in groups of 2-4 students, 1400 words (+/- 10 %). The students work on the project assignment for large parts of the course period.

New and rescheduled exams: If the assignment is assessed as failed, students have the opportunity to submit a revised version once.

All aids are permitted as long as the rules for source referencing are followed.

Grade scale A-F.

All answers are assessed by one examiner. An external examiner is used regularly, at a minimum for every third ordinary examination. If selecting answers for external evaluation, a minimum of 10 percent of the answers shall be included, with no fewer than 10 answers. The external examiner’s assessment shall form the basis for the assessment of the remaining answers.

4 credits overlap with FYB2100 Health and Participation Throughout the Life Span I, 5 credits overlap with FYB2300 Health and Participation Throughout the Life Span II and 1 credit overlap with FYB1050 Public Health and Health Management.