Lifestyle and Disease

URL study guide

https://studiegids.uva.nl/xmlpages/page/2024-2025-en/search-course/course/119988

Course Objective

The overall aim of the course is for the student to master the most important principles and strategies for the development and evaluation of effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of lifestyle programmes for chronic diseases to a level that (s)he can systematically develop a lifestyle programme and can describe how s(he) would evaluate its (cost)effectiveness.

The student acquires knowledge and skills in:
• Planned health promotion (precede-proceed model)
• Systematic reviews and meta-analyses
• Economic evaluations
• Writing a research grant proposal
• Presenting (scientific poster)
• Health and lifestyle

Academic skills that will be practised during the course are: discussion and opinion-forming skills, performing a peer review; communicating with a professional attitude with peers and lecturers; to discussing methodological and ethical limitations and consequences of health research.

Course Content

Public Health Course

Chronic diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, musculoskeletal disorders, diabetes mellitus and obesity contribute largely to the global burden of disease. Important risk factors for these diseases are within the domain of lifestyle (or in other words: health-related behaviour). Scientific evidence shows a clear association between lifestyle factors (e.g., dietary behaviour and physical activity) and chronic diseases. The strong association with lifestyle implies that the majority of these diseases are preventable or that changing lifestyle plays an important role in managing these diseases.

A planned approach to disease prevention and health promotion is desirable to develop effective interventions and public health solutions. This approach entails a thorough process from analysing the public health problem to identifying the lifestyle factors that cause the problem, assessing the relevant behavioural determinants, and selecting suitable intervention strategies that are effective and cost-effective.

This course combines the methodological knowledge and skills of randomized controlled trials, systematic reviews, meta-analyses and economic evaluation with knowledge on how to systematically plan, develop and evaluate health behaviour change (lifestyle) programmes.

During this course, students will choose a topic related to lifestyle and chronic disease, conduct a systematic review to evaluate what is already known about this topic, systematically develop an intervention that fills a gap in the literature, and write a research grant proposal for a study evaluating the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of that intervention.

Method of Assessment

The grade will be base on 4 parts:

. Examination on systematic review and meta-analysis - 30% (LO1) - individual assignment
. Assignment "scientific poster on the development of a lifestyle program" - 25% (LO2) - group assignment
. Economic evaluation practical - 25% (LO3) - individual assignment
. Assignment "Research Grant Proposal"; written report - 20% (LO4)- group assignment

Note that the assessment details may be adjusted; please consult the AUC Course Manual in Canvas for the final overview.

Literature

Study materials will be made available through Canvas.

Target Audience

This course is only open to AUC students.

Entry Requirements

This course is only open to AUC students.

Required prior knowledge, all of the following:
Introduction to Public Health OR The Human Body - Anatomy and Physiology OR Introduction to Health and Wellbeing OR Theme Health and Well-being: Introduction.

Recommended background knowledge

Is part of AUC's:
. Bachelor's Liberal Arts and Sciences, major Sciences
. Bachelor's Liberal Arts and Sciences, major Social Sciences