Nutrition and the Health of Populations
| Code | School | Level | Credits | Semesters |
| BIOS3056 | Biosciences | 3 | 20 | Autumn Malaysia |
- Code
- BIOS3056
- School
- Biosciences
- Level
- 3
- Credits
- 20
- Semesters
- Autumn Malaysia
Summary
Module considers the influence of nutritional factors at all stages of life upon the development of specific disease states, it will provide an integrated programme of epidemiology, basic nutrition and molecular science and public health nutrition and policy. Nutritional assessment tools: will consider the perils and pitfalls of available methods for assessing nutrient intake and levels of physical activity. Nutritional epidemiology: Overview of approaches used in nutritional epidemiology and provide a guide to interpreting the findings of epidemiological studies. Nutrition in Pregnancy & Lactation, Infant Nutrition: Consider the impact of diet upon the normal development of the human fetus, the nutritional requirements of infants and the transition from milk to solid diets. Intervention strategies: When elements of the diet are identified as playing a role in the development of disease it may be desirable to intervene, perhaps by encouraging the population to eat more or less of particular foods, or to indulge in more exercise. Disease states in the developed world: Consider some of the known nutritional risk-factors for these cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis and cancer and consider how changes in diet may reduce risk. Issues in the developing world: For much of the population of the world food supply is insecure. Ageing: Consider specific aspects of nutrition that are important to the over 65 populatation and describe current theories of how we age at the cellular level
Target Students
Students studying BSc Nutrition (B400).
Classes
- One 2-hour tutorial each week for 2 weeks
- Two 2-hour lectures each week for 11 weeks
Activities may take place every teaching week of the Semester or only in specified weeks. It is usually specified above if an activity only takes place in some weeks of a Semester
Assessment
- 40% Coursework 1: Essay (40%)
- 60% Exam 1 (2-hour): Examination (2 hours; 60%)
Educational Aims
This module will introduce students to the basic methodology used to explore relationships between diet, health and disease in human populations. An appreciation of these techniques will be used as the basis for in-depth exploration of current major public health priorities. The module will take a lifecourse approach to explain and develop the concepts of human health and disease as affected by diet, dietary components and interacting factors. Specific material to be covered: o Nutritional epidemiology: terminology and basic methods. o Nutritional assessment at the population level. o Intervention strategies and public health priorities. o The nutritional requirements of women during pregnancy and lactation o The nutritional requirements of infants. o Diet and coronary heart disease. o Diet and cancer. o Nutritional requirements from childhood to old ageLearning Outcomes
On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:
1. Understand the principles of nutritional epidemiology (types of nutritional assessments, knowledge about various study designs). Ability to decipher, understand and critically evaluate results of nutrition epidemiology studies.
2. Understand principles of nutrition intervention studies (various study designs, in humans, in animals). Which studies can be used as evidence, for evidence based nutrition?
3. Critically evaluate the relationship between nutrition and chronic disease (cancer, CVD, adult obesity, childhood obesity, osteoporosis).
4. Describe the nutritional requirements throughout the lifecycle (fertility, preparation for pregnancy, infants, children, adolescents, elderly)
Conveners
- Dr Shi Hui Cheng