Demography and Epidemiology of Ageing, and Migration in the EU
Full course description
The 8-week course ‘Demography and Epidemiology of Ageing and Migration in the EU’ (EPH2021) runs during the first period in year 2 of the Bachelor European Public Health (EPH). The course's main topics are demography and epidemiology, with a special focus on population ageing and migration as important demographical developments in the European Union (EU). As part of course EPH2021, students will learn to apply epidemiological methods to examine the impact of important demographical developments on public health in the EU.
EPH2021 consists of three parts. In Part I (wk 1), demography will be introduced and students will learn to describe and analyze the extent and causes of population ageing and migration in the EU. In Part II (wks 2-5), several core epidemiological concepts and methods will be dealt with, including research designs, association measures, bias, effect-modification, validity & reliability, and causal interpretation of research findings. Students will familiarize themselves with these concepts by applying them to examine how population ageing and migration impact health in the EU. The role of socio‐economic differences will also be considered. Next to the exploration of ageing-related diseases (e.g. dementia), the course also introduces reproductive/child health. Finally, students will learn in Part III (wks 6-8) to apply the knowledge from the first two parts to compare and critically appraise preventive measures (e.g. population screening) and public health policies for controlling negative health consequences of population ageing and migration in the EU.
EPH2021 consists of a variety of teaching activities. Weekly tutorial group meetings are the mainstay of the course, which are supported by various lectures providing theoretical background and several working lectures and a journal club for practicing with important concepts. Next to the course's main teaching activities, several activities of Specialized Competency Lines (SCLs) Philosophy of Public Health, Policy Advocacy and Statistics are scheduled throughout EPH2021.
Course objectives
Expert
- organize and apply health definitions within the context of health interventions, policies, and research;
- produce comparative analyses of health status and inequalities using a basic public health toolkit;
- analyse real-world data on health status and inequalities;
- apply techniques to analyse and interpret correlation and causation between variables;
- examine and analyse the effects of confounding and effect modification / interaction;
- describe and compare health-relevant public policies at Member State and EU levels;
- inventory and describe specific examples of public health and health care systems.
Investigator
- describe advantages and disadvantages of standard epidemiological research designs and data collection;
- match and apply intermediate-level statistical analyses to research data;
- distinguish among various categories (i.e. types) of public health interventions at community, organization and policy levels;
- match research methods and data analysis to specific intervention types;
- apply critical academic thinking tools to dilemmas in public health policy, practice, and scientific research;
- test principles of research ethics and integrity against case studies from practice;
- identify and contrast differing targets (aims) and methods of implementing, financing and applying public health research projects;
- apply a life-long learning concept to one’s own professional planning.
Communicator
- write academic material at English Level C1;
- present on public health topics for a lay audience;
- defend findings and academic reflections upon findings with academic staff;
- discuss topics and findings at English Level C1;
- provide constructive and insightful feedback to peers on selected assignments and group processes;
- summarize health impacts of diversity in Europe, including socio-economic health inequities.
Professional
- co-lead structured project groups;
- engage feedback from staff and students actively;
- behave in a respectful, professional and reliable manner in tutor groups, practicals, and group work;
- identify personal bias and prejudices related to professional responsibilities and act responsibly to address them;
- ask critical questions and test commonly-held assumptions in forming views on health issues;
- contribute actively and positively within tutor groups and training groups;
- contribute actively and positively within autonomous project teams and ‘new’ teams in the minor;
- explore alternative forms of problem-based learning (e.g. digital learning platforms, flipped classroom)