Healthy Environments and Sustainability in the EU
Full course description
The module Environmental Health and Sustainability in the EU focuses on the environment as a determinant of health, and sustainability, in a European context (ILO: E112, E212, E412). Environment is a broad concept which can comprise (the interaction between) biological, physical, chemical, socio-economic, cultural, institutional and individual factors. This module particularly focuses on the interaction between the social environment (e.g., communities, employment) (ILO: E311, E413, E213) and the (changing) physical environment (e.g., climate change, air and water quality, biodiversity, and ecological issues related to food supply) (ILO: E212, E311). The complexly intertwined social and environmental dynamics of global change increase uncertainties and create specific challenges in the design of health supporting environments and the development of (public health) policy (ILO: I711, I712, E412, E512). Students will study the health impact of environments on various levels and will study how cities, workplaces, and the use of farmland can be managed in the interest of health, well-being and sustainability (ILO: I711, I712, E112, E212, E213, E412). The dynamic intersection of public health with other disciplines is evident in the design process of (built) environments and policy developments, which is why students will be introduced to the pioneering academic fields of One Health and Planetary Health, as well as to inclusive policy approaches, such as the Sustainable Development Goals, WHO Healthy Cities and Health in All Policies (HiAP) (ILO: E412, I812, C1511). Environmental factors such as climate change, biodiversity loss and land use change can impact the individual citizen level, for example through effects on health and well-being, but at the same time transcend national and European boundaries and governments. By introducing a systems theory approach, the module zooms in and out through various scale levels, but at the same time keeps a specific European focus, analyzing European processes and policies (e.g., Parma Commitment to Act, 20-20-20 targets EU, WHO European Healthy Cities Network, EU Health & Safety at the Workplace). Main principles and themes addressed are: systems thinking, socio-ecological systems, the environmental health and food production chain, sustainable employability, health impact analysis and translation in to policy.
Course objectives
Expert
By the end of the module, students should be able to:
- Define and reflect on (European) public health as a domain, identify main public health methods.
- Recall and name basic public health measures of health status.
- Identify key health indicators and extract such indicators from scientific literature.
- Describes patterns of socioeconomic and other inequalities in health status.
- Recall, list and describe (influential models of) factors that determine health status.
- Distinguishes the concepts of correlation and causality.
- Recognizes scientific evidence establishing correlation and causality of investigated factors with health status.
- Articulates diverse roles of public policy in health protection and promotion within the European Union.
- Describes organizational factors within work environments that impact health status.
- Outlines archetypical structures of public health infrastructure in Europe.
Investigator
By the end of the module, students should be able to:
- Writes a basic narrative literature review paper under close supervision
- Explains basic forms of qualitative and quantitative research methods and data collection.
- Matches and applies basic statistical analyses to research data.
- Describes examples of interventions used in public health practice and policy.
- Identifies basic components and levels of interventions.
- Explain and illustrate problems using academic approaches and critiques.
- Assess scientific research and publications at a basic level under close supervision.
- Recall fundamental principles of research ethics and integrity.
- Describe the ways in which research forms the basis for public health activity.
- Name sources of quality public health information.
- Read selectively in terms of both quantity and quality of reading materials.
- Relate problem-based learning techniques to personal learning goals and process.
Communicator
By the end of the module, students should be able (on a basic level) to:
- Presents on public health topics for peers and teachers.
- Discuss topics and findings in English (aiming for level B2).
- Identifies target audience, aim, and channels of a program of public health communication.
- Demonstrates understanding of feedback from teachers and peers.
- Produces limited feedback for peers under supervision.
- Defines diversity in its numerous forms.
- Describes key dimensions of diversity in Europe.
- Recalls and summarizes the Health-In-All-Policies (HIAP) tradition in New Public Health.
- Describes the health promotion idea (e.g. Ottawa charter) of mediating and advocating for health.
Professional
By the end of the module, students should be able to:
- Participates in structured thesis group meetings.
- Accepts feedback from staff and students.
- Summarizes what has been learned.
- Describes strategies to promote personal growth.
- Behave in a respectful, professional and reliable manner in tutor groups, practicals and group work, also in a culturally diverse context (P1813).
- Identifies personal bias and prejudices related to professional responsibilities.
- Contribute actively and positively in tutor groups and training groups.
- Understand and describe the problem-based learning approach.
- Positively engages the challenges and opportunities of intercultural diversity within tutorial groups.