HEL620 Introduction to Public Health (Vår 2024)

On successful completion of the course, the candidate:

Knowledge

• will have insight into definitions, major concepts, and theoretical perspectives of public health
• will appreciate the importance of social determinants of health for health and equity
• will have insight into and understanding of evidence in public health and how it informs public health policy and practice
• will understand the implications of systems approaches for public health evidence and action
• will appreciate the ways in which public health research can influence policy

Skills

• can formulate research questions and plan research in the field of public health
• can critically analyze, evaluate, and interpret research on health equity, public health policy and evidence

General competence

• can communicate public health issues through national and international channels, and participate in debates in relevant forums
• can identify ethical issues and carry out his/her research with scholarly integrity

The aim of this course is to introduce key concepts and perspectives in public health research. This will provide PhD candidates with the skills and knowledge necessary to embed a public health approach in their research through a broad understanding of social determinants of health, equity, the nature of public health evidence, complex systems approaches, and ways to influence policy and achieve impact.

To achieve this aim, the course will address the following key topics:

1. Overview of public health, definitions, concepts, and theories
2. Health inequality/inequity, what is it and how can it be reduced
3. Evidence - what is evidence, and how is it used in public health
4. Systems’ approach to public health

Public health policy