Evidence, Diet and Health
Course content
The focus of the course is how to assess available evidence for a causal relationship between lifestyle factors and diseases with a main focus on diets, foods, macronutrients and non-communicable diseases such as type-2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The course will provide the students with teaching in various methodological aspects. Lectures, exercises, journal clubs and assignment will give them the opportunity to practise their skills and competences in evidence evaluation.
MSc Programme in Clinical Nutrition
MSc Programme in Human Nutrition
The main objective of the course is to provide the students with
an understanding of basic methods and concepts in nutritional
epidemiology, to enable them to assess available evidence for
causal relationships between diet and health.
After completion of the course the students should be able to:
Knowledge:
- Define epidemiology and causality
- Describe the epidemiological measures of frequency and association
- Define and explain the concepts bias, confounding, effect modification, chance, power, validity and generalizability
- Classify epidemiological study designs, and describe their advantages and limitations in nutritional research
Skills:
- Demonstrate ability to read and understand results in scientific papers on epidemiological studies
- Evaluate strategies for statistical analysis in different types of epidemiological studies
- Critically assess the validity of studies on diet-health relationships
- Discuss the evidence for causal relationships between diet and health
- Make appropiate academic arguments in a discussion of epidemiological evidence
Competences:
- Perform evidence evaluations of relationships between dietary components and health
- Identify gaps in current knowledge and contribute to the planning of epidemiological studies
- Make dietary recommendations based on an evaluation of the evidence
Lectures, excercises, journal clubs and assignment.
All material for the course will be made available on Absalon.
Academic qualifications equivalent to a BSc degree are
recommended.
Knowledge and skills in nutrition, physiology, biochemistry, and
statistics are recommended.
Oral feedback on student presentations during journal clubs throughout the course. Written feedback on the assignment.
- ECTS
- 7,5 ECTS
- Type of assessment
-
Written assignment, 48 hours
- Type of assessment details
- Description of examination: The student will be given two
papers and a number of questions that they have to consider in
their answer. They will have 48 hours to complete the task. They
are allowed to use all aids incl. papers from the course, their
notes, and the internet*. They are also allowed to meet and discuss
the exam papers and questions. However, each student must make an
individual answer, and thus are not allowed to discuss the
specifics (wording, structure etc.) of their written answers nor
copy writing from other students. The evaluation will consider
skills mainly from the strength of the arguments and an overall
evaluation of the answer. The final answer must be uploaded within
48 hours.
*Note that ChatGPT and similar applications of Large Language Models (LLM) that can generate text and code are not permitted at the exam according to UCPH regulations. - Exam registration requirements
-
Approval of written assignment during the course.
- Aid
- All aids allowed
- Marking scale
- 7-point grading scale
- Censorship form
- No external censorship
Internal grading. More assessors.
- Exam period
-
The exam will take place in the 8th week of the block - starting Wednesday at 9 pm and submission of answer Friday at 9 pm.
- Re-exam
-
If 10 or fewer register for the reexamination the examination form will be oral. The student will be given two papers 48 hours prior to do the oral examination. The oral exam will be 20 min.
The requirements for registration can be fulfilled before re-exam. Assignment must be handed in no later than 3 weeks before reexamination. Assignment must be approved.
Criteria for exam assessment
Please see "Learning Outcome"
Single subject courses (day)
- Category
- Hours
- Lectures
- 8
- Preparation
- 92
- Exercises
- 38
- Exam Preparation
- 20
- Exam
- 48
- English
- 206
Kursusinformation
- Language
- English
- Course number
- LLEK10249U
- ECTS
- 7,5 ECTS
- Programme level
- Full Degree Master
- Duration
-
1 block
- Placement
- Block 1
- Schedulegroup
-
A
- Capacity
- No limitation – unless you register in the late-registration period (BSc and MSc) or as a credit or single subject student.
- Studyboard
- Study Board of Food, Human Nutrition and Sports
Contracting department
- Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports
Contracting faculty
- Faculty of Science
Course Coordinators
- Henrik Friis (3-787682507e7588833e7b853e747b)
- Benedikte Grenov (3-727782507e7588833e7b853e747b)
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