Evidence in Nutrition-related Diseases

Course content

The main objective of the course is to give students an understanding of the relationship between diets/nutrition and non-communicable diseases, and how to assess available evidence for a causal relationship between them. Students will learn about the pathophysiology of selected nutrition-related diseases, how diets/nutrients influence them and learn to evaluate existing evidence based on basic epidemiological methods and concepts

The course will mainly cover the following diseases: malnutrition, non-communicable diseases like obesity, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, CVDs, cancer and bone diseases.

Education

MSc Programme in Human Nutrition

Learning outcome

After completion of the course, the students should be able to:

Knowledge

  • Define epidemiology and causality, including basic epidemiological concepts like bias, confounding, internal and external validity, and effect modification
  • Describe study designs including their strengths and limitations
  • Describe the pathogenesis and risk factors of the most common non-communicable diseases and malnutrition
  • Describe dietary strategies for treatment of under- and malnutrition


Skills

  • Demonstrate ability to read and understand scientific papers on epidemiological studies
  • Critically assess and discuss the validity of studies on diet-health relationships
  • Discuss and reflect on the effect of diet/nutrients on the prevention and treatment of the most common non-communicable diseases and malnutrition


Competences

  • Perform evidence evaluations and identify gaps in current knowledge of relationships between diet/nutrients and health
  • Critically assess the effect of diet/lifestyle on risk factors and development of non-communicable diseases.
  • Recommend dietary/lifestyle changes for the prevention and treatment of non-communicable diseases based on scientific evidence
  • Evaluate diet/nutrition strategies in the prevention and treatment of malnutrition

Lectures, exercises and discussions in plenum.

Relevant course material will be uploaded on Absalon.

Academic qualifications equivalent to a BSc degree is recommended.
Knowledge and skills in nutrition, physiology, biochemistry and statistics are recommended.

Oral
Collective
Continuous feedback during the course of the semester

Oral feedback will be given collectively when reviewing exercises performed during lectures.

ECTS
7,5 ECTS
Type of assessment
On-site written exam, 3 hours under invigilation
Type of assessment details
Written examination consisting of an essay.

The on-site written exam is an ITX exam.
See important information about ITX-exams at Study Information, menu point: Exams -> Exam types and rules -> Written on-site exams (ITX)
Aid
Only certain aids allowed (see description below)

Only dictionaries supported/offered by University of Copenhagen are allowed.

 

Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
No external censorship
Several internal examiners
Re-exam

Same as ordinary exam.

If ten or fewer students have registered for re-examination, the examination will be changed to a 20 minutes oral examination without preparation.

Criteria for exam assessment

Please see "Learning Outcome".

  • Category
  • Hours
  • Lectures
  • 24
  • Class Instruction
  • 24
  • Preparation
  • 155
  • Exam
  • 3
  • English
  • 206

Kursusinformation

Language
English
Course number
NNEK26002U
ECTS
7,5 ECTS
Programme level
Full Degree Master
Duration

1 block

Placement
Block 3
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
  • Nanna Roos   (3-7e827f507e7588833e7b853e747b)
  • Bikila Soboka Megersa   (7-676e706e71667245736a7d7833707a336970)
  • Anne Vedelsdal Aurup   (6-7876713a38394667727b73746f34717b346a71)
Saved on the 29-09-2026

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