Nutritional Epidemiology
Course content
Diet is a key and modifiable determinant of health, with suboptimal dietary patterns across the life-course consistently associated with increased risk of cardiometabolic diseases and premature mortality. This course provides an introduction to nutritional epidemiology, with a particular focus on methods for assessing dietary intake and understanding the role of diet in the prevention of non-communicable diseases. Topics include the impact of diet on population health, study designs and dietary assessment methods, diet–disease relationships, sustainable diets and health, public health nutrition and dietary guidelines, as well as the integration of big data into nutritional epidemiology, with a perspective on precision nutrition.
This course will advance students’ understanding of the contribution of diet and nutrition to human health and its public health implications. It will also enable students to develop critical skills to critically evaluate publications, evidence, and practice in the field of nutritional epidemiology.
MSc in Public Health Science - elective course
MSc in Global Health - elective course
MSc in Health Informatics - elective course
A student who has met the objectives of the course will be able to:
Define the principles of nutritional epidemiology and understand the importance of diet on population health;
- Understand the methods for designing, conducting, and analysing nutritional data from epidemiological studies;
- Understand and interpret results from nutritional epidemiology studies;
- Understand the impact of diet on non-communicable diseases;
- Become familiar with the impact of diet on public health;
- Become familiar with the interplay between diet, multi-omics, and health.
Knowledge
- Define the principles of nutritional epidemiology and explain the role of diet in population health.
- Describe methods for dietary assessment and study designs in nutritional epidemiology.
- Recognize the links between diet, non-communicable diseases, and public health.
Skills
- Identify strengths and limitations in nutritional epidemiology studies.
- Critically evaluate scientific publications and evidence in the field.
Competences
- Integrate knowledge of diet, health, and public health.
- Reflect on the interplay between diet, multi-omics, and precision nutrition.
The course will employ a combination of teaching and learning strategies including lectures with problem-based learning in small groups. Students are encouraged to ask questions and to engage in formulating responses to questions that lecturers raise. Students are also encouraged to provide feedback on the content and the quality of teaching.
Extract from books, scientific papers, and reports
Passed course in Epidemiology SFOA09007U / SFOA09006E or Advanced Epidemiology SFOK23002U/ SFOK23002E in the MSc in Public Health Science or similar courses in epidemiology.
Continuous feedback during the course of the semester
- ECTS
- 5 ECTS
- Type of assessment
-
Written assignment
- Type of assessment details
- The students are expected to develop a brief research project
proposal within the area of nutritional epidemiology during the
course.
The written assignment can be made individually or in groups of 2-3 students. - Aid
- All aids allowed
It is the responsibility of the student to ensure the accuracy, integrity, and originality of the text, including ensuring that the text is not factually incorrect, plagiarized, or contains copyrighted material. AI/LLM’s may not be used as an actual author or a scientific source cf. Vancouver Guidelines.
You must use KU’s template to declare your use of gAI in your assignment.
- Marking scale
- 7-point grading scale
- Censorship form
- No external censorship
- Exam period
- Re-exam
Criteria for exam assessment
Criteria for exam assesment
The assignment is expected to fulfil the requirements for a brief research project proposal.
To achieve the maximum grade, the student must be able to:
Knowledge
- Make a coherent justification for and describe a scientific problem within nutritional epidemiology
- Describe the detailed design of an epidemiologic project that addresses this scientific problem, using sound epidemiologic methodology
- Describe a feasible study plan, including a realistic time frame.
Skills
- Identify and justify a relevant scientific problem within nutritional epidemiology
Competencies
- Design, implement and assess data collection systems for public health research
- Appropriately interpret epidemiologic data within nutritional epidemiology
- Category
- Hours
- Class Instruction
- 20
- Preparation
- 50
- Exam
- 68
- English
- 138
Kursusinformation
- Language
- English
- Course number
- SFOK26003U
- ECTS
- 5 ECTS
- Programme level
- Full Degree Master
- Duration
-
1 block
- Placement
- Spring
- Capacity
- 30
- Studyboard
- Study Board for Public Health Science, Global Health and Health Informatics
Contracting department
- Department of Public Health
Contracting faculty
- Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
Course Coordinator
- Marta Guasch Ferre (12-766a7b7d6a37707e6a7c6c71497c7e776d37747e376d74)
Teacher
Other teachers TBD
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