POPLHLTH 305 : Community Nutrition

Medical and Health Sciences

2024 Semester Two (1245) (15 POINTS)

Course Prescription

This course builds on POPLHLTH 206 ‘Life Cycle Nutrition’ by providing students with a general overview of the determinants of population eating behaviours and the implications of current dietary behaviours and patterns on health.

Course Overview

This course addresses the broader determinants of population food choices, the health and environmental implications of modern dietary practices, and possible strategies for improving the nutrition of populations.

Course Requirements

Prerequisite: POPLHLTH 111, 206

Course Contacts

Dr Sally Mackay
Course Director
sally.mackay@auckland.ac.nz

Capabilities Developed in this Course

Capability 1: People and Place
Capability 2: Sustainability
Capability 3: Knowledge and Practice
Capability 4: Critical Thinking
Capability 6: Communication

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Describe the role of nutrition in public health (Capability 1.3, 2.1 and 3.1)
  2. Identify the factors that influence how and what people eat, such as culture (Capability 2.1, 6.1 and 6.2)
  3. Demonstrate how current eating patterns impact on the health of population groups (Capability 1.3, 3.1 and 4.1)
  4. Examine key components of nutrition interventions to address nutritional outcomes for population groups (Capability 3.1, 4.1 and 4.2)
  5. Evaluate the key challenges to improving the nutrition of the population, particularly to ensure equity (Capability 1.3, 3.1 and 4.2)
  6. Discuss the role of the wider food environment and food systems on dietary patterns and equity (Capability 1.3, 2.2 and 4.2)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
Healthy eating on a budget 30% Individual Coursework
Essay: nutrition issue for a population group 25% Individual Coursework
Cultural food presentation 10% Group Coursework
Policy brief 25% Individual Coursework
Tutorial activities 10% Individual Coursework
Assessment Type Learning Outcome Addressed
1 2 3 4 5 6
Healthy eating on a budget
Essay: nutrition issue for a population group
Cultural food presentation
Policy brief
Tutorial activities

Workload Expectations

This course is a standard 15 point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in.

For this course, you can expect 2 hours of lectures, a 1 hour tutorial, 2 hours of reading and thinking about the content and 5 hours of work on assignments.

Delivery Mode

Campus Experience

Attendance is expected at scheduled activities including tutorials to receive credit for components of the course.
Lectures will be available as recordings. Other learning activities including tutorials will not be available as recordings.
The course will include live events including tutorials.
The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable.

Learning Resources

Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).

Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

No textbook is prescribed for this course but most of the lectures have recommended readings. Students are expected to have perused these readings before the relevant sessions and to be prepared to discuss issues and questions arising from both. The readings have been designed to help students expand their reading on each topic and assist with assignment work. Students are, however, encouraged to read more widely. Student assignments are expected to go well beyond the references listed by staff.
Details of recommended readings will be distributed in the week before each lecture, with electronic copies posted on CANVAS where available.
Students will use dietary analysis software which is available online.

Student Feedback

At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.

Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.

Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

The structure and content of the tutorials and lectures has been reviewed to clearly relate to the assignments.

Other Information

This course is held at The University of Auckland Grafton Campus. Lectures are at 3-4 pm on Tuesdays and 12-1pm on Thursdays.  There is a one-hour tutorial every week.

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed for potential plagiarism or other forms of academic misconduct, using computerised detection mechanisms.

Class Representatives

Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website http://disability.auckland.ac.nz

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.

If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.

This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Learning Continuity

In the event of an unexpected disruption, we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and course assessment continues to meet the principles of the University’s assessment policy. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator/director, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the university website for information about how to proceed.

The delivery mode may change depending on COVID restrictions. Any changes will be communicated through Canvas.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html.

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.

In this course students may be asked to submit coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. In exceptional circumstances changes to elements of this course may be necessary at short notice. Students enrolled in this course will be informed of any such changes and the reasons for them, as soon as possible, through Canvas.