Unit rationale, description and aim

Health promotion creates supportive conditions for health, enabling people to have control over, and improve their health and wellbeing. Health promotion officers need to have a good understanding of health promotion approaches and behaviour change models in order to engage community and enable people to address their own health needs and issues. This unit helps students to obtain fundamental knowledge and understanding of health promotion concepts and issues. It provides an introduction to the principles and practices of health promotion, with an emphasis on the factors that determine health and health inequities, including economic, social and environmental influences. Key health issues and strategies for addressing health risk behaviours and optimising the health of populations are explored. Where appropriate students will develop an awareness of the impact of colonisation on Indigenous health and the implications for health promotion planning and practice. The aim of this unit is to support students to be able to plan, carry out and assess health promotion activities in different settings and will apply this knowledge in developing health promotion campaign.

2025 10

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  • Semester 1Campus Attendance
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  • Semester 1Campus Attendance
  • Term Mode
  • Semester 1Campus Attendance

Prerequisites

Nil

Incompatible

PUBD102 Foundations of Health Promotion

Learning outcomes

To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.

Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.

Explore the graduate capabilities.

Explain health promotion principles and practices

Learning Outcome 01

Explain health promotion principles and practices
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC1, GC2, GC9, GC11, GC12

Analyse the range of factors that influence the he...

Learning Outcome 02

Analyse the range of factors that influence the health of populations, including social determinants of health
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC1, GC2, GC5, GC7

Advocate for approaches to prevent disease and pro...

Learning Outcome 03

Advocate for approaches to prevent disease and promote health
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC1, GC5, GC6, GC8, GC9

Design a health promotion strategy that applies ke...

Learning Outcome 04

Design a health promotion strategy that applies key principles and theoretical models of health promotion
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC1, GC6, GC7, GC8, GC11

Content

Topics will include: 

  • Health promotion from historical perspective 
  • Determinants of health 
  • Inequity and disparities in health 
  • Emerging issues in health promotion 
  • Theoretical models in health promotion: the Ottawa Charter in Action 
  • Health education and behaviour change 
  • Settings for health promotion 
  • Community engagement for effective health promotion 
  • Health promotion with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities 
  • The environment and health promotion 
  • Globalisation in relation to health promotion 

Assessment strategy and rationale

A range of assessment procedures will be used to meet the unit learning outcomes and develop graduate attributes consistent with University assessment requirements. In order to successfully complete this unit, students need to obtain an aggregate mark equal to or greater than 50%. 

 

Assessment in this unit will comprise a quiz and two written assessments. The assessment strategy allows students to progressively develop their knowledge and skills to the level of sophistication where they can apply key health promotion principles to the analysis and development of health promotion strategies. The assessment strategy commences with a quiz to test knowledge and application of key health promotion principles and concepts. A second task requires students to advocate for the need to address particular determinants of health. They will extend and synthesize their understanding through development of an evidence-based health promotion plan.

Overview of assessments

Assessment Task 1: Quiz To assess knowledge of he...

Assessment Task 1: Quiz

To assess knowledge of health promotion principles and concepts


Weighting

15%

Learning Outcomes LO1, LO2, LO3

Assessment Task 2 : Addressing Health Determinant...

Assessment Task 2 : Addressing Health Determinants (written task)

To assess ability to articulate a population health issue.

Weighting

35%

Learning Outcomes LO1, LO2, LO3

Assessment Task 3: Health promotion program (writ...

Assessment Task 3: Health promotion program (written task) 

To assess ability to design and evaluate health promotion interventions for specific groups. 

Weighting

50%

Learning Outcomes LO1, LO2, LO4

Learning and teaching strategy and rationale

This unit fosters student-centred active learning and accommodates diverse student needs. It includes a combination of self-paced, online learning and real-time classes. Early and additional feedback on learning, and tailored support, are provided to facilitate students’ transition to university. This unit comprises weekly tutorial preparation activities, followed by interactive tutorials using student-centred teaching and active learning approach to support students in the exploration of health promotion principles and practices. The unit uses recorded material, readings and interactive activities to teach essential theory and concepts. This learning is then reinforced through facilitated tutorial activities that support students to synthesise knowledge and develop a deep understanding of how to identify health determinants and plan, implement and evaluate health promotion initiatives.

Representative texts and references

Representative texts and references

Baum, F. (2015). The New Public Health. An Australian Perspective. (4th ed.). South Melbourne: Oxford University Press. 

 

Naidoo, J. & Wills, J. (2016). Foundations for Health Promotion. (4th Ed.). Elsevier.

 

Keleher, H. & MacDougall, C. (Eds) (2016). Understanding Health: a determinants approach (4th ed.). Melbourne: Oxford University Press. 

 

Marmot, M., Wilkinson, R. G. (2006). Social Determinants of Health. (2nd ed.). New York: Oxford University Press. 

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