The start date for this module has yet to be confirmed. For further details please contact online-degrees@herts.ac.uk or see Promoting Health (Online) 

 Please note this module may not run if we do not achieve a minimum threshold of students. Hence students who apply for this module as part of the programme pathway for year 2 entry may be required to select a second optional module as their reserve.

This course captures the broader strategies which governments, health systems, practitioners and individuals can adopt to prevent ill health, promote health and wellbeing and manage ill health. Students will start with a review of the major communicable and non-communicable challenges and how these vary by geography and the importance of promoting health for sustainability of health systems as well as quality of life.

Health promotion models and how these have been informed by different theoretical perspectives and disciplines will be covered including:

• theories of behaviour change (theory of planned behaviours, the health belief model, etc)

• methods of behaviour change at the individual, community, societal level

• role of law

• underpinning ideologies (libertarian/utilitarian) of health systems

• cultural aspects which influence national policies on promoting health

• risk behaviours

• evidence base for different interventions.

Two written assessments: 

a) case study

b)  essay

Knowledge and Understanding

Successful students will typically:

1. Critically evaluate broader strategies which governments, health systems, practitioners and individuals can adopt to, promote health and wellbeing, prevent ill health, internationally and nationally.

2. Critically evaluate health promotion strategies and relevant legislation.

3. Critically evaluate relevant theories and methods of behaviour change, at the individual, community and societal level with an evaluation of their impact.

 Skills and Attributes:

Successful students will typically:

1. Demonstrate a critical application of behavioural change methods in the implementation of global and

national health promotion strategies.

2. Critically appraise health promotion strategies for the prevention of diseases in the context of optimising health gains at individual, group and societal levels.

3. Critically evaluate approaches to effective multi-professional and multi-sectoral collaboration in health promotion.