2015/16 Taught Postgraduate Module Catalogue

FOOD5410M Nutrition: Policy and Practice

20 creditsClass Size: 100

Module manager: Dr Charlotte Evans
Email: c.e.l.evans@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun) View Timetable

Year running 2015/16

Pre-requisite qualifications

Relevant undergraduate qualification

Module replaces

none

This module is approved as an Elective

Module summary

- Why is eating 5 portions of fruit and vegetables good for health? - What is the evidence to support this recommendation and what has been the impact of the 5-a-day campaign on the health of the UK population? - What would happen to the UK fish stocks if everyone ate 2 portions of fish per week? - Should there be a 'fat tax'?This module deals with how scientific information is used to develop policies and recommendations that may have far-reaching consequences, not only on the health of the individuals, but also on other aspects of society.The module will review the role of nutritionists as health professionals, including a personal review of abilities and limitations within the practice setting.

Objectives

The module aims to:
1) introduce students to the legislative and advisory bodies that inform, formulate and implement nutritional policy
2) enable students to evaluate the scientific evidence that supports the policy-making process and discuss the impact of policies on populations and individuals
3) enable students to carry out simple surveys relating to food consumption habits and nutritional status.
4) promote students' ability to effectively communicate health policy and health promotion messages to a relevant audience
5) allow students to reflect on their individual knowledge, skills, abilities and competences as relevant to the nutrition profession.

Learning outcomes
Upon completion of the module, students should be able to:
1) discuss the role of scientists, industry, government and consumers in the policy making process
2) critically evaluate the scientific evidence supporting policy including a discussion of the advantages, disadvantages and limitations of different experimental approaches and the need for periodic review
3) discuss the impact of particular policies on the health and wellbeing of populations and individuals with an appreciation of the difficulties involved in implementing food policy due to socio-economic, environmental, ethical and cultural constraints
4) design material to be used in health promotion aimed to communicate nutritional policy to a range of audiences.
5) evaluate the effectiveness of a health promotion campaign using a questionnaire-based survey.

Skills outcomes
- Ability to use a scientific evidence base to develop practice in nutrition
- Ability to design a questionnaire-based survey
- Ability to communicate complex scientific information to a lay-audience
- Awareness of ethical issues in relation to survey work, consent and use of human data
- Awareness of the code of practice for the UK voluntary register of nutritionists.

Syllabus

Nutritional Policy is ever-evolving, with new policy being developed as new evidence emerges. Therefore, the syllabus will evolve accordingly and relevant policies will be discussed according to their timely relevance.

- Role of various bodies in national and international policy development (eg WHO, UNICEF, Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition, Department of Health, Food Standards Agency, DEFRA, Industrial Councils, Academics and Medics etc).
- Review of the scientific evidence supporting current policies (eg School Meals, 5-a-day, Maternal nutrition, Supplementation, Fortification, Salt recommendations etc) and their impact on their target groups (eg children, adults etc) and other relevant groups (eg schools, NHS etc).
- The different scientific approaches used in nutritional research (eg epidemiology, cell culture, in vivo vs in vitro etc) will be discussed in terms of their advantages, disadvantages and limitations.
- Principles of questionnaire design and ethical considerations relating to consent and use of human information.
- The impact of policy on wider aspects of society will also be discussed.
- Methods for dissemination and implementation of health messages (eg mass media, GP practices, school advisors etc) will be reviewed in relation to their effectiveness in translating policy into messages that can be unambiguously interpreted and understood by the general population.
- Food Labelling legislation will also be discussed in relation to its impact on population food choice.

The module will also allow students to undertake a reflective assessment of their knowledge, skills and competences relevant to the nutrition profession and nutrition practice.

Teaching methods

Delivery type	Number	Length hours	Student hours
Lectures	10	1.00	10.00
Seminar	5	1.00	5.00
Tutorial	1	0.50	0.50
Private study hours			184.50
Total Contact hours			15.50
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)			200.00

Private study

- Directed reading for lectures: 30 hours
- Additional reading/study: 49.5 hours
- Preparation for seminars: 15 hours
- Preparation of portfolio assignments: 30 hours
- Preparation and evaluation of health promotion campaign: 30 hours
- Preparation of reflective journal: 30 hours.

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

- Students will have opportunities to obtain formative feedback during the seminar sessions. Progress will be formally monitored through course-work assignments (summative assessment).
- General feedback on assignment performance will be posted on the VLE, while individual feedback will also be provided upon marking of the assignment.
- It is envisaged that feedback from the first assignment will help students prepare for the second assignment.

Methods of assessment

Coursework

Assessment type	Notes	% of formal assessment
Reflective log	1,500 words	20.00
Portfolio	4,000	45.00
Group Project	Various Media	35.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)		100.00

Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated

Reading list

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 18/01/2016

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