2017/18 Undergraduate Module Catalogue

FOOD3381 Nutrition Policy and Public Health

20 creditsClass Size: 150

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

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

Year running 2017/18

Pre-requisite qualifications

Successfully completed level 2 of BSc Nutrition course or equivalent qualification

Module replaces

FOOD3380

This module is not approved as a discovery module

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.

Objectives

The module aims to:
1) introduce students to the legislative and advisory bodies that inform, formulate and implement nutrition 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.

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) carry out a simple questionnaire-based nutritional survey to assess the link between food habits and nutritional status;
5) design promotional material to be used in health promotion aimed to communicate nutritional policy to a lay-audience.

Skills outcomes
Ability to:
- use a scientific evidence base to develop practice in nutrition;
- design a questionnaire-based survey;
- communicate complex scientific information to a lay-audience.

Awareness of ethical issues in relation to survey work, consent and use of human data.

Syllabus

Nutrition 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, 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.

Teaching methods

Delivery type	Number	Length hours	Student hours
Class tests, exams and assessment	1	0.50	0.50
Lecture	30	1.00	30.00
Seminar	10	1.00	10.00
Private study hours			159.50
Total Contact hours			40.50
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)			200.00

Private study

- Directed reading for lectures: 69 hours
- Additional reading/study: 30.5 hours
- Preparation for seminars: 20 hours
- Preparation of portfolio: 20 hours
- Research for group presentation: 15 hours
- Preparation of group presentation: 5 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
Presentation	verbal group 30 minutes	20.00
Portfolio	2,000 words	60.00
Investigative Project	1,000 word report - survey invest	20.00
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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