Course Description

In this course, students explore the theory and practice of health promotion, its relationship with health service management and develop the skills essential for effective health promotion. Students explore the social determinants of health, models of behaviour change, and strategies for health promotion across various settings, including schools, indigenous communities, and occupational health and safety. The importance of community engagement, co-design, monitoring, and evaluation in health promotion planning and implementation is explored, and the role of health service managers in reorienting health systems towards prevention and enhancing population health and wellbeing is discussed. Through reflective practice and critical analysis, students develop a deep understanding of the complexities of health promotion and its impact on individuals and communities.

Learning Outcomes

• Evaluate and critique major approaches to health promotion (e.g. policy, behaviour change, community engagement, advocacy and social marketing).
• Critically explain the historical, social and political context of major health promotion programs and theories, including the Ottawa Charter.
• Apply major approaches to health promotion policy and theory to contemporary public health issues such as alcohol consumption, problem gambling and obesity.
• Critically assess the applicability of major health promotion theories and strategies in vulnerable communities, including persons of low socio-economic status, Indigenous Australians, and refugees.
• Identify and describe the key challenges facing health promotion programs in both developed and developing country context.

Learning Experience