Overview

This unit will provide an understanding of health and disease. The unit investigates the major diseases and infections that affect humans at different stages of life, including the increased prevalence of major diseases, their causes and progression. The different preventative and treatment approaches at both, individual and population level will also be explored to ensure that students understand how differing biological, psychological, social and cultural factors impact on health and disease

Teaching periods
Location
Start and end dates
Last self-enrolment date
Census date
Last withdraw without fail date
Results released date
Pathways Teaching 3
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
20-October-2025
30-January-2026
Last self-enrolment date
02-November-2025
Census date
14-November-2025
Last withdraw without fail date
12-December-2025
Results released date
10-February-2026
Pathways Teaching 1
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
23-February-2026
29-May-2026
Last self-enrolment date
08-March-2026
Census date
24-March-2026
Last withdraw without fail date
14-April-2026
Results released date
09-June-2026
Pathways Teaching 2
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
22-June-2026
25-September-2026
Last self-enrolment date
05-July-2026
Census date
21-July-2026
Last withdraw without fail date
11-August-2026
Results released date
06-October-2026
Pathways Teaching 3
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
19-October-2026
29-January-2027
Last self-enrolment date
01-November-2026
Census date
17-November-2026
Last withdraw without fail date
15-December-2026
Results released date
09-February-2027

Unit learning outcomes

Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:

  1. Identify the major diseases affecting people across the life course and explain their aetiology, course, and management at individual and population levels.
  2. Describe the biological, psychological, social, and cultural factors that influence growth, development, health and disease.
  3. Examine critical life stages where exposure to determinants impact on long-term health outcomes.
  4. Analyse the impact and burden of disease on Australians and the Australian healthcare system.

Teaching methods

Hawthorn

Activity Type Activity Total Hours Number of Weeks Hours Per Week
Live Online Lecture 24 12 weeks 2
On-campus Class 24 12 weeks 2
On-campus Lab 24 12 weeks 2
Unspecified Activities Indpendent Learning 78 12 weeks 6.5
Total Hours: 150 Total Hours (per week): 12.5

NCHS - Colombo

Activity Type Activity Total Hours Number of Weeks Hours Per Week
On-campus Lecture 24 12 weeks 2
On-campus Class 24 12 weeks 2
On-campus Lab 24 12 weeks 2
Unspecified Activities Indpendent Learning 78 12 weeks 6.5
Total Hours: 150 Total Hours (per week): 12.5

Assessment

Type Task Weighting ULOs
e-Portfolio Individual  40%  1,2,3
Presentation Individual/Group  20% 1,2,4
Online Quiz Individual 20%  1,2,3,4 
Case Report Individual  20%  1,2,3,4

Content

  • Concepts in epidemiology and population health
  • Measures of growth, development, health, disease burden, disability and injury
  • Major sources of disease, disability and injury across the life span including: aetiology, pathogenesis/pathophysiology and course
  • The relationships between health, disease, and human development at critical life stages
  • Biological, psychological, social, and cultural factors that influence growth, development, health and disease across the life course
  • Individual and population level interventions to address common diseases

Study resources

Reading materials

A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.