Environmental Health Concepts
Duration
- One semester or equivalent
Contact hours
- 9 hours face to face + blended
On-campus unit delivery combines face-to-face and digital learning.
Aims and objectives
This unit aims to introduce the essential concepts of environmental health, including tools for measuring health and assessing risk, as well as introducing major current and emerging environmental health issues.
1. Contrast the practice of environmental health with the practice of public health and related disciplines
2. Compare the different models of health which influence environmental health practice
3. Critique the tools that are used to assess environmental health hazards
4. Compare the major strategies used to manage environmental health risks
5. Examine emerging environmental health trends and the implications for practice
Unit Learning Outcome (ULO)
Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:
2. Compare the different models of health which influence environmental health practice
3. Critique the tools that are used to assess environmental health hazards
4. Compare the major strategies used to manage environmental health risks
5. Examine emerging environmental health trends and the implications for practice
Unit information in detail
- Teaching methods, assessment and content.
Teaching methods
Hawthorn
Type | Hours per week | Number of Weeks | Total |
On Campus Lecture | 3 | 3 | 9 |
| Online (asynchronous Lecture) | 3 | 9 | 27 |
Unspecified Activities Independent Learning | 9.5 | 12 | 114 |
TOTAL | 150 hours |
Assessment
| Types | Individual or Group task | Weighting | Assesses attainment of these ULOs |
| Online activities | Individual | 10-20% | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 |
| Presentation | Group | 10-20% | 1, 2 |
| Literature review | Individual | 20-30% | 1, 2 |
| Case study | Individual | 30-40% | 2, 3, 4, 5 |
Content
• Development of environmental health and its practice
• Overview of foundational science concepts relevant to environmental health contexts
• Models for understanding health
• The environment and health nexus
• Defining and measuring population health
• Environments at risk
• Environmental agents of disease
• Local and global threats to sustainable environmental health
• Assessing environmental health hazards
• Environmental epidemiology
• Environmental toxicology
• Monitoring and surveillance methods
• Regulatory and policy frameworks relevant to environmental health
• Current and emerging issues relating to air, water, food, waste, wastewater, noise and the built environment
• Overview of foundational science concepts relevant to environmental health contexts
• Models for understanding health
• The environment and health nexus
• Defining and measuring population health
• Environments at risk
• Environmental agents of disease
• Local and global threats to sustainable environmental health
• Assessing environmental health hazards
• Environmental epidemiology
• Environmental toxicology
• Monitoring and surveillance methods
• Regulatory and policy frameworks relevant to environmental health
• Current and emerging issues relating to air, water, food, waste, wastewater, noise and the built environment
Study resources
- Reading materials.
Reading materials
A list of reading materials and/or required texts will be made available in the Unit Outline.