This unit of study provides students with an overview of the broader philosophical, ethical, socio-political and cultural issues that underlie public health and public health research. Students will first review the history of public health and examine the values that underpin health promotion and disease prevention. The second part of the unit examines the place of facts and values in public health and the construction and use of information, with particular reference to evidence-based-medicine. The third part of the unit examines the cultural, moral and social context of public health including the social determinants of health, the construction of health services, the determination of research priorities and issues relating to human rights and global health.
All assessments must be completed to pass this Unit.

This unit introduces the ethics of public health. Ethics is the study of what should be done. In public health this requires thinking about what we want healthcare to achieve, both for communities and individuals. As this always involves prioritization and compromise it is important to understand; how and why we focus on some health issues and not others; why we focus on some populations and not others; how we weigh up the benefits, harms and costs of intervening in people's lives; whether our interventions are fair, just and undermine or promote human rights; and how we can best engage with communities and maintain their trust. None of these issues can be understood simply by reference to evidence, efficiency, policy or law. This is where an understanding of ethics can help. By the end of the Unit you will be able to identify the values and ideas upon which public health rests and ready to start thinking proactively about the ethical and legal issues that are raised by public health interventions and health policy. This is a Core Unit for Graduate Diploma and Master in Public Health students.
All assessments must be completed to pass this Unit.

This unit of study introduces students to human research ethics in its social context. It explores the philosophical underpinnings of the research endeavour including the justifications for engaging in research, research priorities and research integrity. The unit also reviews the history of research and the impact of research abuse on human participants. International and national guidelines for ethical research with humans will be covered and participants are encouraged to develop practical skills in relation to their own research.

This unit provides a critical overview of China's contemporary health system and health issues. It uses a multidisciplinary approach to examine the interaction between health and China's development process. Through the use of case studies this unit provides students with concrete examples of current and future issues faced by China's health system, including: health policy formation; health services financing, delivery and evaluation; ethical issues in health services delivery; health inequalities; and, China's epidemiological and demographic transitions.

To provide students with sufficient background and appreciation of the importance of preventive dentistry and oral health promotion and to provide them with the opportunity to develop skills and acquire essential knowledge in this field for the effective practice of population oral health. The following topics will be covered: principles of prevention; oral diseases and conditions of public health concern - a review; the epidemiology of the common oral problems; prevention of dental caries; prevention of periodontal disease; prevention of other diseases of oral health concern; evidence-based preventive dental care; principles of health education, health protection, and oral health promotion; and analysis of health education and oral health promotion initiatives. On the completion of this unit of study, the student will be able to: understand the efficacy and effectiveness of risk reduction strategies in relation to the common oral problems and conditions; select interventions and strategies for the prevention and control of oral disease and the promotion of oral health; and understand the limitations of health education and the potential for oral health improvement through effective oral health promotion strategies.

To provide students with sufficient background and appreciation of the role and scope of dental health services within health care and to provide them with the opportunity to develop skills and acquire essential knowledge in this field for the effective practice of population oral health. The following topics will be covered: dental services in the twenty first century; the primary health care approach; assessment of the role of Western Dentistry (the limits of conventional dentistry); the limitations of a "high-risk" approach for the prevention of dental caries; the common risk factor approach: a rational basis for promoting oral health and strategies for developing oral health care programs in deprived communities; priorities in oral health care services; review of the Save our Kids Smiles program in New South Wales; the prevention of social inequalities in oral health; adult access to dental care in Australia; and ethnic indicators of dental health schoolchildren resident in areas of multiple deprivation. On the completion of this unit of study, students will be able to: understand the principles governing primary health care; understand the principles governing the delivery and management of dental services; and develop resources and implement and manage appropriate dental services for populations.

To provide students with sufficient background and appreciation of the importance of population oral health and to provide them with the opportunity to develop skills and acquire essential knowledge in this field for the effective practice of population oral health. This unit focuses on the determinants of oral health and the importance of upstream measures to attack the root cause of oral diseases and the planning, implementing and evaluating of these approaches. The following topics will be covered: principles of population health approach, planning and policy framework for population oral health, the changing profile oral health and patterns of oral health care; water fluoridation (including legislation, benefits/risks, the politics of fluoridation, the arguments for and against water fluoridation, how to respond to antifluoridationists; how to promote and extend water fluoridation,), overview of policies and initiatives regarding dental services - the example of New South Wales; and oral health workforce and emerging workforce issues. On the completion of this unit of study students should be able to demonstrate ability to design/develop, implement and evaluate population based oral health programs to improve overall oral health and reduce inequalities in oral health.

To develop a critical and comparative understanding of the history, theory and practice of health policy. To give an overview of the political choices and frameworks - national and global - that shape policymaking.
Learning objectives:
- acquire a critical understanding of the basic history and features of the Australian health system
- understand the main frameworks used to analyse and make policy
- understand the main issues in the translation of policy into practice
- demonstrate the capacity to apply these understandings in particular settings through case studies.
Content:
This unit explores the main structures and institutions that make health policy. The unit examines debates over policy frameworks, and the evidence and advocacy in setting priorities. Conflicts over health policy will be placed in broader contexts - comparing different health systems and assessing global influences. Case studies will be used to examine the relationships between policy and practice.

This unit aims to provide students with an understanding of the financial and economic aspects of health policy. It introduces the main concepts and analytical methods of health economics, political economy and finance. Learning objectives:
- understand the main models and debates regarding health funding in developed OECD countries and the implications for equity, delivery and governance of health services.
- apply this knowledge to current Australian and global health systems and debates over reform.
- understand the role of economic analysis in evaluating health policy change
- be familiar with theoretical frameworks underlying health economics and analysis.
Content:
This unit introduces the main concepts and analytical methods of health economics, political economy and finance to examine the workings of health systems in Australia and comparable countries. It looks at the main models of health system funding and their implications for the structure, planning and delivery of services. The first module focuses on the basic concepts and methodologies of health economics and political economy and their contribution to policy analysis. The second module places funding structures in a broader political and policy context. Topics include the debates over the public-private mix and governance and accountability - who makes decisions about funding priorities? To whom should decision makers be held accountable and for what aspects of their work? How does health finance shape broader policy reform?

This unit develops skills for the effective critical appraisal of health policy. It familiarizes students with the principles, and limitations, of evidence-based health policy and how this is shaped by the health and political systems.
Learning objectives:
- to develop critical appraisal skills to critique the research that underpins policy
- to identify and analyse the main influences on policy development
- to evaluate existing policy frameworks and processes in relation to evidence, political context and broader community values
Content:
This unit builds policy analysis and analytical skills by exploring policy design, implementation and evaluation. It looks at the methods and limitations of evidence-based health policy and the problems of integrating equity concerns when developing and applying health policy. The workshops focus on the critical use of epidemiological and public policy analysis to build the evidence base for policy, taking into account political and social contexts.

This unit explores the impact of globalization the health of populations and policy making processes. It also investigates the potential to improve health outcomes globally through policy. The aim of this course is to equip students with the knowledge and skills to identify and articulate political and policy processes at the global level, become familiar with institutions and actors involved in global health policy and utilize strategies for influencing policy making at the global level. The unit will explore global health threats that transcend national boundaries; especially those whose causes or results transcend the capacity of individual states to influence. We analyse the influence and power of institutions and actors in the development and implementation of global health policy, including the World Health Organisation, UNICEF, the World Bank, the WTO, the Gates Foundation and NGOs. We will also investigate the governance of global health policy responses. Teaching will make extensive use of current case studies from recognised experts in the field.

This is a compulsory unit for all postgraduate students who do not hold a law degree or equivalent from a common law jurisdiction entering the: Master of Administrative Law and Policy; Master of Business Law; Master of Environmental Law; Master of Environmental Science and Law; Master of Global Law; Master of Health Law; Master of International Business and Law; Master of Labour Law and Relations; Master of Law & International Development as well as Graduate Diplomas offered in these programs. The unit has been designed to equip students with the necessary legal skills and legal knowledge to competently apply themselves in their chosen area of law. Instruction will cover the legislative process; the judiciary and specialist tribunals; precedent; court hierarchies; legal reasoning; constitutional law; administrative law; contracts; and torts. Some elements of the unit will be tailored in accordance with the requirements of the particular specialist programs.

This unit gives students the opportunity to undertake a special project (a research project or a field placement) in their area of interest in international public health as part of the course. Students may research their chosen topic or analyse data already collected, then write a brief report. Alternatively, students may choose to undertake a placement with an international aid agency or with relevant sections of health services overseas or in Australia and then write a report about it. Students arrange with an international public health academic to be their supervisor on a project and agree to expected deliverables. The supervisor provides guidance and assesses the report.

This unit gives students the opportunity to undertake a special project (a research project or a field placement) in their area of interest in international public health as part of the course. Students may research their chosen topic or analyse data already collected, then write a report. Alternatively, students may choose to undertake a placement with an international aid agency or with relevant sections of health services overseas or in Australia and then write a report about it. Students arrange with an international public health academic to be their supervisor on a project and agree to expected deliverables. The supervisor provides guidance and assesses the report.

This unit aims to provide an overview of common health issues and emerging travel-related diseases, with a general look at prevention and control of these problems for travellers or those intending to work in tropical or resource-poor settings for a significant period of time. Travel/public health regulations associated with outbreaks and disasters are also addressed. During the short course, students will also explore issues such as pre-travel preparations, protection from vector-borne diseases and vaccinations. The teaching method is face-to-face teaching. Attendance is compulsory.

This unit of study aims to provide students with an understanding of the principles, theory and methods that are employed in health promotion and prevention. The unit will give attention to the full spectrum of health promotion and prevention programs, from the development of local level initiatives to global policies to achieve health goals. It will have a strong practical and methodological focus, with the objective of enabling students to develop knowledge and skills for planning, implementing and evaluating health promotion programs. Models and methods that are commonly used in health promotion and disease prevention will be described and discussed by using real life examples. Among the major issues examined are the health impact of social and economic development at the national and global levels, prevention and control of non-communicable and communicable diseases, including cigarette smoking, hygiene practices, capacity building and workforce development for health promotion and prevention.

This unit gives candidates an insight into prevention and control of communicable diseases in developing countries using country-specific examples presented by professionals with field experience. The unit covers tropical diseases (including schistosomiasis and leprosy), as well as vector-borne conditions (including yellow fever and dengue), zoonoses and emerging infectious diseases such as pandemic influenza.

This unit aims to give students an overview of the health status of women and children in international settings. It also aims to examine causes of major health problems and possible approaches to improving the health of women and children in resource-poor countries. The unit covers a variety of issues in women's and children's health, including approaches to prevention of maternal and fetal, neonatal and child mortality, poverty, mother to child HIV transmission, women and violence, family planning, diarrhoeal disease, pneumonia, and vaccine preventable diseases.

This unit aims to provide an integrated and interpretive approach to an understanding of health-related behaviours of populations in international settings, by synthesizing anthropological knowledge and methodology, and the interactions of culture, biology, psychology and environment. The teaching process is by student-led, lecturer-guided, discussion based review and critical analysis of relevant topics. During the unit, students will explore a range of issues in global and multicultural health from an anthropological perspective. Methodological approaches will encompass ethnography and other anthropological data collection methods. The issues covered will include cultural influences on health, illness and healing, such as indigenous and traditional beliefs and systems, gender and cultural change and the impact of modernization and development on illness and healing. The impact examines disease and illness patterns - their distribution and persistence, mental illness and culture and attitudes towards the use of medications; and the provision of culturally sensitive and appropriate services. The emphasis will be on covering a range of topic areas relevant to the students enrolled, and those of particular importance in contemporary international and multicultural health contexts.

This unit aims to provide candidates with an understanding of the causes and control of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in developing countries. These diseases are associated with social and economic development and the demographic and health transitions. Topics covered in the unit include cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer, primary health care in relation to NCDs, health promotion for NCDs and approaches to NCD research in developing countries. Lectures are given by health professionals with direct experience of NCD control in developing countries.

This unit offers a detailed and evidence-based assessment of the global HIV situation to equip students with the latest understanding of HIV distribution and trends globally, its social and economic implications, the measures being taken to prevent and treat HIV and AIDS, the gaps that need to be addressed in HIV control, and the politics around global HIV issues. Examples from different parts of the world, particularly less developed settings, are used to illustrate analysis of the key issues influencing the HIV control agenda globally. Emphasis is placed on developing a critical and analytical approach to assessing the HIV situation and developing interventions for its control.

This unit gives students an overview of public health aspects of humanitarian emergencies in developing country situations and the range of appropriate responses. This includes considering problems faced by government and non-government organisations in humanitarian emergency relief efforts. Topics covered in the unit include international and human rights law, the role of donor agencies, refugee health, nutritional emergencies, site planning for refugee camps, water and sanitation, sexual violence, protection of vulnerable groups, and communicable disease surveillance and control.

This unit aims to present an overview and critique of mental disorders in an international context. It covers broad issues related to the classification of disorders, their prevalence and population burden and their determinants. While the focus of the module is on international epidemiology, the course also aims to promote understanding of the economic and humanitarian implications of the burden of mental and substance use disorders for prevention, treatment and health policy. The unit will cover what a mental disorder is, how frequent and how disabling mental disorders are and what the major correlates and determinants of mental disorders are,with a focus on health policy.

The unit aims to provide candidates with a multidisciplinary perspective of the interplay between health and development in low- and middle-income countries from a range of social science and public health disciplines. The unit will cover the following themes: health and development, Millennium Development Goals, poverty and health, gender and health, culture and health, climate change and health, population ageing, public health advocacy, human rights and health, health systems, health policy, human resources for health, and primary health care. At the end of the unit, students should be able to demonstrate an understanding of the relation between health and development; demonstrate an understanding of how health systems and policies operate in developing countries; and demonstrate an understanding of the role played by the various international organisations and agencies in health in less developed settings.

This unit introduces candidates to the methods used to assess disease priorities and identify those diseases or risk factors that contribute most to the burden of disease in low- and middle-income countries. It provide candidates with an understanding of the major conditions responsible for illness, disability and premature mortality. The design and implementation of disease control and health promotion programs for developing country populations will be discussed based on an understanding of the biological, environmental, behavioral, social and cultural aspects of major health problems. Topics covered in the unit include the global burden of disease; methods for conducting both quantitative and qualitative applied field research; and the epidemiology, and control and prevention strategies for communicable diseases - HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis; non-communicable diseases - cardiovascular diseases and mental health; injury; and malnutrition, childhood infectious diseases and reproductive and perinatal conditions.

This unit of study is designed for students who have completed or are working towards a health degree. It will assume some clinical background knowledge and aims to prepare students to a basic level for applying public health principles in low resource primary health care settings. The course will introduce and revise the fundamental aspects of effective primary health care, define different aspects of low-resource settings (health system, healthcare worker, patient factors etc) and their effect on knowledge translation. The key learning component will comprise a series of problems which will be solved in online groups and supported by guest lecturers, tutors and resources. Problems will include low-income country settings but also resource-challenged settings due to remoteness and/or socioeconomic and other disadvantage. Students will be expected to be self-directed adult learners during this unit. This unit of study can be combined with MIPH5004 International Health Independent Study 1 (2crp) for a total of 6 credit points.

Health systems are complex and multi-faceted. Successful health systems require attention to political economy, governance, institutions, and local context. This unit will cover health systems in developing countries to equip students with a conceptual understanding and a set of tools to address major public health challenges from a health systems perspective. With a focus on evidence-based decision making, the unit will provide an understanding of health systems including specific topics such as health workforce, financing, service delivery, information systems and policy, and how these impact health interventions and health status in less developed countries. A multi-sectoral, integrated model will be used to understand the varied aspects of development challenges related to health systems. A case study approach will then provide students with concrete examples of health systems challenges and will strengthen students' ability to view health problems in a holistic, multi-faceted manner. The unit will provide students with the tools needed to make a practical difference in health systems in less developed countries with emphasis on implementation of health projects and bringing interventions to scale.

The aim of this unit is to provide students with insights into the major nutrition-related public health problems in low- and middle-income countries; knowledge and practical skills about nutritional assessment; and the design and evaluation of nutritional interventions. The content areas include an overview of nutrition as a major determinant of health and disease; methods to assess community nutritional status; the impact of maternal and child under-nutrition on mortality and overall disease burden; design and evaluation of effective interventions; issues surrounding food security; agriculture and nutrition; and nutrition policies and resources. The unit is taught in two 2-day workshops, with the first workshop focusing on nutritional assessment and major nutrition-related public health problems in low- and middle-income countries, and the second workshop focusing on design and evaluation of interventions. On completion students should be able to recognise key nutritional problems facing low- and middle-income countries; have acquired knowledge and practical skills as to how these problems can be assessed; and gained insights into a number of different multi-sectoral approaches to address these problems.

Effective international health projects management contributes to the achievement of health and development in developing countries. The Unit aims to give students a good understanding of the concepts and key elements of project design and evaluation, and to demonstrate tools and techniques used in effective project management at different stages. A detailed step by step application of the Logical Framework Approach (LFA) in project design will be presented, including stakeholder analysis, problem and objective analysis, and the logframe matrix. The Unit also gives students an opportunity for hands-on practice through the design of a project in an international setting and allows them to consider the challenges and practical issues faced by people involved in international health project management. The key topic areas covered include: concepts and principles of international project management; context and situation analysis; the LFA for project design; project management functions including managing information, resources, risk, quality and change; and project monitoring and evaluation. At the end of the course, students should be able to: identify the key aspects of the LFA to project design; develop a project proposal in international settings; recognise challenges and practical issues faced by people involved in international health project management; and apply a systematic approach to project planning and management in international settings.

This unit explores the psychological dimensions of cultivating peace, by assisting individuals and communities to evolve emotional resilience and empathic capacities to minimise aggression, violence and war. For those already trapped in cycles of violence, we examine the psychological mechanisms of trauma, addiction and violence and how they can be transformed into healing and well-being.

The student will be given the opportunity to develop an intervention based on social cognitions models. The process can be followed from start to finish allowing the individual to utilise knowledge and skills gained in other units of study. It is an intended outcome for students enrolled in the MApplSc (HealthPsych) that students can demonstrate an understanding of the key models and theories in Health Psychology which are seen by many to be the foundations of the subject area. The aim of this unit of study is to allow students to identify an area of Health Psychology where an intervention would be appropriate, review existing literature on the topic, formulate the intervention, and evaluate the intervention on a pilot level.

This unit provides students with core skills in epidemiology, particularly the ability to critically appraise public health and clinical epidemiological research literature. This unit covers: study types; measures of frequency and association; measurement bias; confounding/effect modification; randomized trials; systematic reviews; screening and test evaluation; infectious disease outbreaks; measuring public health impact and use and interpretation of population health data. It is expected that students spend an additional 2-3 hours preparing for their tutorials.

This unit of study is taught online and face to face in alternate years [it is face to face in the odd numbered years eg. 2013, and online format in the even numbered years]. The aims and content of the unit are to develop skills in public health and health promotion program planning, evaluation and research. There is an emphasis on programs that address chronic disease prevention and health promotion, but other broad public health content areas will also be used as examples. The course goal is to understand program evaluation from a public health practice and research methodological perspective. The course will complement other courses in epidemiology or qualitative research methods, in bringing these together around assessing population-level program effects. The unit comprises five modules of work, including: principles of public health program (PHP) evaluation; research designs and methodological issues for PHP Evaluation; measurement issues in assessing public health programs; analysis and interpretation of PHP evaluation data, and research translation and dissemination. The work in this unit is divided into the five modules, and will include weekly student preparation and presentation of materials in both on-line and face-to-face formats. Students must have uninterrupted access to the internet [for on line] or be able to attend all interactive sessions [face to face format] in order to undertake the unit, as the course uses a sequential learning process to build evaluation skills and expertise.

This unit aims to provide students with an introduction to statistical concepts, their use and relevance in public health. This unit covers descriptive analyses to summarise and display data; concepts underlying statistical inference; basic statistical methods for the analysis of continuous and binary data; and statistical aspects of study design. Specific topics include: sampling; probability distributions; sampling distribution of the mean; confidence interval and significance tests for one-sample, two paired samples and two independent samples for continuous data and also binary data; correlation and simple linear regression; distribution-free methods for two paired samples, two independent samples and correlation; power and sample size estimation for simple studies; statistical aspects of study design and analysis. Students will be required to perform analyses using a calculator and will also be required to conduct analyses using statistical software (SPSS). It is expected that students spend an additional 2 hours per week preparing for their tutorials. Computing tasks are self-directed.

This unit aims to provide students with specific information on the concepts, methods and applications underpinning cancer prevention and control at population level. It is designed to address specific educational needs of students in various programs within the School of Public Health and to offer a broad-based perspective on cancer control, ranging from primary prevention, screening and early intervention, tertiary prevention and palliative care. Emphasis will be given to cancers with the greatest impact at population level and where evidence demonstrates that policies and interventions are capable of reducing cancer incidence, mortality, prolonging survival and improving quality of life. Although focusing on specific Australian conditions, the information will be presented in the context of regional cancer control efforts. At the completion of the unit, students will be equipped with the basic tools to design, plan, implement and evaluate cancer control programs in Australia or their own countries.

This course offers a broad-based integrated perspective on chronic disease prevention. The course reviews the epidemiology of selected chronic diseases with the highest impact at population level in Australia (cardiovascular diseases; cancer; chronic lung disease; diabetes and chronic renal disease). The information will focus on Australian settings, but presented within the context of a regional perspective of chronic disease prevention.
Teaching will focus on the interrelationships between the biological and epidemiological aspects of chronic diseases, the interplay between determinants of health and chronic disease, and the balance between high risk and population based strategies for reducing disease burden, and exploring their applicability to disease prevention. Students will be involved in evaluating the effectiveness of different prevention strategies and will examine the role of health policy in developing effective and sustainable chronic disease management programs in different settings (in Australia and the region).

This unit will build on introductory public health core units of study, and apply them to consideration of global obesity as a public health problem. The unit will develop students' skills in national level, international and global approaches to obesity monitoring, prevention programs and policies, extending research methods, critical appraisal skills, introductory health promotion and disease prevention in MPH. Students will develop an understanding of surveillance systems to monitor obesity, and develop skills in evidence based obesity prevention interventions in diverse social, cultural and community contexts. The course will include discussions of policies and international approaches to obesity prevention, as part of global non-communicable disease prevention and control.

This course will build on introductory public health core units of study and apply them to an examination of physical activity and public health. The epidemiological and other evidence for health and social benefits and reasons for activity will be considered, as well as evidence-based strategies and settings for increasing physical activity at the population level. The course will consider the differences between local level 'exercise programs' and large scale public efforts, and develop an understanding of policy and advocacy as applied to physical activity promotion.

This unit focuses on mass-reach public health campaigns used to promote health and prevent disease. Building on introductory Masters of Public Health units of study in health promotion/disease prevention [or equivalent], this unit describes the rationale for mass-media led campaigns, social marketing interventions, and how they fit into a comprehensive approach to population health promotion and chronic disease prevention. The major themes covered are the principles of mass-reach communications in public health; designing campaigns [formative evaluation]; developing public health campaigns as part of comprehensive health promotion; understanding the messages, branding and marketing of campaigns; process and impact evaluation of campaigns; the differences between campaigns and social marketing initiatives; and the role of ancillary and supportive health promotion strategies, including media placement and advocacy. The Unit will equip students with skills to plan, design, implement and evaluate public health campaigns.

The aim of this unit is to systematically complete a self-directed project in one of the main content areas of the course. Students should contact an academic staff member associated with the area of their project and negotiate the details of the project design and the method and frequency of contact with the supervisor during the project.

The aim of this unit is to systematically complete a self-directed project in one of the main content areas of the course. Students should contact an academic staff member associated with the area of their project and negotiate the details of the project design and the method and frequency of contact with the supervisor during the project.

The unit will explore the major categories of environmental health hazards including air quality, water quality, food safety, chemical hazards (eg contaminated sites), physical hazards (eg noise and radiation), and microbiological hazards (eg Legionnaires' disease). Regional and global issues of sustainability, climate change and land use planning will also be covered. The unit aims to develop an understanding of environmental health hazard identification and risk assessment, as well as the principles of hazard regulation and control. The disciplines of epidemiology, toxicology and ecology will be used to characterise risks associated with environmental hazards and determine risk management options and risk communication strategies. Students completing this unit will appreciate the multi-disciplinary nature of environmental health issues and the need to work closely with commonwealth and state health and environment agencies as well as other government agencies including local government.

This unit aims to assist students in developing an evidence-based understanding of the epidemiology of alcohol and drug use and its impact on health, and the effectiveness of methods for prevention and management of related problems. This fuller drug and alcohol elective covers all the content of PUBH5115 and goes on to assist the student to develop more advanced skills in research and in management of clinical services in relation to alcohol and drug use disorders, and to examine the needs of special populations.

This unit aims to assist students in developing an evidence-based understanding of the epidemiology of alcohol and drug use and its impact on health, and the effectiveness of methods for the prevention and management of related problems.

This fully online unit aims to provide students with an understanding of the burden of communicable diseases of public health significance in Australia, as well as the biology, epidemiology and surveillance for and control of those communicable diseases. By the end of this unit, the student will have the theoretical background to take up a position as a member of a Communicable Diseases section of a Commonwealth or State Health Department or Public Health Unit. It is expected that the students undertake an extra hour per week of reading, research and preparation for discussion.

Despite the many positive political, social and legal advances that have taken place in Australian society, it is impossible to ignore the fact after more than 200 years of colonisation, the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous health outcome continues to be unacceptably wide. Using a health promotion framework, the unit will provide students with an opportunity to increase their understanding of the history and culture of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. It is hoped that students will utilise this understanding to develop more congenial and productive relations with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the community, and within the spheres of their chosen professions. During the unit students are encouraged to examine factors that determine health, to analyse the major factors that influence Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health outcomes, and the relationship between these factors. The course will provide opportunities to discuss and identify strategies to address the health disparities between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and other Australians.

This unit examines quantitative approaches to public health and clinical decision-making. Topics of study include: decision trees and health related utility assessment; incorporating diagnostic information in decision making; sensitivity and threshold analysis; and application of decision analysis to economic evaluation. Sessions 3-4 include a practical component using decision analysis software. Exercises are set at the end of most sessions and are reviewed at the start of the following session. Readings are also set after most sessions. Preparation time for each session is 1-2 hours. An assessment quiz is held during the fifth session followed by a computing practical.

This unit introduces the principles underpinning the design and conduct of high quality clinical trials to generate good evidence for health care decision making. The topics include clinical trial design, randomization, sample size, measures of treatment effect, methodological issues, trial protocols, and ethical principles. The unit is delivered over 2 full days via formal lectures followed by practical sessions. Lecture notes will be provided.

This unit is designed to further develop concepts covered in the Epidemiological Methods Unit for those students seeking more detail on screening and diagnostic tests. It will cover a wider range of topics than clinical medicine alone. At the end of this unit, participants should be able to: 1. Understand the basic concepts of screening and diagnostic tests 2. Understand the sources of biases in diagnostic test evaluations 3. Critically appraise relevant articles on screening and diagnostic tests 4. Understand the principles and current approaches to population-based screening 5. Translation of current evidence of screening in clinical practice The unit is based on weekly discussion of material provided in the unit workbook, session outlines and pre-reading. Students will be encouraged to contribute examples for discussion. This unit is offered in online/distance mode primarily. Face-to-face tutorials may also be offered.

This unit covers simple and multiple linear regression; one-way analysis of variance to compare more than 2 groups; analysis of covariance to compare groups adjusting for confounders; testing for effect modification; calculating adjusted means; strategies for selecting the 'best' regression model; examination of residuals; regression to the mean; associated SAS programming. Each topic is covered by a 1 hour statistics lecture, a 1 hour SAS lecture, a 1 hour SAS practical and a 1 hour statistics tutorial to discuss the interpretation of the results. Each fortnight there is an exercise on the material covered in the statistics lecture. The SAS practical allows the necessary computing to answer the questions for the statistics tutorial the following week. The assignments will involve practical analysis and interpretation of a data set and between 10% and 20% of the marks for each assignment are for the SAS computing program.

In this unit the biostatistical concepts covered in earlier units are extended to cover analysis of epidemiological studies where the outcome variable is categorical. Topics of study include: testing for trend in a 2 x r contingency table; the Mantel-Haenszel test for the combination of several 2 x 2 tables, with estimation of the combined odds ratio and confidence limits; multiple logistic regression; Poisson regression; modelling strategy. The assignments will involve practical analysis and interpretation of categorical data. Data analyses will be conducted using statistical software (SAS).

During this unit, students learn to analyse data from studies in which individuals are followed up until a particular event occurs, e.g. death, cure, relapse, making use of follow-up data also for those who do not experience the event. This unit covers: Kaplan-Meier life tables; logrank test to compare two or more groups; Cox's proportional hazards regression model; checking the proportional hazards assumption; sample size calculations for survival studies. For each topic participants are given some material to read beforehand. This is followed by a lecture, then participants are given one or two exercises to do for the following week. These exercises are discussed in the tutorial at the next session before moving on to the next topic. That is, in most weeks the first hour is a tutorial and the lecture is given in the second hour. Participants are expected to run SAS programs in their own time. Preparation time for each session is 2-3 hours. The assignments both involve use of SAS to analyse a set of survival data.

This unit introduces the topic of linked health data analysis. It will usually run in late June and late November. The topic is a very specialised one and will not be relevant to most MPH students. The modular structure of the unit provides students with a theoretical grounding in the classroom on each topic, followed by hands-on practical exercises in the computing lab using de-identified linked NSW data files. The computing component assumes a basic familiarity with SAS computing syntax and methods of basic statistical analysis of fixed-format data files. Contents include: an overview of the theory of data linkage methods and features of comprehensive data linkage systems, sufficient to know the sources and limitations of linked health data sets; design of linked data studies using epidemiological principles;construction of numerators and denominators used for the analysis of disease trends and health care utilisation and outcomes; assessment of the accuracy and reliability of data sources; data linkage checking and quality assurance of the study process; basic statistical analyses of linked longitudinal health data; manipulation of large linked data files; writing syntax to prepare linked data files for analysis, derive exposure and outcome variables, relate numerators and denominators and produce results from statistical procedures at an introductory to intermediate level.The main assignment involves the analysis of NSW linked data, which can be done only in the School of Public Health Computer Lab, and is due 10 days after the end of the unit

This unit of study is intended for students who have completed Epidemiology Methods and Uses (or an equivalent unit of study) at a credit or higher level. It is designed to provide students with an opportunity to consolidate critical appraisal skills, to acquire the practical knowledge and skills needed to design epidemiological research, and to extend students' theoretical knowledge of epidemiology beyond basic principles.

This unit aims to develop students' knowledge and skills of economic evaluation as an aid to priority setting in health care. This unit covers: principles of economic evaluation; critical appraisal guidelines; measuring and valuing benefits; methods of costing; modeling in economic evaluation. The workshops consist of interactive lectures, class exercises and case history analyses.

The aims of this unit are to provide students with an understanding of the concepts, application and analytical techniques of more advanced methods of health economic evaluation and with practical working knowledge of how to conduct economic evaluations using stochastic and deterministic data. This unit will focus on students developing the hands-on skills of conducting economic evaluations, included detailed practical instruction in the use of decision analytic software such as TreeAge and Excel. The format will be in face to face workshops with lectures followed by computer based exercises directly relating to the lectures. The broad topic areas covered are: 1) analysis of health outcomes including survival and quality of life measures 2) analysis of costs 3) economic modeling, including conduct of sensitivity analyses (one way, multi-way and probabilistic sensitivity analysis) and 4) presenting and interpreting results of cost effectiveness analyses.

The unit will examine the major components of health workforce planning in Australia. The Australia health workforce context will be considered (including total workforce size, payment mechanisms and employment arrangements) and the processes by which health workforce planning is influenced through government policy and workforce data translated and integrated with policy and planning explored. The framework for future labour force planning will be discussed. Current health workforce issues such as adequacy of the workforce, ageing of the workforce, the distribution of the workforce, professional registration, and special needs communities will be addressed. Approaches to planning for an adequate workforce and evaluating the quality of evidence on models of care will be examined including practical examples.

Translational Health introduces the main existing translational methods and models in healthcare, most of which focus on 'knowledge translation' and 'bringing evidence into practice', i.e. on moving results from the basic sciences through clinical and public health science and guidelines into clinical and public health decision and policy making. Most of these models diagnose the problem of 'loss in translation' in terms of institutional and professional barriers and blocks along the translation pathways. While acknowledging these, Translational Health focuses on the modelling method - the 'language' and 'vocabulary' - most likely to perform the translation task effectively in relation to patient-centered practice. The technique underlying the method is Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (in contrast to conventional Decision Analysis) and the template for its practical implementation is the Annalisa 2.0+ software. It is shown how high quality clinical and public health decision making needs to be based on 'values translation' as well as 'knowledge translation'. And how the approach can facilitate the desirable 'backwards translation' to ensure research is practice-relevant in both content and format. Students choose from a set of topics within which to pursue the principles, follow empirical examples and develop their own analyses in a practicum.

This unit aims to familiarise students with the strategies of public health advocacy and to provide skills in content and discourse analysis of media coverage of health and medical issues. This unit covers the role of media advocacy in advancing public health policy; framing public health issues; news gathering, reporting and editing; strategies for media advocacy; political lobbying in public health advocacy. Teaching and learning activities include interactive lectures, case studies and small group work. Students will be expected to prepare for the sessions. Requirements will be distributed prior to the first day.

This unit aims to provide students with a clear understanding of the magnitude of the injury burden, both in higher and lower income countries, and the strategies that are required to address this burden. This unit will cover: injury definitions, measurement and surveillance; risk factor identification; intervention strategies and their evaluation; advocacy; cause-specific injury topics. During the 2 day workshop, guest speakers will outline issues relevant to the general injury prevention field and students will participate in interactive small group work which will focus on issues relevant to cause-specific injuries, in collaboration with guest contributors.

The aim of this unit is to provide students with an understanding of immunisation principles, the impact of vaccination on the epidemiology of vaccine preventable diseases (VPDs), how to assess the need for new vaccines and how to implement and monitor a new vaccination program. This unit covers the history and impact of vaccination; basic immunological principles of immunisation; surveillance of diseases, vaccination coverage, vaccine effectiveness and adverse events; vaccine scares; risk communication; immunisation in the developing country context; assessing disease burden and new vaccines. Learning activities include short online preparatory lectures and a workshop with interactive lectures and small group case studies.

This one-semester online unit teaches students about the principles of injury epidemiology, prevention and control. It provides a basis for the assessment and investigation of injury issues and the development, implementation and evaluation of injury prevention programs. The unit will cover: injury measurement and classification (descriptive methods); risk factor identification (analytic methods); evidence-based interventions for injury prevention; priority setting in injury control; injury prevention policy; strategies in injury control; implementing strategies in injury control; program evaluation in injury prevention; injury and Indigenous Australians and an international perspective on injury. During this unit, students will: gain an understanding of the epidemiology of injury, including the burden of injury, injury surveillance, methods for estimating the frequency and severity of injury, and methods for identifying risk factors; gain an understanding of the theories underpinning injury prevention and illustrate their application; develop an appreciation of the process of priority setting in injury, the design and implementation of injury prevention interventions, and the principles and conduct of evaluations.

The unit consists of learning topics, each of which is supported by extensive Web based resources, and 4 moderated online discussion forums, each focusing on a problem related to tobacco use and control. Lecture topics include: history of tobacco use and control; the burden of illness from tobacco use; secondhand smoke: the research evidence; measuring tobacco use, uptake and cessation in communities; international trends in tobacco consumption; the tobacco industry; the WHO's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control and new forms of tobacco advertising and promotion. Problem focused discussion forums include: Harm reduction and tobacco control, regulation of tobacco, improving and implementing pack warnings; promoting smoking cessation, prevention of uptake (youth programs); denormalisation of the tobacco industry; controlling advertising; and controlling exposure to tobacco smoke, making news on tobacco and influencing political policy on tobacco.

This fully online unit aims to teach students about the principles of falls prevention in the older person with an emphasis on the application of these principles in the field. This unit will focus on risk factors for falls and the development, implementation and evaluation of fall prevention programs. Students will learn about and discuss research methods for the understanding of, prediction of, and prevention of falls, critically evaluate journal articles, and discuss the development of fall prevention programs using case studies.

This unit builds on content from Public Health Advocacy PUBH5414. Students will have the opportunity to critique and analyse case studies from a variety of both successful and unsuccessful public health advocacy examples. There will be an emphasis on how online environments and social media tools are contributing to public health advocacy debates and campaigns. Recent examples of how online media have influenced health policy and programming will be presented. Students will examine and prepare writing for online media such as news, blogs, and social media. The lectures will include guest speakers from non-government organisations, government and other experienced stakeholders from across the public heath sector.

This unit will provide students with an understanding of the individual and societal risks of healthcare-associated infections (HAI) and the rationale for, and barriers to, their prevention and control (PC). A basic understanding of medical microbiology and communicable disease epidemiology will be assumed. The unit will cover such important concepts as: ethical and economic implications; psychological, behavioural, cultural and professional influences; the varying roles, responsibilities and perspectives of clinicians, health support staff, administrators, patients and the community; potential uses and implications of new technology (such as information and decision support systems, electronic medical records and highly discriminatory microbial strain typing, including whole genome sequencing) in HAI surveillance. The course will also address the rationales and strategies for implementation of HAI-related policies, such as hand hygiene, aseptic technique and antimicrobial stewardship, and some reasons for and consequences of failure to implement them, for individual patients, the health system and the community.

This unit of study provides a comprehensive introduction to qualitative inquiry in health. It is designed for beginners and people who want an advanced-level introduction. Workshop One will address: What is qualitative research? How is it different from quantitative research? What is its history? What research questions can it answer? How can I search for qualitative literature? How do I design a qualitative study? You will learn about interviewing, focus groups and observation; participate in a focus group; and design and conduct your own interview. Workshop Two addresses: How do you analyse qualitative data? Is methodology different to method? What are ontology and epistemology? What is reflexivity (and aren't qualitative researchers biased)? What are the ethical issues? How are methodologies and theories used in qualitative research? What is good quality qualitative research? Can I generalise qualitative findings? You will analyse your own interview data; and learn how to make arguments for qualitative research in health. In both workshops you will meet working qualitative researchers and hear about their projects. This advanced Unit will show you a new way of thinking critically about research and researching, and give you the skills and confidence to begin evaluating and doing qualitative research for yourself.

An introduction to qualitative inquiry in health, QUAL5005 is perfect if you're a beginner and want to gain an overview of this research approach. Workshop One addresses: What is qualitative research? How is it different from quantitative research? What is its history? What research questions can it answer? How can I search for qualitative literature? How do I design a qualitative study? You will learn about interviewing, focus groups and observation; participate in a focus group; and design and conduct your own interview. Workshop Two addresses: How do you analyse qualitative data? How are theories used in qualitative research? What is good quality qualitative research? Can I generalise qualitative findings? You will analyse your own interview data; and learn how to make arguments for qualitative research in health. In both workshops you will meet working qualitative researchers and hear about their projects. This introductory Unit will give you the skills and confidence to begin evaluating and doing qualitative research for yourself.

This unit will explore determinants of sexuality from a societal perspective, with particular reference to their potential impacts on public health. It is available in both online and face-to-face modes. Social science theories of sexuality will be considered, and cross-cultural and historical accounts of sexual practices will be reviewed. Particular emphasis will be placed on the impact of diversity, culture, society, environment, life experiences, personal beliefs and health on sexual activity and potential Public Health impacts such as the spread of STIs & HIV. Course content will include diversity; adolescence sexual development; sex education; sexual assault, gender; sexual orientation and sexual behaviour.

This unit aims to provide a public health perspective of the community impact of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). It is available in both online and face to face modes. At the end of this unit, students will be able to understand the underlying principles of the surveillance systems used to monitor STIs; the core risk activity groups involved in the transmission of STIs; how the epidemiologies of STIs vary within and between societies; the public health impacts of STIs; and effective preventative strategies at individual and community levels. Course content will include an introduction to the basic biology of STIs; epidemiology and surveillance methods; STI service delivery considerations; STI/HIV interactions, impact of vulnerable at-risk populations; health promotion for STIs; policy approaches and ethical & legal issues.

This unit aims to provide a public health perspective of the impact of HIV infection. It is available in both online and face to face modes. At the end of this unit, students will be able to understand the underlying principles of the surveillance systems used to monitor HIV infection; the core risk activity groups involved in the transmission of HIV; how the epidemiology of HIV infection varies within and between societies; the public health impacts of HIV infection; and effective prevention strategies. Course content will include an introduction to the basic science of HIV infection; epidemiology and surveillance; sexual blood borne and mother to child transmission; STI/HIV interactions; other methods of transmission; health promotion for HIV; government perspectives and ethical and legal issues.

This unit aims to introduce the constructs of adolescent sexuality, explore the determinants of adolescent sexual health and to discuss the personal and public health implications of adolescent sexuality, with additional emphasis on a deeper exploration of an area of adolescent sexual health that is of particular interest to the student.
At the end of this unit of study, students will be able to describe the biological, developmental and socio-cultural contexts of adolescent sexual health as well as the constructs, challenges and diversities of adolescent sexuality. They will learn techniques used to optimize communication with adolescents and explore legal, ethical and public health implications of adolescent sexuality. They will also understand and describe one area of adolescent sexual health that the student chooses to study in depth from a list of suggestions.
The course is taught fully online using a range of assessments including group discussion, short answer questions and discussions based on case scenarios. It is divided into 6 modules: adolescent sexuality, adolescent sexual health, reproductive health issues in adolescence, diversity, legal and ethical issues and sexual health promotion.