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About Study Course

Department: Department of Public Health and Epidemiology
Credit points / ECTS:2 / 3
Course supervisor:Aija Bukova-Žideļūna
Study type:Part time, Full time
Course level:Bachelor
Target audience:Medical Services
Language:Latvian
Branch of science:Clinical Medicine

Objective

To provide knowledge about the basic issues of the public health sector and to learn the ideas, basic concepts and methods used in epidemiology in studying and solving health problems.

Prerequisites

Basic knowledge in normal and pathological physiology, biochemistry and mathematical statistics.

Learning outcomes

Knowledge

• Will define the concept of health and name the main categories of factors affecting health. • Will name the determinants of social health. • Will formulate the tasks of public health as science and practice. • Will define the levels of disease prevention and the basic functions of health promotion. • Will name the main principles of health care organisation and financing. • Will describe the basic concepts of modern epidemiology and application thereof in health sciences. • Will explain the concept of evidence-based health care. • Will explain the principles of prevalence and incidence calculation. • Will formulate basic demographic indicators. • Will define the basic principles of disease screening. • Will name the accuracy and performance indicators of diagnostic tests. • Will describe the types and sources of health information. • Will name research designs used in epidemiology, their characteristics, advantages and disadvantages. • Will define and explain association indicators used in epidemiology.

Skills

• Will name examples of factors affecting health in the specialty of nutrition. • Will describe examples of disease prevention and health promotion within one’s specialty. • Will calculate basic indicators of frequency of health events and conditions. • Will calculate basic demographic indicators. • Will differentiate between common, specific and standardised indicators. • Will calculate the accuracy and performance indicators of diagnostic tests. • Will differentiate and compare different sources of health information. • Will differentiate the types of epidemiological studies according to their design. • Will calculate association indicators used in epidemiology.

Competence

• Will interpret the concept of health and factors affecting health in the specialty of nutrition. • Will substantiate the importance of health promotion and prevention in the specialty of nutrition. • Will apply the indicators of health event frequency and demographic indicators in health problem research. • Will critically evaluate health information depending on the data sources. • Will compare research results depending on the design of epidemiological studies and association indicators measured.

Study course planning

Planning period:Year 2024, Autumn semester
Study programmeStudy semesterProgram levelStudy course categoryLecturersSchedule
Nutrition, RFU3Bachelor’sRequired
Nutrition, RFUN5Bachelor’sRequired