London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

This module will cover biological and epidemiological foundations for major non-communicable diseases. It will also provide students with an in-depth knowledge of the current evidence base relating nutrition to common chronic diseases and to assess the policy options for addressing these diseases. To develop skills of critique and interpretation through the specific perspective of nutritional epidemiology and its implications for study design.

The overall module aims are to: 

• Understand the key food systems and diets related risk factors to chronic diseases.
• Assess nutrition-related risk factors as they relate to mechanisms, epidemiology and systems.
• Identify, summarise and interpret a range of evidence to determine the potential priority actions in a range of contexts.

Intended learning outcomes

Upon successful completion of the module, a student will be able to:

1. Demonstrate a systematic understanding of the relationship between nutrition and chronic disease and the likely mechanisms involved.
2. Assess the strengths and weaknesses of epidemiological methods available to assess nutrition-disease relationships.
3. Critically evaluate the validity of consensus views of common nutrition-related chronic diseases through the appraisal of the epidemiological evidence.
4. Critically evaluate strategies to prevent nutrition-related chronic diseases and the evidence-base required to implement policy.
5. Effectively communicate evidence underpinning policies/policy recommendations to address nutrition-related chronic diseases to a non-specialist audience.

Session Content

The module is expected to include sessions addressing the following topics:

• A detailed introduction to the principles of nutritional epidemiology, including key tools such in the measurement of dietary intake.
• A thorough discussion of the evidence base linking nutrition to major chronic diseases – cardiovascular disease, cancer, obesity, diabetes and bone health – involving talks from experts and student-led group work.
• An exploration of nutrition-health policy issues in relation to NCDs, including how evidence is translated into policy.
• Sessions on topics including genetics, physical activity and nutrition of the elderly.
• Throughout the module examples are taken from a variety of settings and the themes of the food system changes, nutrition transition and globalisation are emphasised

Mode of delivery

This module is delivered predominantly face-to-face. Where specific teaching methods (lectures, seminars, discussion groups) are noted in this module specification these will be delivered by predominantly face-to-face sessions. There will be a combination of live and interactive activities (synchronous learning) as well as self-directed study (asynchronous learning).

Assessment

Students will deliver a policy brief to a policy maker, including a reflective piece on feedback from formative presentation. The student will be given 4 choices out of which they have to choose one for their report, and it will be 2200-2600 words. As part of this assessment process, students will also deliver a short 3-minute oral presentation outlining their proposed policy brief. This in-person presentation will be formatively assessed, and students will receive feedback from staff and peers to support the development of their final submission. Students will then be required to include a 300-word reflective statement describing how they engaged with and responded to this feedback to improve their policy brief. 

The reflective statement will contribute 10% of the overall assessment mark, with the remaining 90% awarded for the policy brief itself.

Credits

• CATS: 15
• ECTS: 7.5

Module specification

For full information regarding this module please see the module specification.