Overview

This unit will explore contemporary public nutrition issues and critique current policies, frameworks and initiatives related to these. Students will develop practical skills related to public health nutrition practice including: advocacy skills through critical appraisal of current public health nutrition issues; planning, development and evaluation of public health nutrition initiatives; and appraisal and use of digital technologies in public health practice.

Requisites

Prerequisites
HEP20002 Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
NTR20002 Nutrition in the Life Course

Rules

Pre-requisite
HEP20002 Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
OR
NTR20002 Nutrition in the Life Course

Teaching periods
Location
Start and end dates
Last self-enrolment date
Census date
Last withdraw without fail date
Results released date
Semester 2
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
04-August-2025
02-November-2025
Last self-enrolment date
17-August-2025
Census date
31-August-2025
Last withdraw without fail date
19-September-2025
Results released date
09-December-2025

Learning outcomes

Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:

  • Appraise key public health nutrition issues in Australia, and the policy frameworks and initiatives that address these
  • Apply processes of public health advocacy and frameworks, with supporting evidence, to a current public health nutrition issue
  • Investigate and communicate information about public health nutrition initiatives, programs and policy using a variety of digital technology
  • Apply health promotion principles including the socioecological model of health and systems-based approaches to understanding and managing Australian public food and nutrition issues
  • Clearly articulate a stance on a public health nutrition issue in a professional manner whilst acknowledging gaps and limitations in current knowledge
  • Apply program planning principles and evidence to the design and development of public health nutrition initiatives to address a public health nutrition issue

Teaching methods

Hawthorn

Type Hours per week Number of weeks Total (number of hours)
Live Online
Lecture		2.00 12 weeks 24
On-campus
Class		1.00 12 weeks 12
Specified Activities
Various		5.00 12 weeks 60
Unspecified Activities
Various		4.50 12 weeks 54
TOTAL150

Assessment

Type Task Weighting ULO's
AssignmentIndividual 30% 1,2,4,5 
AssignmentIndividual 35% 1,4,6 
PresentationIndividual/Group 35% 1,2,3,4,5 

Content

  • Factors affecting food choices and attitudes to food and health.
  • Nutrition problems in Australian communities and in developing countries
  • Health promotion strategies and implementation of health promotion initiatives
  • Nutrition program development and management
  • Indigenous health and equity for diverse communities
  • Health policy in Australia
  • Food supply, policy, and sustainability
  • Graduate Attribute – Communication Skills: Verbal communication
  • Graduate Attribute – Communication Skills: Communicating using different media
  • Graduate Attribute – Teamwork Skills: Collaboration and negotiation
  • Graduate Attribute – Teamwork Skills: Teamwork roles and processes
  • Graduate Attribute – Digital Literacies: Information literacy

Study resources

Reading materials

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