Overview

This unit provides students with the Australian physical activity and sedentary behaviour guidelines and contemporary methods for the measurement of physical activity and sedentary behaviour across the lifespan from a social ecological perspective. Students will examine how sensors, wearables, apps and other digital technology can be implemented in population and community-level interventions for specific groups and evaluate the reliability and validity of diverse measurement devices.

Requisites

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:

  • Examine the relationship between physical activity, sedentary behaviour and psychological and physiological health in the prevention and management of lifestyle-related chronic diseases
  • Use contemporary tools to undertake and critique the measurement of physical activity and sedentary behaviour across the lifespan in relation to the guidelines
  • Identify populations at risk of insufficient physical activity or sedentary behaviour, and assess population characteristics and needs, including the social determinants of health, to inform the development of appropriate interventions
  • Describe in detail prevention programs and the underlying policy at the public health, primary, secondary and tertiary levels and apply this knowledge to the planning, organisation and evaluation of population and community-level interventions to increase physical activity levels and reduce sedentary behaviour for specific populations or sub-populations and settings

Teaching methods

Hawthorn

Activity Type Activity Total Hours Number of Weeks Hours Per Week Venue Type and Activity Detail
Online Lecture 12 12 weeks 1 Asynchronous lecture
On-campus Class 24 12 weeks 2 Exercise Science laboratory
Specified Activities Group Meetings 60 12 weeks 5 Lectures, Videos, Reading reports, Group work including study/reading
Unspecified Activities Independent Learning 54 12 weeks 4.5 Independent study, Assignment preparation, Revision
Total Hours: 150 Total Hours (per week): 12.5  

Assessment

Type Task Weighting ULO's
AssignmentIndividual/Group 30% 1,2,3,4 
AssignmentIndividual 30% 2 
ExaminationIndividual 40% 1,2,3,4 

Content

  • Evaluation of contemporary physical activity measurement tools
  • Current guidelines for physical activity and sedentary behaviour
  • Determinants and correlates of physical activity, sedentary behaviour and health
  • Social-ecological perspective of physical activity and sedentary behaviour across the lifespan
  • Physical activity interventions for the prevention and treatment of chronic disease
  • The role of technology in the promotion of physical activity and reduction of sedentary behaviour at an individual and population level
  • Presentation of information in different formats
  • Working collaboratively
  • 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
  • Graduate Attribute – Digital Literacies: Technical literacy

Study resources

Reading materials

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