Course Orientation

Introduction

How do you define health?

Think for a minute about how you define health. What makes a person healthy? The first things that often come to mind are the absence of disease or making good personal choices to maintain health. The choices people make, whether they smoke, eat enough fruits and vegetables, or are physically active, all impact health and disease. Other determinants, such as the first three years of a person’s life, their mental well-being, and their support systems also impact health. Have you considered how health status inequities, such as access to doctors or the amount of minimum wage, can affect health? The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as, “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” How you experience health will differ from anyone else and will change as you age. Throughout life, good health affects how you deal with problems like unemployment, relationship trouble, or the loss of someone you love. This course will help you make the link between the determinants of health and how to build resilience in yourself, the people around you, and the community where you live.

Health Studies 201: Introduction to Human Health uses the Public Health Agency of Canada’s determinants of health to explore the definition of health.

• income and social status
• social support networks
• education and literacy
• employment and working conditions
• social environments
• physical environments
• personal health practices and coping skills
• healthy child development
• biology and genetic endowment
• health services
• gender
• cultural background

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, you should be able to

1. assess and discuss how the determinants of health impact health status.
2. define and understand each determinant of health and apply this knowledge to personal life circumstances.
3. discuss the implications determinants of health have on the health of communities.
4. review a public health intervention, identify the determinants it addresses, and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of this program.

Course Materials

All the materials you need to complete this course successfully are online. The Course Orientation and Study Guide will direct your progress through HLST 201. There is no textbook; instead, links to the material you are required to read are included in each unit.

Forms

The forms you may require are available through the myAU portal.

Course Structure

HLST 201 consists of 12 units and four assignments.

Units

Unit 1: Introduction to the Determinants of Health

Unit 2: Income and Social Status

Unit 3: Social Support Networks and Social Environments

Unit 4: Education and Literacy

Unit 5: Employment and Working Conditions

Unit 6: Physical Environments

Unit 7: Personal Health Practices and Coping Skills

Unit 8: Healthy Child Development

Unit 9: Biology and Genetic Endowment

Unit 10: Health Services

Unit 11: Gender

Unit 12: Culture

Assignments

• Assignment 1, on quality of life, income, and social support, covers Units 1–3.
• Assignment 2, on education and literacy, employment and working conditions, and social and physical environments, covers Units 4–6.
• Assignment 3, on personal health practices and coping skills, healthy child development, and biology and genetic endowment, covers Units 7–9.
• Assignment 4, Health services, gender, culture, and intervention, covers Units 10–12.

Learning Process

Begin each Study Guide unit by reading its Objectives. They outline what you should be able to achieve by the time you have completed the unit. Do the Introduction activities next to get warmed up. Next, read the Key Terms that you are expected to learn before moving on to the next unit. Then carry out the Learning Activities (readings, YouTube videos, or other presentations), which may be followed by questions to vote on, answer in a survey, or in your learning journal. Answer the questions in the order they appear, as some relate to the earlier ones.

Next, do the part of the assignment found in that unit. Note that you are to submit assignments only after completing all their parts.

Study Schedule

HLST 201 has been designed as a self-paced course to be completed within six months. Students who approach their studies in a systematic and organized manner are more likely to complete the course successfully than those who do not. This suggested study schedule is intended to assist you in budgeting your time and monitoring your progress. You should expect to spend approximately six hours per week in completing all of the work required for this course.

Assessment Overview

The assessment structure for HLST 201 is based on the following course activities, with the percentage weighting of each as indicated. Your final grade for the course will be a composite mark based on your performance on them all.

Marking Criteria

Your assignments will be evaluated on the basis of how well they meet the following criteria.

1. Is the content of the assignment complete and accurate?
2. Is the writing style scholarly, to a level expected of an undergraduate program?

The expectations for content are explained in detail in each of the assignment instructions. Your mark will be based on how completely and accurately you address the requirements of the assignment.

The expectations for scholarly writing are as follows.

• The assignment is structured according to APA format, with a title page, body organized by appropriate headings, references, and appendices if needed (see below for more information on APA format).
• Spelling and grammar are correct.
• Ideas are clearly articulated with effective communication of interpretations and conclusions.
• Information is well organized, each question is clearly answered, and logical links are evident between surveys and short answer questions.
• Relevant evidence is used to support statements and is accurately cited and referenced (see below for more information on adequate referencing).
• The assignments shows evidence of:
  • critical thinking, including analysis and synthesis
  • integration of theory and personal experiences
  • original thinking

The criteria above for scholarly writing indicate that you are required to support statements with relevant evidence. Referring to evidence shows that you understand what authorities have said about the topic; you will then build on that information to develop your own thoughts and analysis. In order to use evidence to a level expected of an undergraduate program, you are required to analyze material from various perspectives and incorporate it into personal reflections and recommendations for improvements.

There is no definitive answer about how many and what types of sources of evidence must be synthesized and integrated into your assignment. However, to determine if you are referring to adequate evidence, and to avoid plagiarism (a form of intellectual dishonesty in which another person's work is presented as one’s own), ask yourself the following questions.

• Have I supported each of the major points in my answers with relevant evidence or have I put forward only personal opinions that are not substantiated with evidence?
• Have I used a variety of sources that present different perspectives of the evidence to support my position?
• Have I used evidence that is current and relevant to the discussion? If a source is not current, then is it a “classic” source that is still referred to by authorities in the field?
• Have I used sources included in the course as well as other sources that allow me to personalize the assignment?

Your academic expert will consider these same questions to evaluate the adequacy of the evidence used to support your statements.

Please read the Student Manual sections on Academic Integrity and Intellectual Ownership and Honesty, plus the Student Code of Conduct and Right to Appeals Regulations.

APA Format

All written assignments must be completed according to the format described in the current edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association.
Information about the citation styles of the American Psychological Association is available at APA Style.org.

Grade Scale

The following scale will be used in evaluating your assignments.

You can read more about the Grading System in the Undergraduate Grading Policy.