This unit provides an introduction to public health nutrition and considers the settings and roles of public health nutritionists. It covers the theory of behaviour change and a range of strategies to achieve change, improve health and reduce diet-related disease at the population and community level. It explores nutrition policy and the efficacy of interventions and strategies used in the community and public health sector to address nutrition-related issues. This unit prepares students for working in a community environment, health promotion or public health setting. The processes involved in planning, implementing and evaluating nutrition-related health promotion projects are considered and critically appraised. Students then translate this theory into an applied practical group project developing a nutrition intervention/promotion project with accompanying resources that focus on groups in the Australian community who are at nutritional risk.

Learning outcomes

On completion of this unit, student will be able to:
1. Understand the socio-ecological approach to the development of strategies to improve nutrition and health and recognise the multi-factorial and interconnected determinants influencing nutrition policy in Australia and internationally;
2. Plan and conduct a needs assessment for a proposed community or public health nutrition health promotion program using systematic methodology in searching, evaluating and interpreting findings from food, nutrition, dietetic, social, behavioural and education sciences into dietetic practice;
3. Develop a community or public health nutrition program using evidence based planning, implementation and evaluation methods and apply best practice approaches in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health care, valuing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ways of knowing, being and doing;
4. Collect, quality-manage and analyse quantitative research data and translate the implications of research findings for dietetic practice into practical messaging that can be easily understood and used by clients, other professionals, key stakeholders, partners, and members of the public; and
5. Learn and practice how to participate in collaborative decision-making, shared responsibility, and shared vision within teams at multiple levels by demonstrating empathy to create effective partnerships.

Graduate attributes

1. UC graduates are professional - communicate effectively
1. UC graduates are professional - display initiative and drive, and use their organisation skills to plan and manage their workload
1. UC graduates are professional - employ up-to-date and relevant knowledge and skills
1. UC graduates are professional - take pride in their professional and personal integrity
1. UC graduates are professional - use creativity, critical thinking, analysis and research skills to solve theoretical and real-world problems
1. UC graduates are professional - work collaboratively as part of a team, negotiate, and resolve conflict
2. UC graduates are global citizens - behave ethically and sustainably in their professional and personal lives
2. UC graduates are global citizens - communicate effectively in diverse cultural and social settings
2. UC graduates are global citizens - make creative use of technology in their learning and professional lives
2. UC graduates are global citizens - think globally about issues in their profession
2. UC graduates are global citizens - understand issues in their profession from the perspective of other cultures
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - adapt to complexity, ambiguity and change by being flexible and keen to engage with new ideas
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - reflect on their own practice, updating and adapting their knowledge and skills for continual professional and academic development
4. UC graduates are able to demonstrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ways of knowing, being and doing - apply their knowledge to working with Indigenous Australians in socially just ways
4. UC graduates are able to demonstrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ways of knowing, being and doing - communicate and engage with Indigenous Australians in ethical and culturally respectful ways

Prerequisites

Enrolment in 174JA Graduate Diploma in Nutritional Science, 771AA Master of Nutrition, 772AA Master of Nutrition and Dietetics or 776AA Postgraduate Diploma in Human Nutrition.

Corequisites

None.

Incompatible units

9296 Assessing Needs of Communities and Populations PG AND 9300 Planning Interventions for Communities and Populations PG AND 8249 Community and Public Health Nutrition.

Equivalent units

9296 Assessing Needs of Communities and Populations PG AND 9300 Planning Interventions for Communities and Populations PG

Assumed knowledge

None.