Sexual Health Promotion 1 - SEXH5410

This course will engage students in learning about evidence-based prevention and health promotion as a fundamental component of efforts to address sexual health. The unit is divided into three sections: (i) theories underlying disease prevention and health promotion in public health context; (ii) evidence-based planning of campaigns and programs; and (iii) health communications and designing messages. Theories covered will include those that address individual-level change and group and social level change. Students will learn how to conduct needs assessments, plan programs, and address priority areas in sexual health promotion. On completion of the unit, students should be able to: (i) Understand the importance of planning and management in health promotion; (ii)Describe the main constructs of major health promotion models; (iii) Describe the applicability of health promotion theory to sexual health promotion; (iv) Conduct needs assessments, plan and address priority areas; (v) Discuss ways to apply the principles of health literacy when selecting or developing sexual health promotion materials; and (vi) Effectively use assessment tools in planning sexual health promotion evaluation activities.

Classes
On-line plus block intensive mode, 3 days, 9am-5pm

Assessment
Discussion board participation (10%); Group work tasks (20%); 1 x 1500 Word assignment (30%); 1 x 2000 Word assignment (40%)

Textbooks
Helen Keleher, Berni Murphy, and Colin MacDougall (2007). Understanding Health Promotion. South Melbourne, Vic. Oxford University Press. ISBN: 9780195552942.