Examination arrangement

Course content

Building upon the foundational knowledge and skills acquired in Public Health 1, this course provides new perspectives and a broader approach to contemporary and future public health work. Central knowledge, methods, and theories from various fields such as sociology, economics, and ethics will be reviewed to offer a comprehensive understanding of public health, public health practice, and the various challenges that public health faces. We will illuminate significant topics in public health and sustainability (social, economic, and environmental sustainability) and delve into the key aspects of global public health. The life course perspective is a recurring theme throughout the course, and academic issues will be discussed in relation to various life stages, such as childhood/adolescence, working life, and old age.

Learning outcome

Knowledge:

The candidate…

• has knowledge of the significance and contributions of various disciplines and traditions in public health science and public health practice
• has a comprehensive understanding of how individual and population health develop across the life course and between generations (life course perspective)
• possesses knowledge of theories related to resource scarcity and how methods in health economics (economic evaluation) are used to prioritize different health and public health interventions
• understands how the distribution of resources in society impacts public health and an individual's ability to make choices regarding health-related lifestyles across life phases
• is familiar with theories on how public health work can be understood as part of societal and medical development (medicalization)
• has knowledge of how different ethical-political standpoints often set the framework for what is considered feasible and acceptable public health interventions in a society and in a population
• is able to explain the concept of sustainable development, the three central dimensions of sustainability, the UN's Sustainable Development Goals, and the concept of 'planetary boundaries'
• can provide examples of how climate, nature, human health, and animal health influence each other
• can identify and explain key contemporary global health challenges throughout the life course, understand their interconnecting causes, and describe sustainable strategies to address these challenges
• has knowledge of the interrelationships between health, education, work, and living conditions for individuals and groups in society across the life course

Skills:

The candidate…

• is able to shed light on local or global public health issues by drawing on litterature from various disciplines and traditions
• can critically evaluate an economic evaluation and communicate how economic evaluations illuminate decision-making processes regarding the implementation of various health and public health interventions
• can discuss how public health work can be understood from a sociological perspective on resources and societal development
• can articulate and discuss how public health policy touches on different understandings of freedom, justice, and the good life, thereby demonstrating how a fundamental ethical understanding of these relationships can provide strength and support for specific public health interventions
• can discuss, through examples, how the various dimensions and goals of sustainable development mutually influence each other and the significance of this complexity for public health

General Competence:

The candidate…

• can address local and global public health issues from a life course perspective using knowledge and skills from various fields, considering social, economic, and environmental sustainability
• can communicate different relevant perspectives in relation to current public health issues
• can explain how the design of public health work occurs within the context of the society in which it is implemented

Learning methods and activities

The course is based on teaching consisting of:

1. Preparatory activities. Students are expected to prepare (one day of preparation for one day of teaching) in advance of scheduled teaching.
2. Teaching days comprising lectures and group work/discussions related to "cases" or similar.

Compulsory Activities: None

Further on evaluation

Examination: Written 4-hour examination

Specific conditions

Required previous knowledge

Admission to the Master of Public Health (MFHLS) or Global Health (MSPUHE). Completion of FH3012 Public Health 1 (Folkehelse 1) or equivalent. Public Health 2 presupposes that students have a basic understanding of public health from the FH3012 Public Health 1 course or equivalent.

Course materials

To be provided at the beginning of the semester.

Credit reductions