San Diego State University Graduate School of Public Health PH603: Behavioral & Social Science in Public Health Spring 2014 Course Syllabus Instructor: Emily Schmied, MPH, PhD(c) Class location: HH221 E-mail: eschmied@mail.sdsu.edu Class schedule: T 4-6:40pm Office: PSFA 145 Prerequisites: Office hours: By appt. Tues. 3:30-4pm, 6:40-7:30pm Psychology 316, 340, Sociology 436 I. Course Description & Goals Through interactive lectures and discussions of readings, this course will use multifactorial psychosocial and ecological models of disease susceptibility to explore the role of psychological, social, and environmental variables in health and illness. Students will learn and apply skills to plan, implement, and evaluate health promotion programs that consider these multiple levels of influence on health. The content of this course is in line with the ASPH Social and Behavioral Competencies (see Section VII) and several ASPH Cross-Cutting Competencies (www.asph.org). Objectives At the conclusion of the course, students will be able to: a. Identify the multiple influences on a specific health behavior. b. Name and describe several health behavior/behavior change theories and models. c. Develop program goals and measurable objectives for a health promotion program. d. Apply health promotion program planning models to the design of a health intervention. e. Create an evidence-based, theoretically-driven health intervention and implementation plan. f. Describe how to develop culturally appropriate intervention activities and materials. g. Develop a detailed budget and justification for a health promotion program. h. Create a comprehensive program evaluation plan using an appropriate evaluation design and measurement tools. II. Course Objectives Varied Teaching Methods Discussions Discussions Discussions Discussions/readings Group Activity Evaluation Methods Behavioral influences table Case study Abstraction Presentation Case study Presentation Presentation ASPH Competency 2, 6, 10 CC: PP 1; PHB 5 1 5 CC: PP 5 4, 5, 7, 9 CC: PP 4 5, 8, 9 CC: DC 8 CC: PP 8 5, 7, 9 CC: PP 6,7 CC= Cross-Cutting Competency; PP=Program Planning; PHB= Public Health Biology; DC= Diversity and Culture 1
Required textbook: III. Readings and Course Materials McKenzie, J.,F., Neiger, B.L., & Thackeray, R. (2013). Planning, Implementing, & Evaluating Health Promotion Programs: A primer (6 th ed.). Glenview, IL: Pearson Education, Inc. Additional required readings: Throughout the course, students will be assigned a number of research articles and other resources to review. These articles will supplement the class lectures and will often be integrated into class discussions and activities. All articles will be posted to Blackboard. Recommended: LaRoque, P. (2003). The Book on Writing: The Ultimate Guide to Writing Well. Arlington, TX: Grey and Guvnor Press. Purdue University s guide to APA formatting: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/ IV. Evaluation Methods Your performance in the course will be evaluated based on the following assignments: 1. Exam 1 and 2 (20 points each) 40 pts 2. Behavioral or health influences table 5 3. Abstraction of theory articles 7 4. Group paper 35 5. Group presentation 10 6. Class Participation 3 Total 100 Course grades will be assigned as follows based on the total points accumulated during the semester: A 96-100 C+ 77-79 A- 90-95 C 74-76 B+ 87-89 C- 70-73 B 84-86 F <70 B- 80-83 Description of Assignments (additional instructions will be posted on Blackboard) Exam 1 and 2 You will have two in-class exams (see Section IV for dates). The exams will not be cumulative, and will consist of multiple choice, short-answer, and essay questions. The exam material will be derived from the course lectures and readings. Behavioral influences table and description The purpose of this assignment is to identify influences at every level of the Socio-Ecologic Model (SEM) that impact a particular health behavior in a specific population. Each student will select a health behavior (i.e. tobacco use, fruit and vegetable consumption, cancer screening, etc.) in a specific population they are interested in (i.e. adolescents in urban areas, elderly Latina women, migrant farm workers, etc.). Students will first briefly describe the health behavior and associated outcomes in the 2
selected population (<300 words). Next, students will complete a table outlining factors that influence the health behavior on all levels of the SEM. Abstraction of theory The purpose of this assignment is to examine the application of health behavior theory to a health intervention. Students will choose 3 research articles that used a health behavior theory in an intervention (a list of articles will be provided by the instructor and posted on Blackboard). Students will complete an abstraction table for the articles. Group paper The purpose of this assignment is to apply the techniques for health promotion program planning covered during the course. Students will participate in a work group to develop a health promotion program plan. Groups will select a population of interest and develop the plan based on the needs of the population. The program plan will be approximately 20-24 pages excluding references, and will consist of several components (described below). Paper component (points) Needs assessment (7) Priority setting (4) Problem statement (3) Goals and objectives (3) Methods/Implementation (7) Evaluation (5) Budget and budget justification (3) Group member evaluation (3) Description (page limits) The needs assessment will include: a description of the target population, identification of 2 health problems in this population, description of the identified health problems. (7 pages) The priority setting component will include completion of the Basic Priority Rating Model (BPR) for the 2 health problems identified in the needs assessment. (3 pages) The problem statement will include a summary of the health issue and why it is a priority issue in the selected population. (1 page) One overall program goal and 4 corresponding objectives will be developed, including 1 outcome objective, 1 impact objective, and 2 process objectives. (1 pages) The methods/implementation section will include a description of the program activities and materials, a rationale for the selected methods, and an intervention timeline. (6 pages) The evaluation section will include a description of the proposed formative and summative evaluation methods. Students should relate the evaluation methods to each program objective. (4 pages) A budget and budget justification will describe the resources required to complete the proposed program. (2 pages) Each student will evaluate their group members contribution to the paper and presentation, using a rubric provided by the instructor. The average scores from each group member will be used to determine the total points awarded. The group member evaluation will be turned in separately from the group paper. 3
Group presentation Each group will give a short (10-12) minute presentation of one section of their written program plan, to be assigned by the instructor. Class participation Participation in classroom activities will be used to generate the participation grade for the course. Though attendance is not mandatory, perfect attendance may be used to award a higher grade when students are borderline. General guidelines for assignments: All assignments must be typed using Microsoft Word or a similar word processing program. In addition to spelling, grammar, and writing style, your work will be evaluated based on professional appearance. For all written assignments, students must format the paper and references based on either APA or AMA guidelines. Late assignments: For each day beyond the due date, the grade on the assignment will be reduced by 20% (i.e. 1 point will be automatically deducted from a 5-point assignment turned in 1 day late). V. Course Schedule (Subject to change) Week/Date Class Content Readings and Assignments Introduction/syllabus review 1:1/28 Introduction to health promotion None Socio-Ecological Model (SEM) Health behavior theories 2: 2/4 MNT: Chapter 1 & 7 Behavior Change Techniques (BCTs) 3: 2/11 Program planning models MNT: Chapter 3 MNT: 4 Needs assessment 4: 2/18 Health influences assignment due MNT: Chapter 4 & 6 Priority setting 5: 2/25 Healthy People 2020 Establishing goals & objectives website review 6: 3/4 Midterm Exam and group meetings None Intervention strategies MNT: Chapter 8 7: 3/11 Linking theory to intervention 8: 3/18 Implementation (Resources and budgeting) MNT: Chapter 10 MNT: Chapter 11 & 12 9: 3/25 Implementation (Marketing, strategies and concerns) Theory assignment due 10: 4/1 SPRING BREAK- NO CLASS Community organizing and building 11: 4/8 MNT: Chapter 9 Community-based participatory research 12: 4/15 Evaluation (purposes and types) MNT: Chapter 13 4
13: 4/22 Evaluation (approaches and designs) MNT: Chapter 14 14: 4/29 Behavioral measurement MNT: Chapter 5 15: 5/6 Group presentations due 16: 5/13 Final Exam-: 3:30-5:30pm VI. Administrative Issues Incomplete: Medical emergencies verified by practicing clinicians and limited other emergencies are the basis for an incomplete. Course Attendance Policy: Though attendance is not mandatory, students are encouraged to attend all classes. Absences for religious observances: By the end of the second week of classes, students should notify the instructor of planned absences for religious observances. The instructor will provide appropriate accommodations. SDSU Policies Academic Integrity: Academic dishonesty includes cheating, plagiarism or other forms of academic dishonesty that are intended to gain unfair academic advantage. See section 41301 of the University Policies for more information. Plagiarism is an important part of this policy. Plagiarism is defined as formal work publicly misrepresented as original; it is any activity wherein one person knowingly, directly and for lucre, status, recognition, or any public gain resorts to the published or unpublished work of another in order to represent it as one s own. Any work, in whole or in part, taken from the Internet of other computer-based source without referencing the source is considered plagiarism. Statement on Nondiscrimination Policy: SDSU complies with the requirements of Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights act of 1964, as well as other applicable federal and state laws prohibiting discrimination. No person shall, on the basis of race, color, or national origin be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be otherwise subjected to discrimination in any program of the California State University system. SDSU does not discriminate on the basis of sex, gender, or sexual orientation in the educational programs or activities it conducts. More detail on SDSU s Nondiscrimination Policy can be found in the SDSU General Catalog, University Policies. Student Conduct and Grievances: SDSU is committed to maintaining a safe and healthy living and learning environment for students, faculty and staff. Sections 41301, Standards for Student Conduct, and Sections 41302-41304 of the University Policies regarding student conduct should be reviewed. If a student believes that a professor s treatment is grossly unfair or that a professor s behavior is clearly unprofessional, the student may bring the complaint to the proper university authorities and official reviewing bodies. See the University policies on Student Grievances for more information. Students with Disabilities: If you are a student with a disability and believe you will need accommodations for this class, it is your responsibility to contact Student Disability Services at (619) 594-6473. To avoid any delay in the receipt of your accommodations, you should contact Student Disability Services as soon as possible. Please note that accommodations are not retroactive, and that I cannot provide accommodations based upon disability until I have received an accommodation letter from Student Disability Services. Your cooperation is appreciated. 5
VII. ASPH: Social and Behavioral Sciences Competencies The social and behavioral sciences in public health address the behavioral, social and cultural factors related to individual and population health and health disparities over the life course. Research and practice in this area contributes to the development, administration and evaluation of programs and policies in public health and health services to promote and sustain healthy environments and healthy lives for individuals and populations. Competencies: Upon graduation a student with an MPH should be able to: 1. Identify basic theories, concepts and models from a range of social and behavioral disciplines that are used in public health research and practice. 2. Identify the causes of social and behavioral factors that affect the health of individuals and populations. 3. Identify individual, organizational and community concerns, assets, resources and deficits for social and behavioral science interventions. 4. Identify critical stakeholders for the planning, implementation and evaluation of public health programs, policies and interventions. 5. Describe steps and procedures for the planning, implementation and evaluation of public health programs, policies and interventions. 6. Describe the role of social and community factors in both the onset and solution of public health problems. 7. Describe the merits of social and behavioral science interventions and policies. 8. Apply evidence-based approaches in the development and evaluation of social and behavioral science interventions. 9. Apply ethical principles to public health program planning, implementation and evaluation. 10. Specify multiple targets and levels of intervention for social and behavioral science programs and/or policies. 6