Physical Activity & Health

After successfully completing this course you should be able to:

1. Understand what is meant by the terms physical activity and health and be familiar with ways of measuring these constructs
2. Understand the contribution of the diseases and conditions identified as National Health Priority Areas (cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, mental health, obesity, musculoskeletal problems, asthma, injury prevention, and dementia) to Australia?s burden of disease, and the major risk factors that underlie the this burden
3. Understand the nature and strength (including dose-response relationships) of the epidemiological evidence on the role of physical activity (including exercise) in the primary and secondary prevention of selected non-communicable diseases
4. Understand the current Australian and Global physical activity guidelines; and how they have developed and changed over time
5. Explain current patterns and levels of physical activity in the Australian population, and how to measure these using subjective and objective methods
6. Understand the behaviour change models and theories that relate to understanding, improving and maintaining physical activity (including exercise) levels
7. Describe the determinants of physical activity (including exercise) and sedentary behaviour and their patterns across the lifespan (including in children, adults and older people) and in different population groups (eg indigenous and culturally diverse populations)
8. Describe the aetiology of the obesity pandemic, including energy imbalance; the use of BMI and waist measures as indicators of healthy/unhealthy weight status; and the health sequelae of overweight and obesity
9. Describe the (economic and social) importance of physical activity for the prevention of ill health in Australia, and current government and non-government strategies to promoting physical activity in populations

2 Lecture hours, 1 Tutorial hour

Type: Online Quiz

Learning Objectives Assessed: 1, 3

Due Date: Early Semester

Weight: 5%

Reading: 0 minutes

Duration: 60 minutes

Format: Multiple-choice, Short answer

You have a week to attempt the online quiz. You must attempt and submit your quiz by 5pm on Friday.

To successfully complete this assessment, you will need to:

• Understand the relationships between physical activity and the prevention of a range of health problems, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, obesity and diabetes
• Describe risk factors for lifestyle-related diseases, identifying which are primary, secondary, modifiable and non-modifiable
• Describe epidemiological evidence supporting the roles for exercise and physical activity participation in the prevention of lifestyle-related diseases
• Describe the dose?response relationships for exercise and physical activity interventions on lifestyle-related outcomes

Type: Workbook

Learning Objectives Assessed: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Due Date: Mid-Semester

Weight: 30%

Task Description: Complete workbook which will include content covered between Week 1-7. Understanding physical activity and health, epidemiology, self-report and objective measures of physical activity and sedentary behaviour etc. You will need to answer all short answer questions, using information from specific references.

Type: Online Quiz

Learning Objectives Assessed: 3, 7

Due Date: Mid Semester

Weight: 10%

Reading: 0 minutes

Duration: 60 minutes

Format: Multiple-choice, Short answer

Task Description: You have a week to attempt the online quiz. You must attempt and submit your quiz by 5pm on Friday.

Type: Presentation

Learning Objectives Assessed: 3, 5, 7

Due Date: Mid-Late Semester - In class presentation

Weight: 15%

Task Description: Group oral presentation based on contemporary epidemiology research in physical activity. You will form your presentation groups in Week 6 (week beginning 31st Aug) during your respective tutorials.

 

To successfully complete this assessment, you will need to understand all the material on the behavioural epidemiology of physical activity and current strategies for promoting physical activity in populations.

Type: Exam - during Exam Period (Central)

Learning Objectives Assessed: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

Due Date: Examination Period

Weight: 40%

Reading: 10 minutes

Duration: 60 minutes

Format: Multiple-choice

Task Description: The final exam will consist of 40 multiple choice questions and will cover the entire course content including all information contained in lectures, tutorials and readings. The final exam will be held during the examination period.

 

This will include understanding physical activity and sedentary behaviour, the national health priorities and burden of disease, the role of physical activity in the primary and secondary prevention of chronic disease, the evidence base for the determinants, barriers, benefits, prevalence evidence and guidelines for physical activity in adults, children and older adults. It will also cover physical activity and energy balance, weight gain prevention and weight loss, individual and population approaches to health promotion, self-report and objective measures of physical activity and sitting, the social ecological models and theories of behaviour change, the approach of the Australian government towards health promotion, and the different methods used internationally. It will also cover the determinants, barriers, benefits, prevalence evidence and guidelines for physical activity in Australian Indigenous populations and culturally diverse regions, and the obesity pandemic.