University of Michigan-Flint

Public health perspectives on the HIV/AIDS pandemic as it affects individuals, communities, institutions and governments.  Emphasis on critical thinking in exploring the HIV/AIDS crisis from risks and transmission to prevention and treatment.  Selected socio-cultural, economic, political, behavioral and psychological factors and their impact on HIV infections rates; biology and epidemiology of HIV infection; history of the US epidemic; modes of transmission and personal risk.  Disease prevention and health promotion, health care practices, legal aspects and future directions for combating AIDS pandemic at local, nation and global levels.  Not open to students with credit for .

Basic overview of theories and strategies used in health promotion to influence behavior change among individuals, organizations, and communities. Theories including the transtheoretical model of stages of change, health belief model, social learning theory, and value expectancy. Strategies including various educational approaches, mass media, social marketing, focus groups, and normative group processes as applied to the community and organizations.

Focus on knowledge and skills needed to plan and design effective health education programs for various populations. Topics include examination of methods to identify priorities, strategies to assess community strengths and needs, overview of planning models, program intervention design, implementation, and evaluation.

Focus on specific skills needed to administer health education programs including budgeting, effective personnel selection and evaluation, evaluation of program goals and objectives and coordinating activities with other disciplines. Topics include: strategies for program management, conflict management, organizational behavior, quality assurance, and fund-raising.

Provides a broad understanding of the concepts involved in the process of community organization, including assessing the socio-political structure of communities, developing strategies for change within a community, and the role of the health educator in this process. Topics include: definition of a community, a review of social factors that impact disease, community assessment methods, models of community organization, and strategies of community organizing. Attention to skills for work with diverse groups and the role of formal and informal networks.

Examination of the social, behavioral, and educational aspects of disease prevention and health promotion. Discussion of different interventions and strategies, which address community and psychosocial aspects of public health, in an effort to explain how social, cultural, economic and political factors influence perceptions of health. The relationship of health knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, intentions, and behavior to preventive strategies, illness, sick-role, and health utilization behaviors also explored.

Introduction to the theory and practice of planning, implementing and evaluating marketing and communication programs in health promotion. Topics include the development of effective health communication strategies, basic health communication literacy, use of theory to design messages, utilization of emerging technologies and review of presentation skills. Examination of the use and effectiveness of mass media to both report health-related news and to promote health behavior change.

Overview of program evaluation, including the methods and procedures for planning and conducting evaluation of public health education programs and interventions. The evaluation process, selecting the appropriate type of evaluation design, methodological issues, development and selection of valid and reliable measures, and guidelines for compiling, analyzing, summarizing, and reporting results of evaluations.

Statistical analysis of data for professionals in health education with emphasis on variability, hypothesis testing, significance levels, confidence intervals and application of statistical tools commonly used in public health and health education, e.g. SPSS. No prior knowledge of statistics required.

The multi-dimensional nature of cultural competence and complexities in providing health service to culturally diverse populations. Students’ self-awareness, knowledge and skills addressed through discussions of reading, videos and practice exercises.  Not open to students with credit for .

Current research topics, applications and issues in health education. Topics announced before each offering of the course.

Directed reading or research on a topic relevant to health care/health education, under instructor’s supervision. By special arrangement only.

Students intern in agencies under supervision of agency personnel and faculty, and attend seminars to discuss field experience.

Work assignments in the Urban Health and Wellness Center for health education students directed by UM-Flint faculty.  Assignments vary reflecting current opportunities.  May be repeated to total 6 credits.  Not open to students with credit for .

Overview of the research process, designed to help students develop realistic timelines, enhance information about the process, and prompt students to use their class work to prepare for the thesis.

Research, to be done under the supervision of a member of the program faculty. The research prospectus and the final paper must be submitted to both the supervisor and at least one other faculty member for approval.

Application of health education knowledge, skills, and methods to identification and understanding of a significant health issue, problem, or gap in service in a “real-world” setting.

Continuation of thesis preparation.