Course syllabus for Introduction to Nutrition Science

Outcomes

After completion of the course, the student should be able to:

• discuss and reflect on the interdisciplinary nature of nutrition science, from molecular to societal perspectives, as well as its links to sustainability (including climate change), ethics, and behavioural science aspects.
• provide examples of what characterises competence in nutrition and possible professional roles and career pathways within the field.
• give an overview of the scientific process, with a focus on empirical research and explain the concepts of scientific evidence and scientific consensus.
• identify different types of scientific publications, such as original research articles and various types of review articles.
• distinguish scientific information from other sources of information and explain the difference.
• distinguish scientific writing from other forms of writing and explain the difference.
• explain and compare fundamental study designs in nutritional epidemiology and apply key concepts such as confoundingexplain key concepts in basic statistics, including descriptive statistics, statistical inference, and the difference between correlation and causation.
• perform basic data management, descriptive statistics, and graphical presentation of data using programming in R.
• describe the main features of the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations (NNR 2023), its scientific basis and areas of application.
• give an overview of current public health–related nutrition challenges in Sweden and globally, and relate these to sustainable development and key concepts in public health nutrition, such as proportionate universalism and the “double burden” of under- and overnutrition.

Content

The course provides an introduction to the breadth of nutrition science, in terms of both subject areas and its scientific foundation. This includes a basic understanding of the interdisciplinary nature of the field, as well as aspects such as sustainability, ethics, and eating behaviour. The course also addresses competence in nutrition and potential career pathways. Furthermore, the scientific approach is introduced, including scientific information and scientific communication. The course also provides an overview of public health nutrition in Sweden and globally, as well as an introduction to epidemiology, study design, statistics, and programming.

Teaching methods

Teaching methods include lectures, seminars, practical exercises, and discussions.

Examination

The examination consists of a written examination (graded Pass with Distinction/Pass/Fail) and a programming assignment (graded Pass/Fail). To pass the course, all assignments must fulfil the criteria for Pass. The final course grade is based on the written examination.

In the case of a fail, the examination may be retaken a maximum of five additional times. If a student has failed an examination six times, no further examination opportunity will be offered for that examination component. A student who has failed an examination twice, is entitled to have another examiner appointed special reasons speak against it.

Compulsory participation:

Seminars are compulsory. The examiner assesses if and, in that case, how absence from compulsory parts can be compensated. Before the student has participated in all compulsory parts or compensated absence according with the examiner's instructions, the student's study results cannot be finalized. Absence from a compulsory activity may result in that the student cannot compensate absence until the next time the course is given.

If there are special reasons, or need for adaptions for a student with a disability, the examiner may decide to depart from the syllabus's regulations on examination form, number of examination opportunities, possibility of complementation of or exemption from compulsory activities, etc. Content and learning outcomes as well as the level of expected skills, knowledge and abilities must not be altered, removed or lowered.

Other directives

Parts of the teaching may be conducted in English.

Literature and other teaching aids

Mandatory literature:

• Nordiska Ministerrådet: Nordic Nutrition Recommendations 2023 (NNR2023). Available electronically free of charge.

Recommended literature:

• Modern nutrition in health and disease. Tucker K, Duggan CP, Gordon, LJ, Peterson KE. (red).12th edition. Jones and Bartlett Publishers Inc. ISBN 9781284264432

In addition, articles and other course materials will be made available electronically.