Course syllabus for

Diet and Physical Activity - Interventions, e-Health and m-Health, 7.5 credits

Kost och fysisk aktivitet - interventioner, e-Hälsa och m-Hälsa, 7.5 hp
This course syllabus is valid from autumn 2020.
Please note that the course syllabus is available in the following versions:
Autumn2020 , Autumn2021
Course code
3NT005
Course name
Diet and Physical Activity - Interventions, e-Health and m-Health
Credits
7.5 credits
Form of Education
Higher Education, study regulation 2007
Main field of study 
Nutrition Science 
Level 
AV - Second cycle 
Grading scale
Fail (U), pass (G) or pass with distinction (VG)
Department
Department of Biosciences and Nutrition
Decided by
Education committee BioNut
Decision date
2020-02-03
Course syllabus valid from
Autumn 2020

Specific entry requirements

A Bachelor's degree or a professional degree equivalent to a Swedish Bachelor's degree of at least 180 credits in biomedicine, cellular and molecular biology, pharmaceutics, medicine, nutrition, or the equivalent. And proficiency in English equivalent to English B/English 6.

Objectives

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

  • critically analyze and discuss intervention studies in terms of study design, theoretical basis, statistics, ethics, and interpretation of results with special emphasis on e-Health and m-Health interventions
  • apply a method compiling scientific data in the field of interventional studies (especially e-Health and m-Health), and evaluate the results based on their research question and summarise this in a written literature review in a project plan.
  • design and plan an e-Health and m-Health intervention based on existing evidence and theories of behavioural change and apply the steps according to a chosen methodological model.
  • identify and suggest different funding opportunities for different types of research projects and health promotion initiatives and also be familiar with the structure of such an application.

Content

This course aims to give the student a deeper understanding and knowledge in intervention studies in the field of nutrition and physical activity, especially interventions delivered through internet (e-Health) or mobile phone technology (m-Health). This course will cover study planning, study design (randomized controlled trials), and evaluation (data analyses and interpretation of results). The students will write a project plan for an intervention study which will include the following three phases: planning, implementation and evaluation. The students will present their project plans and will also be opponents on another groups project plan. During the course, how to develop the components of an intervention as well as how to evaluate whether it was effective or not will be discussed. This course will also cover behavior change models and techniques (for example motivational interviewing) as well as knowledge on how to develop interventions utilizing internet and mobile phone technology. The course also deals with different funding opportunities for research projects and health promotion initiatives and how such an application is structured.

Teaching methods

This course consists of seminars, group work, lectures, exercises and discussions and opposing on another groups project plan.

Examination

The examination consists of oral and written assignments and a group work, graded Pass/Fail, and an individual written assignment graded Pass with distinction/Pass/Fail. The grading criteria for all examinations are given in the study guide.

In the case of failed results, the assignment may be submitted a maximum of five more times. If the student has completed six failed examinations, no further examination opportunities will be given for that assignment.

A student who has failed two examinations for a course or part of a course, is entitled to have another examiner appointed unless special reasons speak against it.

Compulsory participation:
Assignments and seminars are mandatory. The course director 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 course director's instructions, the student's results will not be registered in LADOK. 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 adjustment 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 parts of the course, etc. Content and learning goals as well as the level of expected skills, knowledge and abilities must not be altered, removed or lowered.

Transitional provisions

After each course occasion there will be total six occasions for the examination within a two-year period from the end of the course.

Other directives

The course language is English.

A course evaluation will be conducted according to guidelines decided by the Board of Higher Education at KI.

Oral evaluation will be carried out during the course.

Literature and other teaching aids

Reports, articles and other assigned literature will be specified in the study guide and electronically available.