L.ATR 540 - Principles of Epidemiology and Public Health

Credits: 3

Public health is often referred to as “the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life, and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, communities, and individuals”. In turn, epidemiology has been described as the “basic science” of public health, working to identify the cause and effect of disease states and various health outcomes. This course will allow for students to learn the basic concepts of epidemiology and apply them to the multiple domains of public health specific to tracking diseases, prevent illnesses, and understand the etiologies and risk factors for conditions that effect health. Further, this course will enhance the students’ understanding of the role of public health in epidemiologic study in evaluating the relationships between physical activity and health and/or disease outcomes. Students will learn about the development of current physical activity recommendations, trends in physical activity in the U.S., epidemiologic study designs and the techniques used to measure physical activity as they relate to public health while, most importantly, learning to critically evaluate the evidence and literature in this topic area. Offered Summer term.

Prerequisite: L.ATR 510
Co-requisite: None

Restrictions: Admission to MAT Program; Graduate Students only