Overview
Chronic diseases such as diabetes, asthma and heart disease are the leading causes of death and disability in Australia. From a public health perspective, the prevention of chronic disease is of fundamental importance and is a core skill set for any public health professional. This unit provides an introduction to public health and chronic disease. It will examine biological determinants, the influence of social factors on incidence and prevalence, and behavioural and environmental factors found to be conducive to the development and growth of chronic disease in Australia. Students will also explore individual and population level interventions aimed at reducing chronic disease.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
There are no requisites for this unit.
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 2 - 2025
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes - in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of 'pass' in order to pass the unit. If any 'pass/fail' tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully ('pass' grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the 'assessment task' section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University's Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback - Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Feedback from Student feedback via SUTE
Add transcripts to recorded lectures.
Contact the Teaching Technology team to investigate if transcripts can be added to recorded Echo 360 lecture videos.
Feedback from Unit coordinator reflection.
Continue providing live Zoom support sessions over the term to prepare students for upcoming written assessments.
Provide the same number of Zoom assessment support sessions in the unit in 2025.
- Describe risk factors and aetiology for lifestyle related chronic diseases.
- Collaborate with others to explain the impact of chronic diseases in the context of individual and population health.
- Identify and analyse primary, secondary and tertiary prevention approaches for lifestyle related chronic diseases.
- Identify and analyse upstream determinants of health impacting on lifestyle related chronic diseases.
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 - Group Discussion - 20% | ||||
| 2 - Online Quiz(zes) - 30% | ||||
| 3 - Written Assessment - 50% | ||||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 - Communication | ||||
| 2 - Problem Solving | ||||
| 3 - Critical Thinking | ||||
| 4 - Information Literacy | ||||
| 5 - Team Work | ||||
| 6 - Information Technology Competence | ||||
| 7 - Cross Cultural Competence | ||||
| 8 - Ethical practice | ||||
| 9 - Social Innovation | ||||
| 10 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | ||||
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
| Assessment Tasks | Graduate Attributes | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | |
| 1 - Group Discussion - 20% | ||||||||||
| 2 - Online Quiz(zes) - 30% | ||||||||||
| 3 - Written Assessment - 50% | ||||||||||
Textbooks
Pathophysiology made incredibly visual
Edition: Third (2016)
Authors: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
Philadelphia Philadelphia , PA , USA
ISBN: ISBN 9781496321671
The textbook is available to purchase online as an eBook.
This textbook is recommended (supplementary) but not 'prescribed. Students can use any Pathophysiology text or scholarly online resource for this unit.
Binding: Paperback
The textbook is available to purchase online as an eBook.
This textbook is recommended (supplementary) but not 'prescribed. Students can use any Pathophysiology text or scholarly online resource for this unit.
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
- ZOOM
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing styles below:
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
a.oorloff@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
Introduction to unit: understanding chronic diseases from biological, social, economic and political perspectives
Chapter
Refer to week 1 eReading list via Moodle
Events and Submissions/Topic
Live Zoom session - Introduction to the unit
Module/Topic
History of chronic diseases becoming medically and politically relevant
Chapter
Refer to week 2 eReading list via Moodle
Events and Submissions/Topic
Live Zoom session - Introduction to Assessment 1 (Discussion forum posts)
Module/Topic
Cardiovascular diseases
Chapter
Workbook Chapter 1
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Cancer
Chapter
Workbook Chapter 2
Events and Submissions/Topic
Assessment 2 - Quiz 1 related to cardiovascular diseases due by 4:00 pm, Friday of Week 4
Module/Topic
Type 2 Diabetes
Chapter
Workbook Chapter 3
Events and Submissions/Topic
Assessment 2 - Quiz 2 related to cancer due by 4:00 pm, Friday of Week 5
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Asthma
Chapter
Workbook Chapter 4
Events and Submissions/Topic
Live Zoom session - Question and Answer session for Assessment 1 (Discussion forum posts), and Introduction to Assessment 3 (Fact Check)
Assessment 2 - Quiz 3 related to Type 2 Diabetes due by 4:00 pm, Friday of Week 6
Module/Topic
Arthritis and musculosketal conditions
Chapter
Workbook Chapter 5
Events and Submissions/Topic
Assessment 2 - Quiz 4 related to asthma due by 4:00 pm, Friday of Week 7
Module/Topic
Mental health
Chapter
Workbook Chapter 6
Events and Submissions/Topic
Assessment 2 - Quiz 5 related to arthritis and musculoskeletal conditions due by 4:00 pm, Friday of Week 8
Module/Topic
Dementia
Chapter
Workbook Chapter 7
Refer to week 9 eReading list
Events and Submissions/Topic
Assessment 2 - Quiz 6 related to mental health due by 4:00 pm, Friday of Week 9
Discussion Forum Posts Due: Week 9 Friday (19 Sept 2025) 4:00 pm AEST
Module/Topic
Primary, secondary and tertiary prevention and upstream determinants of health
Chapter
Refer to week 10 eReading list
Events and Submissions/Topic
Live Zoom session - Question and Answer session for Assessment 3, Fact Check
Module/Topic
Common lifestyle behaviours targeted in prevention schemes
Chapter
Refer to Week 11 eReading list
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Policy approaches to prevention of chronic diseases
Chapter
No readings this week
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
1 Group Discussion
Submit your three (3) best discussion board posts from weeks 3-9 (up to 1200 words in total). Each post must be from a different week and demonstrate how you have contributed to the learning of others regarding chronic diseases and public health action.
At least one of your three discussion forum posts must be completed and posted to the discussion forums by Friday of Week 7.
Level of GenAI use allowed:
- Level 2: You may use AI for planning, idea development, and research. Your final submission should show how you have developed and refined these ideas.
Week 9 Friday (19 Sept 2025) 4:00 pm AEST
Submit all three posts in a word document, plus a cover page and reference list.
Week 12 Tuesday (7 Oct 2025)
Your discussion posts will be marked according to their relevance to the content in weeks 3-9 and to their consistency to the conversation within the discussion board to promote learning of self and others. At least 1 of your 3 discussion forum posts must be completed and posted to the discussion forums by Friday of week 7. See the Moodle site for a detailed marking rubric.
- Describe risk factors and aetiology for lifestyle related chronic diseases.
- Collaborate with others to explain the impact of chronic diseases in the context of individual and population health.
- Identify and analyse primary, secondary and tertiary prevention approaches for lifestyle related chronic diseases.
- Identify and analyse upstream determinants of health impacting on lifestyle related chronic diseases.
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Team Work
- Information Technology Competence
- Cross Cultural Competence
- Ethical practice
2 Online Quiz(zes)
Six (6) quizzes related to the content in weeks 3-8 are conducted throughout the term. Each quiz is open-book and contains five (5) multiple-choice questions. Completion of each quiz is done online. Each quiz contributes a possible five marks (5%) towards the final grade for the unit.
Only one attempt is allowed per quiz. The 72-hour grace period does not apply to this assessment.
Quiz 1 - closes 4:00 pm, Friday of week 4
Quiz 2 - closes 4:00 pm, Friday of week 5
Quiz 3 - closes 4:00 pm, Friday of week 6
Quiz 4 - closes 4:00 pm, Friday of week 7
Quiz 5 - closes 4:00 pm, Friday of week 8
Quiz 6 - closes 4:00 pm, Friday of week 9
Level of GenAI use allowed:
- Level 1: You must not use AI at any point during the assessment. You must demonstrate your core skills and knowledge.
6
Other
Friday at 4.00 pm in Weeks 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Results will be released immediately after the close of each quiz.
Each multiple-choice question will be worth 1 mark and will be marked as correct or incorrect.
- Describe risk factors and aetiology for lifestyle related chronic diseases.
- Problem Solving
- Information Literacy
- Information Technology Competence
3 Written Assessment
Undertake a Fact Check on a current Public Health issue. Details of this issue will be provided on the unit Moodle site.
Your Fact Check needs to include answers to the following questions:
- What evidence is there for the claim?
- What evidence disputes the claim?
- Is it true, false or possible/plausible?
Your Fact Check should be 1500-2000 words in length (references excluded from the word count).
Level of GenAI use allowed:
- Level 2: You may use AI for planning, idea development, and research. Your final submission should show how you have developed and refined these ideas.
Week 11 Friday (3 Oct 2025) 4:00 pm AEST
Exam Week Tuesday (21 Oct 2025)
Your Fact Check will be marked according to: 1) Level of critical analysis of evidence in support of the Fact Check statement; 2) Level of critical analysis of evidence that disputes the Fact Check statement; 3) The overall conclusion drawn and consistency to the evidence discussed, and; 4) Support provided to argument from relevant scholarly literature. See the Moodle site for a detailed marking rubric.
- Identify and analyse primary, secondary and tertiary prevention approaches for lifestyle related chronic diseases.
- Identify and analyse upstream determinants of health impacting on lifestyle related chronic diseases.
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Team Work
- Information Technology Competence
- Cross Cultural Competence
- Ethical practice
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.
What can you do to act with integrity?
