Duration
20h Th, 10h AUTR
Number of credits
| Master in Public Health, professional focus on specialist practitioners in public health | 3 crédits |
Lecturer
Language(s) of instruction
French language
Organisation and examination
Teaching in the first semester, review in January
Schedule
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Learning unit contents
This course provides an in-depth understanding of the concepts, methods, and challenges specific to nutritional epidemiology. It addresses methodological considerations related to the design, conduct, analysis, and interpretation of studies investigating dietary intake, nutritional status, and their relationships with health.
Topics covered include:
- public health issues related to nutrition;
- major study designs used in nutritional epidemiology;
- methods for assessing nutritional status;
- dietary assessment methods;
- reproducibility and validity of dietary assessment instruments;
- nutritional biomarkers;
- nutritional intervention trials;
- large-scale nutrition cohorts;
- key analytical challenges in nutritional epidemiology;
- the translation of scientific evidence into nutritional recommendations, policies, and surveillance systems.
Learning outcomes of the learning unit
Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to:
- Describe and compare the main epidemiological methods used in nutrition research, identifying their applications, strengths, and limitations.
- Select and justify the most appropriate methodological approach to address a given research question according to the context, target population, and study objectives.
- Identify, analyse, and discuss key methodological and analytical issues that may affect the interpretation of findings in nutritional epidemiology (measurement error, under- and over-reporting, energy adjustment, confounding, causality, etc.).
- Design and justify a quantitative research approach to investigate relationships between nutrition and health.
- Critically appraise scientific publications in nutritional epidemiology.
- Discuss the potential implications of research findings for professional practice, nutritional surveillance, and public health policies.
Prerequisite knowledge and skills
he course builds on knowledge previously acquired in the fields of public health, epidemiology, and nutrition.
Students are expected to have a working knowledge of:
- fundamental epidemiological concepts acquired through the core courses of the Master's programme;
- general principles of public health, health promotion, and disease prevention acquired through the core Master's curriculum;
- basic concepts of human nutrition acquired through previous academic training and/or personal or professional experience.
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
The course is based on an active learning approach incorporating elements of the flipped classroom model.
Theoretical concepts are prepared in advance by students through selected scientific readings and other learning resources made available on the course platform.
Class time is primarily devoted to:
- critical appraisal of scientific articles;
- student-led synthesis presentations;
- methodological discussions;
- formative quizzes.
Learning activities progressively support the development of the final applied research project.
Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)
Face-to-face course
Further information:
The course is delivered primarily face-to-face.
Specific activities may be organised online and will be indicated in the course schedule.
Attendance and participation
Activities carried out throughout the semester constitute an integral component of the assessment strategy and are intended to progressively develop the competencies required for the completion of the final project.
In the event of a justified absence (medical certificate, employer certificate, or any other supporting document deemed acceptable), students may be assigned a compensatory activity designed to assess the learning outcomes addressed during the missed session.
Students are expected to inform the instructor of their absence as soon as possible. Unless otherwise agreed by the instructor, any compensatory activity must be completed no later than seven calendar days after the missed session.
Failure to complete the compensatory activity within the specified timeframe will result in the corresponding assessed component being considered incomplete and graded zero.
Course materials and recommended or required readings
Platform(s) used for course materials:
- eCampus
Further information:
Course materials are made available through eCampus.
No specific course manual or syllabus is provided. Lecture slides, activity instructions, scientific papers, and other learning resources are distributed progressively throughout the semester.
Recommanded reading
Willett W. Nutritional Epidemiology. 3rd edition. Oxford University Press; 2013.
This book is considered a leading reference in the field of nutritional epidemiology. It provides a comprehensive overview of the conceptual foundations of the discipline, dietary assessment methods, major analytical approaches, and the methodological challenges inherent to nutrition research. Students wishing to deepen their understanding of topics covered in the course will find it a valuable and internationally recognised reference resource.
Exam(s) in session
Any session
- In-person
oral exam
Written work / report
Continuous assessment
Further information:
Weighting
- Continuous assessment (in class): 25%
- Final project : 75% The final project consists of the development of an applied research proposal in nutritional epidemiology.
The project is assessed through a written report and an oral defence.
Work placement(s)
Organisational remarks and main changes to the course
Contacts
Axelle Hoge (axelle.hoge@uliege.be)