Health Promotion And Wellness: BS in Public Health

Imagine life without cell phones, television, or the Internet. Recent technological developments have significantly altered all aspects of human life: at work; in play; and in personal, family, and social interactions. In this course, students examine the advantages, disadvantages, and controversies of living and learning in an ever-changing technological environment. By exploring multiple perspectives, students discover how technology is changing media, culture, business, health, human behavior, and overall access to information. In a dynamic, reflective, and engaging classroom environment, students use a variety of audio, visual, literary, and artistic resources, to engage in open dialogue. Students are also introduced to the tools essential to success at Walden. Students complete the course with a personalized success plan that provides a customized roadmap and tools that they can use immediately on their journey toward the completion of their bachelor's degree. *Note: virtual, cyber, digital, and asynchronous are used to describe online environments in this course.

This course is an introduction to the principles and practice of safeguarding and improving the health of populations. Students examine the philosophies, goals, history, and organization of the field of public health. They discuss the role of the government in improving the health and well-being of its citizens. Students explore key concepts of public health, including morbidity and mortality, infectious and chronic disease, social determinants of health, and health disparities within populations.

Students in this course describe the causes and consequences of historical events on health and medical care in the United States. They explain barriers related to cost, quality, and access to health and medical care. Students examine unique and complex aspects of subsystems and classify vertical and horizontal integrated healthcare delivery systems. They compare characteristics of healthcare in the U.S. with healthcare systems in other countries. Students also identify current and future issues, trends, and forces in healthcare reform.

Students in this course are introduced to established and emerging health behavior, health education, and health promotion theories and models. Students can develop the knowledge and skills necessary to apply various theoretical frameworks and models related to psychosocial, cultural, and environmental factors influencing health behavior and behavior change. Throughout this course, students will focus on the role of theories and models in planning, implementing, and evaluating health interventions in a variety of settings.

Many factors influence the health behavior and wellness of individuals and populations. Understanding these factors helps healthcare professionals reduce health disparities and address healthcare access issues for vulnerable populations. Students in this course examine the cultural and behavioral factors and issues that influence the management and delivery of healthcare services. Students develop a framework for assessing the effect of culture and behavior in a variety of settings and situations. They identify health disparities attributable to diverse cultural and behavioral factors and discuss their implications for healthcare policy. Students also engage in application-based writing assignments to further examine the goals and objectives of addressing health disparities as well as obstacles for confronting vulnerable populations.  

Students in this course focus on the principles governing the study and practice of epidemiology. Consideration is given to the various methods available to health professionals for selecting and measuring factors of interest, describing their distribution, detecting associations, and identifying populations at risk. The features, advantages, and limitations of common epidemiologic research designs are addressed. MATH 1002/1030 or STAT 3001.)

In this course, students examine the basic components required for the conduct of health-related research and provides students with the analytic tools needed to understand and assess research methods described in the scientific literature. Basic research methods are described, including surveys, observational studies, experimental and quasi-experimental design, use of primary and secondary data, and statistical techniques for analyzing and interpreting data.

Human interaction has a major influence on the natural world, resulting in outcomes that can impact human and environmental health. In this course, students learn the principles of environmental health and examine the short- and long-term effects of environmental hazards on human health. Students consider their own interactions with natural and human-made environments to assess the impact of chemical, physical, biological, and social elements on their health. They also explore the potential impact of climate change on population health, emerging global health threats related to the environment, and environmental factors involved in the etiology and transmission of both communicable and non-infectious disease. Using concepts and methods presented in the course, students conduct an environmental risk assessment to determine the health of home environments. They also conduct a written analysis to report their findings, identifying actions to improve inspection results.  

Through this course, students explore the historical milestones concerning human disease and prevention, morbidity and mortality rates associated with various diseases, and the biological effects of infectious and chronic disease on the human body. Students discuss the general characteristics of disease transmission, symptoms, treatment, prevention, and control among various populations. They also examine psychosocial and behavioral factors that influence human disease.  

The nature of health services, such as personal evaluations, clinical research, invasive surgeries, and end of life care, facilitates a host of ethical and legal considerations of which professionals must be aware. In this course, students examine the legal and ethical issues that are fundamental to the practice of healthcare and the conduct of health-related research. They explore a historical overview of events and milestones that have shaped the contemporary regulatory landscape. They also investigate and assess issues of privacy and confidentiality, informed consent, licensing, and malpractice, among others. Additionally, students consider ethical, decision-making models for assuring the quality, safety, and appropriateness of healthcare and services. They also apply ethical principles and legal considerations to real-world scenarios.  

Through this course, students widen their perspectives of promoting health and preventing disease as they examine health issues that transcend national borders, class, race, ethnicity, and culture. Students discuss the role of the healthcare provider in preserving and promoting health among diverse populations as well as their role in illness prevention and health promotion, protection, and maintenance of targeted populations. They explore principles of epidemiology and the influencing sociopolitical factors that impact health and well-being of humankind. Students also engage in assignments designed to provide practical application of content on topical issues, such as infant mortality rates in the United States and abroad, infectious or communicable disease, and implications of global climate change on health, among others.

Effective delivery of health education and communication often leads to improved health literacy and positive changes in behavior among populations. In this course, students receive an overview of health education and its role in improving the health of individuals as well as populations. Students review the philosophical, historical, ethical, and theoretical foundations of health education as well as effective principles for the delivery of healthcare. They also examine the primary responsibilities and competencies of health educators, trends in the field, professional organizations, national certification, and the code of ethics.  

In this course, students examine management concepts and theories designed to influence and improve the performance of healthcare organizations. They identify and examine the external and internal environments of organizations as well as key management functions, roles, and responsibilities. Exploring essential aspects of healthcare management, students engage in a variety of conceptual and practical activities, such as profiling a healthcare manger, assessing the value of leadership in decision making, and comparing strategic plans. Students delve deeper into content through weekly discussions on a variety of topics, such as emotional intelligence, applications of financial management, issues of quality and safety, the purpose of strategic planning, and challenges in human resources.

Students are provided with the foundation for economic evaluation from a population health approach. Students can develop an understanding of healthcare as a market, compare supply-and-demand principles in healthcare versus a typical business, discuss how economic losses or gains impact healthcare policy changes, sectors of the population, physician staffing, nursing staffing, and stability. Students in the course also explore epidemiological, social, global, and future economic impact of healthcare. HLTH 4000 and MATH 1030 or MATH 1040 or STAT 3001.)

Planning culturally relevant and effective public health programs is essential to improving the health of populations. In this course, students are introduced to public health program planning and design, including the process of needs assessment. Students examine and apply various models and theoretical frameworks of program planning. They also explore fundamental competencies relating to planning, such as writing goals and objectives, selecting strategies, developing budgets, and planning for specific populations. Students learn about concepts related to program implementation, management, and evaluation as these relate to the planning process. HLTH 3115).

How do public health professionals know when a program is working? This course provides an introduction to evaluating public health programs. It examines various types of program evaluations, including formative, process, outcome, and impact evaluations. Students apply concepts for designing and conducting practical, ethical, and effective program evaluations that determine whether program goals are achieved. Students also explore ways to appropriately disseminate program evaluation results. (Prerequisites: PUBH 4030.)

Students in this course examine one of the most influential factors shaping the health of populations: public policy. Public health policy impacts the public's health at the local, state, and federal levels. Students explore the institutional, economic, social, ethical, and political factors that impact public policy. Students examine how public policy is developed and discuss issues relating to health advocacy within the framework of social justice. HLTH 3115.)

The principles and theories of health communication and their application to health promotion and behavior change are the foci of this course. Students examine how to design and deliver health messages to various audiences while remaining sensitive to cultural, socioeconomic, and educational factors influencing the audience. Students evaluate important dimensions of intercultural and intracultural communication and study how to make scholarly writing accessible to the general population. They also explore the use of emerging technologies and social media in marketing and communications.

This course is an introduction for students to the essential factors that promote or challenge the development of personal health and healthy lifestyles, including nutrition, physical fitness, stress management, mental and emotional health, sexuality and relationships, violence and injury, and substance abuse. Students examine how cultural and socioeconomic factors influence people’s perception of their health as well as their health behavior. Students review tools for assessing health and risk and have the opportunity to assess their own health and behavior using a health risk appraisal.

Human nutritional requirements change over the course of the lifespan. Students in this course examine the fundamentals of nutrition and the variation of nutritional needs at different life stages, including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and old age. Students discuss issues such as obesity and eating disorders as well as the link between diet and disease. Students conduct a personal dietary assessment and analyze the relationship between food choices and health status in their own lives.

Physical fitness is an important component of overall health and quality of life. In this course, students focus on the fundamental concepts and principles of physical fitness, including flexibility, cardiovascular health, muscular strength, muscular endurance, and body composition as well as the physiological and psychological processes through which exercise influences health. Students create a personalized fitness program and explore the health advantages of a physically active lifestyle, including the mental, social, and psychological benefits. They also examine the harmful effects of a sedentary lifestyle, particularly with regard to the risk of chronic disease.

Students in this course learn about a holistic approach to stress management. They address the emotional and physical dimensions of stress as well as scientific foundations and physiological pathways. Students explore the mind-body connection, and they study fundamental principles, theories, and relaxation techniques—including cognitive and physical behavior change interventions—that can help people effectively manage personal stress.

This capstone course provides students with the opportunity to synthesize knowledge and skills acquired throughout their program into a practical, integrative literature review of a selected topic specific to their area of concentration and personal interest. Through this project, students gain experience in refining their résumé, locating and assessing professional literature, and presenting arguments and findings. Students also engage in weekly discussions on networking, professional organizations, and the promotion of positive social change. They also reflect on their learning experience throughout the program and consider how they can use these experiences to enrich future professional endeavors. All prior health core and concentration courses completed. This course must be taken in the student's final quarter.)