Nutritional Epidemiology and Research Skills
UndergraduateLTU-DTN3042023
Previously LTU-DTN404
Course information for 2023 intake View information for 2025 course intake
Study eating patterns and measure how diet, body mass and types of food can prevent or contribute to disease. Discover how a diet rich in nutritional value reduces risks to human health, and helps people to live longer.
Enrolments for this course are closed, but you may have other options to start studying now. Book a consultation to learn more.
- Study method
- 100% online
- Assessments
- 100% online
- Entry requirements
- Part of a degree
- Duration
- 13 weeks
- Loan available
- HECS-HELP and FEE-HELP available
Nutritional Epidemiology and Research Skills
About this subject
- Apply understanding of terms and definitions used in epidemiology, and concepts of measurements of disease.
- Appraise different study designs used in nutritional epidemiology.
- Apply appropriate skills and techniques to manage data related to dietary intake, anthropometry and body composition.
- Analyse small population datasets using biostatistics and interpret results in accordance with the NHMRC ethical code of conduct.
- • Introduction to epidemiology and research methods.
- • Research process.
- • Biostatistics.
- • Measurements of disease exposure and occurrence.
- • Confidence intervals, relative risk, odds ratios.
- • Accuracy measures in epidemiology.
- • Nutritional biomarkers in epidemiology.
- • Quality criteria and levels of evidence.
- • Health survey results.
- • Epidemiology in diet and disease.
- • Food composition databases.
- • Human research ethics.
In this subject you will develop an understanding of the fundamentals of epidemiology and epidemiological study designs and research concepts. These will be of direct relevance to the role of food and nutrition in the prevention, causation and management of disease. Nutrition measurement techniques for the assessment of diet and body composition of individuals and populations will be covered in depth. You will cover sources of data on mortality and morbidity, measures of disease prevalence, incidence and risk, chance, bias and confounding variables of relevance to nutritional epidemiology. Standard parametric and non-parametric statistical techniques will be reviewed, and you will have the opportunity to use statistical software programs to analyse a population dataset.
Please note: this subject was previously known as DTN404 Nutritional Epidemiology and Research Skills
- Data collection and data entry (450 words equivalent) (10%)
- Statistical analysis plan (800 words) (15%)
- One research poster (1500 words equivalent) (45%)
- 2 x 30 minute Module Quizzes (15% each) (30%)
For textbook details check your university's handbook, website or learning management system (LMS).
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Entry requirements
Part of a degree
To enrol in this subject you must be accepted into one of the following degrees:
Core
- LAT-HUN-DEG-2023 - Bachelor of Food and Nutrition
Prior study
You must either have successfully completed the following subject(s) before starting this subject, or currently be enrolled in the following subject(s) in a prior study period; or enrol in the following subject(s) to study prior to this subject:
Please note that your enrolment in this subject is conditional on successful completion of these prerequisite subject(s). If you study the prerequisite subject(s) in the study period immediately prior to studying this subject, your result for the prerequisite subject(s) will not be finalised prior to the close of enrolment. In this situation, should you not complete your prerequisite subject(s) successfully you should not continue with your enrolment in this subject. If you are currently enrolled in the prerequisite subject(s) and believe you may not complete these all successfully, it is your responsibility to reschedule your study of this subject to give you time to re-attempt the prerequisite subject(s).
Others
Past La Trobe University students who have previously completed DTN4EPI (Epidemiology and Research Methods), or DTN3EPO (Epidemiology and Research Skills for Nutrition), or DTN404 (Nutritional Epidemiology and Research Skills) are ineligible to enrol in this subject.
Additional requirements
- Software requirements - The subject also requires IBM SPSS Standard Grad Pack 23/24/25/26 (statistical analysis software) and Xyris' FoodWorks (nutritional analysis software).
- Other requirements - This subject is available through Open Universities Australia (OUA) and the course is restricted for enrolment. Single subject enrolments for restricted subjects are not available at OUA, please see https://www.latrobe.edu.au/study/apply/pathways/single-subject-entry for further information. Students who successfully complete two from the four open enrolment subjects (HBS101, DTN101, CHM101, PHE102) may apply under the Academic Eligibility category for admission to the restricted Bachelor of Food and Nutrition. You must be enrolled in the Bachelor of Food and Nutrition to be eligible to enrol in all other non-open access subjects offered in the degree. A good internet connection is required due to the full online delivery of this subject.
Study load
- 0.125 EFTSL
- This is in the range of 10 to 12 hours of study each week.
Equivalent full time study load (EFTSL) is one way to calculate your study load. One (1.0) EFTSL is equivalent to a full-time study load for one year.
Find out more information on Commonwealth Loans to understand what this means to your eligibility for financial support.
Student feedback
12 student respondents between 19 Aug 2024 - 11 Mar 2025.
75%of students felt the study load was manageable
100%of students felt this subject helped them gain relevant skills
Related degrees
Once you’ve completed this subject it can be credited towards one of the following courses
Bachelor of Food and Nutrition
UndergraduateLAT-HUN-DEG