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Nutritional Epidemiology and Research Skills
Undergraduate | LTU-DTN404 | 2018
Course information for 2018 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.
- Study method
- 100% online
- Assessments
- 100% online
- Entry requirements
- Part of a degree
- Duration
- -
HECS-HELP and FEE-HELP available
Nutritional Epidemiology and Research Skills
About this subject
At the completion of this unit students will be able to:
- Demonstrate and apply understanding of epidemiological terms, definitions and concepts used in measurements of disease
- Critically review and evaluate the methodologies of different study designs used in nutritional epidemiology
- Apply skills in nutrition related data collection and management including measurement and assessment of anthropometry, dietary assessment and body composition of individuals
- Analyse small population datasets using biostatistics and interpret results in accordance with the NHMRC ethical code of conduct.
- Introduction to epidemiology and research methods
- The 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
- Australian 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, the main study designs and research concepts of direct relevance to the role of food and nutrition in the prevention and causation of disease. Nutritional epidemiology techniques for the assessment of diet and body composition of individuals and populations are covered in depth. The degree covers sources of data on mortality and morbidity, measures of disease prevalence, incidence and risk, chance, bias and confounding. Standard and non-parametric statistical techniques will be reviewed and you will have the opportunity to analyse a population dataset. You will acquire knowledge and skills that form the foundation for research practice in nutrition.
- 3 part: 2000 word research assignment (45%)
- 3 x module quizzes (1.5 hrs total) (35%)
- 1000 word critical analysis (20%)
For textbook details check your university's handbook, website or learning management system (LMS).
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Entry requirements
To enrol in this subject, you must be admitted into a degree.
Prior study
You must have successfully completed the following subject(s) before starting this subject:
Additional requirements
- Other requirements -
This subject is offered via Open Universities Australia. La Trobe University students can undertake this subject as part of a cross institutional enrolment under certain circumstances, and must seek approval from the Bachelor of Food and Nutrition Course Coordinator for eligibility. Due to the nature of the subject content and online delivery, enrolments are generally not permitted past the published OUA enrolment date for the study period.
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.