Academic Catalog

HLTH 21: CONTEMPORARY HEALTH CONCERNS

Foothill College Course Outline of Record

Foothill College Course Outline of Record
Heading Value
Effective Term: Summer 2023
Units: 4
Hours: 4 lecture per week (48 total per quarter)
Advisory: One of the following: ENGL 1A or 1AH or ESLL 26.
Degree & Credit Status: Degree-Applicable Credit Course
Foothill GE: Area VII: Lifelong Learning
Transferable: CSU/UC
Grade Type: Letter Grade (Request for Pass/No Pass)
Repeatability: Not Repeatable

Student Learning Outcomes

  • Assess health behavior choices, apply that information to everyday life for the improvement of individual, family, and community well-being.
  • Identify preconceived ideas about knowledge, values,and behavior that affect health and compare with established research and accepted scientific evidence.

Description

This course focuses on the exploration of major health issues and behaviors in the various dimensions of health. Emphasis is placed on individual responsibility for personal health and the promotion of informed, positive health behaviors. Topics include nutrition, exercise, weight control, mental health, stress management, violence, substance abuse, reproductive health, disease prevention, aging, health care, and environmental hazards and safety.

Course Objectives

The student will be able to:
A. Describe the six dimensions of wellness (physical, emotional, intellectual, social, spiritual, and environmental) and their interrelationship.
B. Appraise, evaluate and distinguish personal versus societal public health risk factors and alternatives.
C. Recognize, examine and evaluate personality and emotional health.
D. Describe the relationship between stress and illness.
E. Explain the dynamics of family and personal relationships including social violence.
F. Examine human sexuality.
G. Assess and examine communicable and noncommunicable diseases.
H. Explain the role of and apply recommendations to: diet planning, physical activity, physical fitness, and weight management for disease prevention.
I. Identify fitness principles and exercise program components to improve cardiopulmonary endurance, muscular strength and endurance, flexibility, and body composition.
J. Describe the role of stress and mental health in health promotion and disease prevention.
K. Recognize the stimulus leading to violence and be able to minimize its occurrence.
L. Identify, compare and discuss normal and abnormal behavior.
M. Identify and analyze drug addiction and its impacts.
N. Identify and the relevant health issues in the aged population.
O. Develop a sense of consumer awareness as it relates to health decisions.
P. Identify and discuss specific preventative measures to reduce the risk of various diseases and infections, unintended pregnancies, violence, and addiction.
Q. Examine the physiological, emotional, psychological and sexual aspects of aging.
R. Describe the inter-relationship between human beings and their environment.
S. Identify common practices and attitudes that contribute to accidents on a personal and community level and strategies that would reduce their occurrence.
T. Analyze the health care delivery system, including inequities and discrepancies.
U. Communicate in the scientific language of leading a healthy life.
V. Analyze lifestyle from a wellness perspective in order to identify and suggest health-enhancing behaviors.
W. Interpret and evaluate health and medical information from general and subject specific library and web sources.

Course Content

A. Introduction to personal health (dimensions of health and wellness)
1. Health and disease, influence of family and community (public vs. personal health)
2. Discussion of beliefs, attitudes, bias, stereotyping, and behavior on the part of the individual and community toward health disorders and the aging process
3. Examine the three levels of health promotion/disease prevention
4. Leading causes of death, risk factors, and prevention
5. Distinction between personal and public health
6. Accidents and strategies to decrease their occurrence
B. Personality and emotional health
1. Theories of personality
2. Personality types
3. Emotional health
4. Mental/emotional disorders
5. Suicide
C. Stress and health
1. Science of psycho-neuroimmunology
2. Dynamics and sources of stress
3. General adaptation syndrome
4. Burnout and stress related illness
5. Managing stress
D. Personal relationships
1. Communication
2. Intimacy and sexuality
3. Marriage and relationships
4. Loss
5. Parenting
6. Family and societal violence
E. Human sexuality, contraception, and reproduction
1. Behavioral presentation of human sexuality
2. Sexual terminology (behavioral)
3. Sexual bias and misconceptions
4. Reproductive health
F. Diseases and disorders
1. Classifications of diseases
2. Attitudes, behaviors and prevention of health disorders
3. Aspects of epidemiology and its application to public health
4. Common infectious diseases
a. Tuberculosis, hepatitis A, B, & C, cold, flu, mononucleosis, strep, pneumonia, STDs, AIDS, etc.
b. Transmission, diagnosis and treatment of common diseases
c. Immunity and immunizations
5. Noncommunicable diseases and disorders
a. Cancer
b. Respiratory disorders (chronic bronchitis, asthma, emphysema, etc.)
c. Diabetes
d. Epilepsy
e. Headache
f. Arthritis
g. Skin disorders
h. Neurological disorders
6. Cardiovascular diseases and disorders
a. Risk factors and high blood pressure
b. Disorders, diagnosis and treatment
1) Heart attack
2) Angina
3) Congestive heart failure
4) Congenital heart disorders
5) Stroke
G. Nutritional behavior
1. Diet and weight control
2. Carbohydrates, fats and proteins
3. Nutritional guidelines
4. Ethnic foods
5. Dietary supplements
6. Body composition and metabolic rate
7. Obesity
8. Diets
9. Eating disorders
10. Myths and misconceptions regarding nutrition
H. Physical activity and health
I. Normal and abnormal behavior
1. Terminology (neuroses and psychoses)
2. Childhood abnormalities
3. Abnormal behavioral patterns
4. Psychoactive drugs and medications
J. Substance abuse and addictions
1. Drugs
2. Alcohol
3. Tobacco
4. Codependency and dependency problems
5. Effects on pregnancy
K. Aging, dying and death
1. Profile of America's aging population
2. Diseases common in elderly population
3. Factors that enhance aging
4. Safety issues for elders
L. Consumer health and other health issues
1. Types of health care professionals and facilities
2. Brand name and generic medications
3. Alternative medical practices
4. Health fraud
5. Health care for all
6. Environmental hazards and safety
7. Violence and prevention

Lab Content

Not applicable.

Special Facilities and/or Equipment

A. Computer projection equipment and document camera.
B. For all offerings of the course, students need on-going internet access and access to a computer; access to a printer is optional.

Method(s) of Evaluation

Methods of Evaluation may include but are not limited to the following:

Exams
Quizzes
Self surveys
Nutrition project
Additionally, when offered online: case analysis; discussion postings related to course content objectives

Method(s) of Instruction

Methods of Instruction may include but are not limited to the following:

Lecture
Discussion
Cooperative learning exercises
Chapter pre- and post-tests (or take-home quizzes)
Self survey analysis
Electronic discussions/chat
Exploration of current health topics that relate to course content

Representative Text(s) and Other Materials

Hales, Diane. An Invitation to Health with MindTap, 19th ed.. 2021.

Types and/or Examples of Required Reading, Writing, and Outside of Class Assignments

A. Assigned reading from textbook and current scientific journal articles.
B. Completion of review questions at the end of each chapter.
C. Weekly projects such as a written dietary analysis.
D. Discussion postings related to course content.
E. Pre-tests of course content.

Discipline(s)

Health