Academic Catalog

HLTH 300: HEALTH ACROSS THE LIFESPAN

Foothill College Course Outline of Record

Foothill College Course Outline of Record
Heading Value
Effective Term: Summer 2024
Units: 5
Hours: 5 lecture per week (60 total per quarter)
Degree & Credit Status: Degree-Applicable Credit Course
Foothill GE: Non-GE
Transferable: CSU
Grade Type: Letter Grade Only
Repeatability: Not Repeatable

Student Learning Outcomes

  • Students will be able to analyze how the health status of a population is measured.
  • Students will be able to describe how a longitudinal and lifespan approach leads to an expanded understanding of the determinants of health.

Description

Examines the basic principles that guide growth, development, and the health of individuals across the lifespan, from the prenatal period through senescence including death and grieving. Presents methodological, conceptual, and substantive issues necessary for understanding and evaluating empirical-based information about growth, human development, and health status at different stages of life and from a public health prevention and health promotion perspective. Course covers several themes, including contributions of biological and environmental factors to health and human development, measuring the health of individuals, understanding determinants and consequences of health and development across the lifespan, evaluating the impact of health from a family and cultural perspective, and assessing the implications of health disparities on health outcomes. This is an upper division General Education course, intended for students in the Dental Hygiene or Respiratory Care Baccalaureate Degree Program; enrollment is limited to students accepted in these programs.

Course Objectives

The student will be able to:

  1. Analyze how the health status of an individual is measured
  2. Evaluate the integration of multiple perspectives to understanding human health and disease, including demographic, human development, lifespan, family, and community contexts
  3. Describe how a longitudinal and lifespan approach leads to an expanded understanding of the determinants of health
  4. Identify chronic and acute health conditions that influence health at various stages throughout the lifespan
  5. Analyze age-appropriate individual and community-level health prevention strategies aimed at preventing disease and/or preventing increased morbidity

Course Content

  1. Measuring individual and community health
    1. Overview of health status measures
    2. Life expectancy indicators
    3. Mortality, morbidity, and disability
    4. Infectious disease control
    5. Social determinants of health: gender, ethnicity, socio-economic status
  2. Health across the lifespan
    1. Infants and small children
      1. Infant and child mortality
      2. Disease prevention and immunization
      3. Integrated management of childhood diseases
      4. Nutrition and deficiencies
      5. Health child development
      6. Public health priorities
    2. Adolescents
      1. Mortality
      2. Disease prevention and immunization
      3. Integrated management of diseases affecting adolescents
      4. Nutrition: obesity, eating disorders, deficiencies
      5. Mental health: depression, anxiety, and suicide
      6. Public health priorities: tobacco, substance abuse, mental health, sexually transmitted diseases, pregnancy prevention
    3. Adults
      1. Mortality
      2. Lifestyle and disease patterns
      3. Integrated management of diseases or disabilities affecting adults
      4. Cancer
      5. Chronic diseases: cardiovascular disease, diabetes, COPD
      6. Family planning and maternal health
      7. Public health priorities: tobacco, substance abuse, mental health, sexually transmitted diseases
    4. Geriatric older adults
      1. Mortality
      2. Lifestyle and disease patterns
      3. Integrated management of diseases or disabilities affecting geriatric adults
      4. Cancer
      5. Chronic diseases: cardiovascular disease, diabetes, COPD
      6. Dementia and Alzheimer's disease
      7. Musculoskeletal health
      8. Public health priorities for geriatric older adult health: throughout the lifespan
  3. Health promotion and prevention
    1. Acute and chronic prevention: nutrition, exercise, vaccination across the lifespan, preventive medical visits
    2. Family structure and culture: impact on health status and management of health conditions
    3. Coping and resilience strategies throughout the lifespan
    4. Public health promotion strategies and tools
    5. Racial and gender equity in healthcare

Lab Content

Not applicable.

Special Facilities and/or Equipment

1. Multimedia classroom.
2. Computer with internet access when taught online or as a hybrid course.
3. Library resources for current, evidence based public health research.

Method(s) of Evaluation

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

Analysis of health status within individual, family, and community-based populations
Critical analysis of health issues across the lifespan
Objective exams
Analysis of health prevention and health promotion programs

Method(s) of Instruction

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

Lecture presentation
Classroom or online discussion
Case study analysis
Presentations of major projects followed by discussion

Representative Text(s) and Other Materials

Leifer, G.. Growth and Development Across the Lifespan: A Health Promotion Focus, 3rd ed.. 2022.

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

  1. Web-based research on health and public health issues and studies
  2. Submission of written evaluation on a health issue using current evidence based scientific literature and course materials
  3. Weekly critical thinking exercises on public health case studies
  4. Weekly reading assignments in the textbook and current scientific/public health journals of approximately 30-50 pages
  5. Written research report evaluating health issues from an individual and global perspective

Discipline(s)

Health