Course Information Document 2023-2024
BIOL4097
Introduction
Welcome to the final year of your programme. One of the
aims of the final year is to prepare you for the years ahead. The teaching will
be structured differently, and you will be encouraged to work independently. We
expect you to develop a breadth to your thinking and writing. This is the time
to bring together knowledge gained during the past three years, looking for
general principles which can be used productively. This mature approach should
be expressed in your coursework, project report and examination answers. The
key to success in final year is good time-management.
We recommend that you read this Course Information Document at the start of your final year.
In addition, there is important information about regulations, assessment and progression in the Life Sciences Handbook: Regulations & Advice; again, you should read this document at the start of the year and you must refer to it as necessary.
Please keep this Course Information Document for future reference after you graduate; you may need to provide course details for further study or other training.
While the information contained in the document is correct at the time of printing, it may be necessary to make changes. Check your online timetable, Moodle and your email messages regularly.
Course Contacts
Course Coordinators
Course Coordinator: Ms Victoria Penpraze
Email: Victoria.Penpraze@glasgow.ac.uk
Deputy Coordinator: Mr Nairn Scobie
Email: Nairn.Scobie@glasgow.ac.uk
Programme
Coordinator for Final Year
Dr Ole Kemi
Email: Ole.Kemi@glasgow.ac.uk
Teaching Staff
|
Name |
Building |
Telephone |
Email address |
|
Ms Victoria Penpraze |
239 Sir James Black Building |
x2456 |
|
|
Prof Jason Gill |
RC250 Level C2, BHF GCRC Building |
x2916 |
|
|
Dr Greig Logan |
MVLS Education Hub |
N/A |
|
|
Dr Lauren McMichan |
538, Graham Hills Building, Uni of Strathclyde |
N/A |
External Examiner
Dr Derek Ball
University of Aberdeen
Email: derek.ball@abdn.ac.uk
Life Sciences
Office
The Life Sciences Office is located in
Room 353 of the Sir James Black Building. Opening hours for enquiries are: Monday to Friday: 9:30am to 4:30pm.
Course Summaries
Course Code
BIOL4097
Course Title
Physical Activity and Public Health 4Y option
Academic Session
2023-24
Short Description of the Course
This
course will examine the relationship between physical activity and public
health and explore the issues involved in the promotion and measurement of
physical activity to all segments of the population.
Requirements of Entry
Normally, only available to final-year Life Sciences
students in Human Life Sciences programme. Visiting students may be allowed to
enrol, at the discretion of the Life Sciences Chief Adviser and the Course
Coordinator.
Associated Programmes
This course is offered by the Physiology & Sports
Science programme.
Available to visiting students
Yes
Available to Erasmus students
Yes
Typically offered
Semester 1
Timetable
Normally, 1 x 2-hour session and a 1-hour follow-up
session every Friday, including online pre-reading and support exercises using
flipped classroom and blended learning.
Course Aims
The aims of the course are to:
develop a deep understanding of current knowledge and
research of education, promotion, measurement and evaluation of physical
activity in public health;
develop competency in exercise counselling;
provide
opportunities for group working.
Intended Learning Outcomes of Course
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
assimilate and appraise information from physical
activity and public health research literature;
develop clear, well-constructed and evidence-based oral
and written presentations on physical activity research in public health;
discuss and critically appraise the current state of
understanding of relevant topics in the research, policy
and applied fields of physical activity in public health.
Minimum Requirements for Award of Credits
Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the
components (including examinations) of the course’s summative assessment.
Description of Summative Assessment
The
course will be assessed by a 2-hour examination (70%) and in-course assessment consisting of a poster (30%).
Are reassessment opportunities normally available for
all summative assessments in this course
Not applicable for Honours courses
Formative Assessment and Feedback
There will be a number of formative activities: e.g. 1) a Journal club where students present and
comment on physical activity policy; 2) Break-out groups where students
prepare comment and responses on specified journal articles and provide verbal
feedback on each other’s presentations; 3) Group/Individual
presentations.
These activities will involve verbal and/or written
feedback from peers and staff.
Feedback provided during student-led teaching sessions
will be verbal and/or written. Summary, generic feedback from staff will also
be given to the class at the end of each session where these formative
activities are completed. Students will also be given written feedback on
individual poster and group presentations from staff and those students in the
option who are not in their working group.
Examination Diet
April/May
Total Exam Duration
120 minutes
Session Summaries
Session 1: Option Introduction- What are Health and Health
~Promotion?
Ms Viki Penpraze
The need for research informed physical activity
strategy will be outlined and the development of the policy documents will be
discussed, including reports on the economic burden of inactivity and benefit
of PA. Health and health promotion will be defined and placed in context of the
informed Scottish Government strategy and in the global context. The session
will conclude with a discussion of the journal club session later in the
course.
Aims
To outline key issues associated with physical activity
and public health and contextualise the further sessions of this option. To
promote understanding of strategies and actions to promote health in general,
as a context for the promotion of physical activity specifically.
At the end of this session, you should be able
to:
Briefly describe the change in population physical
activity levels from an evolutionary perspective
Define health and health promotion
Describe the need for physical activity for health strategy
Briefly describe the economic burden of inactivity and
benefit of PA
Discuss the nature and scope of health and health promotion
Demonstrate an understanding of the links between life
circumstances, lifestyles and health topics, and between pro-health
interventions at these three action levels
Apply the above learning to the promotion of physical
activity.
References
Available in the Moodle chapter and in the session
slides.
Session 2: The Essentials of Epidemiology
Ms Viki Penpraze
Aims
In order to interpret and assess published evidence about the relationships between
physical activity and health, students need to know something about
epidemiology, one of the core public health sciences. The aim of this session
is to introduce some of the essential ideas in epidemiological research.
By the end of this session, you should be able
to:
Define epidemiology
Describe some potential uses of epidemiology
Give examples of how health and disease may vary
according to time, place and person
Explain in simple terms the limitations on what can be
inferred from a sample about the characteristics of a population
Describe the characteristics of case-control and cohort
studies
Define prevalence, incidence, risk, odds, risk ratio
(relative risk) and odds ratio and interpret in simple terms the meaning of
results expressed in these ways.
Synopsis
Definition
and uses of epidemiology. Metrics used to express
frequency: incidence and prevalence. Inference from samples to populations.
Principles of descriptive epidemiology. Using descriptive data to generate
causal hypotheses. Principles of analytical epidemiology. Principles of
case-control and cohort study designs. Metrics used to
express probability: risk, relative risk, odds, odds ratio. Population
attributable risk.
Suggested further reading (in ascending order of
complexity)
Coggon et al. Epidemiology for the uninitiated. 4th
Edition. London: BMA, 1997. Available free online at http://www.bmj.com/about-bmj/resources-readers/publications/epidemiology-uninitiated
Barker et al. Epidemiology in medical practice.
Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone, 1998. Held by GUL.
Beaglehole et al. Basic epidemiology. Geneva: WHO, 1993
(reprinted 2000). Held by GUL.
Bhopal. Concepts of epidemiology. Oxford: OUP, 2002.
Held by GUL
Session 3: The Essentials of Epidemiology – Discussion
Aims
The aim of this session is to review, discuss and
critically appraise a recent paper in the area of
physical activity and public health epidemiology.
The reading will be posted 1 week prior to the session.
You must read the paper prior to the session and come prepared to engage in
conversation about the paper.
By the end of this session you
should be able to:
Summarise the key information in each section of the paper
Communicate this information to others in the class
Consider the paper in light of the material covered in
session 2
Critique the paper with respect to what you already
know form the literature
Consider what might be appropriate for future study to
enhance our understanding further.
Reference
This will be posted prior to the session for you to
read prior to coming to the session.
Session 4: The Importance of Evaluation
The Importance of Evaluation
Ms Viki Penpraze
Aims
The aim of this session is to provide students with an
appreciation of why it is important in public health research, to evaluate
interventions and programmes and an understanding of the process of carrying
out evaluation – this special kind of research.
At the end of this session participants should be able
to:
Differentiate between standard research design and evaluation
Outline the framework for evaluation and provide
examples of process, impact and outcome evaluation
Understand the fundamentals of cost-effectiveness evaluation
Discuss how to evaluate a national campaign
Consider the difficulties of translating evidence into
practice and the use of the RE-AIM principles
Reflect upon the specific examples discussed and
develop your own answers
References
Available in the Moodle chapter and in the session
slides.
Further Reading
Allander et al (2007).
The burden of PA-related ill-health in the UK. J Epidemiol
Community Health 61:344348
Blamey & Mutrie (2004). Chanigng
the individual to promote HEPA: the difficulties of producing evidence and
translating it into practice. JSS 22(741-754)
Fitzsimmons et al (2008) The WWW RCT of a
pedometer-based walking programme in combination with PA consultation with
12-month follow-up: rationale and study design. BMC Public Health 8:259
Hillsdon (2005).
Effectiveness of public health interventions for increasing PA among adults: a
review of reviews (evidence briefing) 2nd edition. http://www.nice.org.uk/aboutnice/whoweare/aboutthehda/hdapublications/p103.jsp
Oakley, et al (2006). Process evaluation in randomised
controlled trials of complex interventions. BMJ, 332, 413‐416.
Session 5: Policy or Guideline Presentations
Aims
The aim of this session is to identify
and critical
evaluate the important literature in the
area of your chosen policy or physical activity guideline
within Physical Activity & Public Health.
At the end of this session, you should be able
to:
Convey the important messages of your chosen material
to your peers
Demonstrate an ability to critically evaluate
literature in the area of physical activity and public health
Contribute to an informed discussion on the issues
raised by the literature
Student Presentations
Identify a recent strategy document for physical
activity; this might be for Scotland, or for another country, or it might be by
WHO or other organisation, e.g. BHF, working to
increase PA levels in the population. Some of these can be accessed from your
Moodle site.
Get into groups of four and choose a section of this
public health policy or strategy document in physical activity to read and
digest. You will present the key elements of the strategy or policy and the
underpinning evidence which informs this strategy to your classmates.
Please confirm your group members and the topic of your
presentation on Moodle Q&A Forum, if you haven’t already done so.
In the event that two
or more groups chose the same area/document to present, on a first come-first
serve basis, the first group who informs me of the topic will present it, and
the other group(s) should then change the area of their presentation to
something different unless an agreement can be reached about covering different
aspects of the same topic area.
You are asked to give a 15-minute PowerPoint research-informed
presentation on your chosen document of interest. There will be 5-minutes
Q&A section after each presentation.
Your presentations will be uploaded onto the Moodle
site so please produce a reference list at the end of your presentation to
direct other students towards your highlighted sources.
Suggestions
You could consider addressing the following questions
in your presentation;
Describe the policy / strategy / implantation plan /
area of priority that you have chosen to present?
What is the evidence-base for its inclusion in the
policy document?
What impact will this area have if the recommendations
are met?
Does the evidence show we are meeting the
targets?
Provide examples of interventions / studies / projects
that are currently underway?
Please contact me if you have any questions about these
presentations.
Session 6: Promoting Activity in Special Populations
Ms Viki Penpraze
Synopsis
This section will explore the benefits, barriers,
contraindications and recommendations for physical activity public health
provision and participation in special (children with intellectual
disabilities) and clinical populations (cardiac rehabilitation, management of
childhood obesity).
Aims
To raise awareness of physical activity participation
in clinical populations
At the end of this session, you should be able
to:
Understand the benefits and barriers of physical
activity participation for special and clinical populations
Discuss current physical activity recommendations for
each special / clinical population
Apply the above to the promotion of physical activity
in special and clinical populations at public health and individual level
References
Available in the associated Moodle Seminar chapter and
in the session slides.
Session 7: Physical Activity in Special Populations-
Discussion
Ms Viki Penpraze
Aims
The aim of this session is to review, discuss and
critically appraise a recent paper in the area of
physical activity in a special population.
The reading will be posted prior to the session. You
must read the paper prior to the session and come prepared to engage in
conversation about the paper.
By the end of this session you
should be able to:
Summarise the key information in each section of the
paper.
Communicate this information to others in the class.
Consider the paper in light of
the material covered in session 6.
Critique the paper with respect to what you already
know form the literature.
Consider what might be appropriate for future study to
enhance our understanding further.
Reference
This will be posted prior to the session for you to
read prior to coming to the session.
Session 8: The role of vigorous-intensity physical
activity in public health
Dr Greig Logan
Synopsis
This session explores the role of vigorous-intensity
physical activity in health promotion and disease prevention. It considers
reasons why there has been a historic focus on moderate-intensity physical
activity in public health and whether newer strategies such as high-intensity
interval training (HIIT) or vigorous intermittent lifestyle physical activity
(VILPA) could be incorporated into recommendations.
References
·
Gibala, Martin J.1; McGee, Sean L.2.
Metabolic Adaptations to Short-term High-Intensity Interval Training: A Little
Pain for a Lot of Gain?. Exercise and Sport Sciences
Reviews 36(2):p 58-63, April 2008. | DOI:
10.1097/JES.0b013e318168ec1f
·
Stamatakis, E., Ahmadi, M.N., Gill, J.M.R. et
al. Association of wearable device-measured vigorous intermittent lifestyle
physical activity with mortality. Nat Med 28, 2521–2529 (2022).
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-022-02100-x
·
Oliveira, B., Santos, T. M., Kilpatrick, M., Pires, F. O., &
Deslandes, A. C. (2018). Affective and enjoyment responses in
high-intensity interval training and continuous training: A systematic review
and meta-analysis. PloS one, 13(6),
e0197124. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0197124
·
Biddle and Batterham
(2015) High-intensity Interval Exercise Training for public health: a big HIT
or shall we HIT it on the head? Int J Behav Nutr
Phys Act. 12:95 DOI 10.1186/s12966-015-0254-9 
Session 9: Physical Activity Guidelines & Discussion
Prof Jason Gill
Synopsis
In the mid 1990s, there was a
‘paradigm’ shift in exercise guidelines changing emphasis from increasing
fitness and exercise performance to increasing physical activity for health.
This shift resulted in a change in emphasis from vigorous to moderate exercise
and the introduced the concept that physical activity could be accumulated
throughout the day and incorporated into ‘lifestyle’ activities. These
guidelines took into account existing evidence in the
literature regarding the nature of the dose-response relationship for
increasing physical activity and a number of health-related outcomes, but were
also designed to be pragmatic, so that they would be seen as achievable for a
large proportion of the population.
Aims
To evaluate the evidence and rationale underpinning the
current physical activity for health guidelines and to consider whether these
guidelines are set at an appropriate level.
By the end of this and the session students should be
able to:
Describe and critically evaluate the evidence and
rationale underpinning the current physical activity for health
guidelines.
Consider alternatives to the current physical activity
guidelines and provide reasoned arguments as to why you think that the current
guidelines should or should not be modified.
Session 10: Physical Activity Measurement
Dr Lauren McMichan
Synopsis
The need for accurately measuring physical activity
will be outlined and the different types of measurement discussed, including an
evaluation of the advantages and disadvantages of various approaches.
Measurement issues, such as reliability and validity will be discussed and
several key points that need to be considered when selecting a measurement
instrument will be explored. The session will conclude with a discussion of the
most appropriate measurement techniques that should be used in a number of different physical activity scenarios.
Aims
To outline key issues associated with measuring
physical activity and sedentary behaviour.
At the end of this session, you should be able
to:
Explain why we need to be able to accurately measure
physical activity
Describe various types of measurement, referring to
their specific advantages and disadvantages
Select the most appropriate measurement tool given
specific requirements / conditions
Use and interpret data generated from a subjective
method and an objective method of measuring physical activity.
References
Available in the
associated Moodle Seminar chapter and in the session slides.
Session 11: Physical activity measurement – Discussion
Ms Viki Penpraze
Aims
The aim of this session is to review, discuss and
critically appraise a recent paper in the area of
physical activity measurement.
The reading will be posted prior to the session. You
must read the paper prior to the session and come prepared to engage in
conversation about the paper.
By the end of this session you
should be able to:
Summarise the key information in each section of the
paper.
Communicate this information to others in the class.
Consider the paper in light of
the material covered in the preceding session.
Critique the paper with respect to what you already
know from the literature.
Consider what might be appropriate for future study to
enhance our understanding further.
Reference
This will be posted prior to the session for you to
read prior to coming to the session.
Session 12: Physical Activity and the Built & Natural
Environment
Ms Viki Penpraze
Aims
At the end of this lecture, and after reviewing
identified additional reading, you should be able to:
Describe the main components of the social-ecological
model and the role of the built & natural environments within this.
Outline the current evidence relating to physical
activity and the built and natural environments.
Describe different available methods for measuring the
built and natural environments including advantages and disadvantages.
Have knowledge of current public health guidelines in the area of physical activity and the built & natural
environments
Have knowledge of current UK and worldwide projects
examining the built environment and natural environment and physical
activities.
References
Available in the associated Moodle Seminar chapter and
session slides.
Bauman et al. Correlates of physical activity why are
some people physically active and others not. Lancet. 20120;
380(9838): 258-271
Brownson et al. Measuring the built environment for
physical activity: state of the science. Am J Prev Med. 2009; 36(4 Suppl):
S99-123
Harris et al. Mapping the development of research on physical activity and the built
environment. Prev Med. 2013; 57: 533-540
Session 13: Physical Activity in Built & Natural
Environment- Discussion
Ms Viki Penpraze
Aims
The aim of this session is to review, discuss and
critically appraise a recent paper in the area of
physical activity in the built environment and in the natural environment.
The reading will be posted prior to the session. You
must read the paper prior to the session and come prepared to engage in
conversation about the paper.
By the end of this session you
should be able to:
Summarise the key information in each section of the
paper.
Communicate this information to others in the class.
Consider the paper in light of
the material covered in the preceding session.
Critique the paper with respect to what you already
know from the literature.
Consider what might be appropriate for future study to
enhance our understanding further.
Reference
This will be posted prior to the session for you to
read prior to coming to the session.
Session 14: Physical Activity & Exercise Counselling-
Theory and Application
Ms Viki Penpraze
Aims
The aim of this workshop is to provide students with an
opportunity to practice the skills required for good exercise consultation and
to understand the procedures used in the NHS Greater Glasgow Scheme.
At the end of this session, you should be able
to:
Demonstrate good and bad non-verbal behaviour for communication
Enact good listening skills
Help a client outline the pros and cons of increasing
physical activity
Prompt a client to find appropriate social support
Assist in realistic goal setting
References
Zhu, S., Sherrington, C. et al (2021). Current Practice
of Physical Activity Counselling within Physiotherapy Usual Care and Influences
on Its Use: A Cross-Sectional Survey
Loughlan,C;
Mutrie,N (1995): Conducting an exercise consultation:
Guidelines for health professionals. J.Inst.Health
Educ. 33(3), 78-82.
Lowther,M;
Mutrie,N; Scott,M (1999):
Attracting the general public to physical activity interventions: A comparison
of fitness assessments and exercise consultations. JSS 17(1), 62-63.
Lowther,M;
Mutrie,N; Scott,M (2000):
The long term effect of two physical activity interventions on the physical
activity of members of the general public who are not regularly active. JSS
18(1), 17-18.
King,AC
(2000): Role of exercise counselling in health promotion. BJSM 34, 80-81.
Available on line
Gillies,FC;
Hughes,AR; Kirk,AF; Mutrie,N; McCann,GP; Hillis,WS; Macintyre,PD (2000):
Exercise consultation: an intervention to improve adherence to phase IV
exercise based cardiac rehabilitation? BJSM 34(2), 148.
Session 16: Group Poster Presentations (formatively
assessed)
Ms Viki Penpraze
Overview
Prior to Session:
You will work in groups of 4 and identify a physical
activity related topic necessary and appropriate for public communication. In
your groups, perform a literature review of your topic and assimilate this
information for imparting to a public health audience for which this
information is pertinent.
As a group, produce a 10-12minute powerpoint
presentation that is intended as a scientific presentation of this information,
to be delivered to an audience of your peers (i.e. an
informed audience). This should include the rationale for this topic being
important for public health consumption, scientific evidence to support the
information and the key public health messages. This will be delivered as a
group presentation during the session. Feedback will be provided and can be
used to feedforward to future presentations (e.g.
project presentations).
Then, working individually, each student will produce a
research-informed poster of this message that is appropriate for display in
public, i.e. for a public audience (not necessarily an
informed audience). It should convey the relevant information in an
eye-catching and readable manner and with clarity for its intended audience.
The poster is for submission for the summative assessment for this
option.
During the Session:
The session is divided into 10-12minute slots and each
one is allocated to a group in which they make their scientific presentation to
the rest of the class. Each 10-12 minute slot is
divided as follows:
7-minute scientific presentation: Powerpoint
slides to convey the context of your chosen topic, rationale
and evidence important for public health.
3-5 minutes: questions and active discussion among all
audience participants.
A moderator will be in place to ensure adherence to the
time allocations. Please practice your presentation prior to the session to
ensure you meet the time restrictions.
The group presentation is formatively assessed. You
will receive feedback from peers and from staff about your presentation. This
presentation will serve as good practice and the feedback you receive will be
useful for your forthcoming project presentation, which is summatively assessed.
Your individual poster (intended for public audience)
is submitted via Moodle for assessment and makes up 30% of your final grade for
Physical Activity & Public Health (BIOL4097) Option. The summative grading
criteria for the poster are published on the Option Moodle site. There is also
a guide to poster production on Moodle.
Synopsis
The aim of this individual poster is to present
physical activity topics in a relevant manner appropriate for public
consumption and to discuss the scientific evidence behind this information
through the group presentation. It is intended to provide you with an
opportunity to present and discuss your work from assimilation and critical
review of research and applied information about a physical activity and public
health message or intervention of your group’s choice.
Aims
To engage
with appropriate scientific literature
To receive
formative feedback about your work and understanding
To provide
an opportunity for discussion of scientific evidence in context of applied
public health work
To work
effectively in a group setting
By the end of this session, you should be able
to:
Individually design and produce a poster with
evidence-based information for public understanding
Communicate scientific principles and information
intended for the general public
Discuss the supporting evidence behind the public
message in defence of your poster
Provide peer-to-peer feedback
Audience Members
Discussion should be focused on the topic, and not
necessarily on the individual presentation or presenter. The session is
successful when discussion is amongst everyone in the session. The sessions are
meant for audience discussion. Participants should leave having learned both
about the work presented and how the work will be integrated into the
field.