Graduate School of Public Health
San Diego State University
PH 101: Introduction to Public Health
Fall 2011
Syllabus
Class Meeting:
September 2, 3, 23 & 24
October 14 & 15
November 4 & 5
December 2, 3 & 16 (Final Exam)
Fridays 10:00AM - 12:40PM & 2:00 - 4:40PM
Saturdays 12:00 - 2:40PM
Student Services West Room 1500 (SSW-1500)
Instructors:
Jennifer Schwartz, MPH
Carleen Stoskopf, ScD
Email:
schwartj@rohan.sdsu.edu; stoskopf@mail.sdsu.edu
Office Hours:
By Appointment
Course Learning Objectives










Identify major public health disciplines, agencies/organizations, and be able to
conceptualize “What is public health?”
Understand the difference between personal health and public health;
Describe the basic principles of epidemiology, including rates, risk factors, disease
determinants and causation;
Understand the importance of data in public health assessments;
Understand the determinants of health from a global perspective, including
environmental, social, cultural, behavioral and biological factors;
Understand the concepts of prevention, detection and control of infectious and chronic
diseases;
Understand the impact of health behavior on population health;
Understand the organization, financing and delivery of medical care in the U.S;
The role of access to, and quality of. health care and its impact on population health and
health outcomes;
Explore current public health issues, to include such topics as: health reform; health
disparities; sustainability; food and water safety; climate change; risky behaviors; public
health interventions; the role of public health in social justice.
Required Text
Schneider, Mary-Jane. Introduction to Public health. 3rd Ed. Jones & Bartlett. 2010.
1
Additional readings and reference websites will be provided throughout the semester. These
will be posted on Blackboard.
Grading Criteria
Major Paper:
During the course you will be writing a paper in sections. Each part will be 3 to 4 pages and
worth 10% of your grade. Part I will be your evaluation of your health beliefs, attitudes, and
behaviors. You will also assess, in your opinion, your current health status and concerns you
have about your future health. Part II will be an assessment of your immediate family. What
illnesses run in your family’s history, what behaviors you learned in your family that contribute
to good or bad health status? Are some of you health beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors different
from other members of your family? Why or why not? In Part III of the paper you will describe
the community you live in. For this section you must get real data on your community and cite
that data in the bibliography. What health problems exist? Are there any community
interventions in place? Can you think of other interventions that could be implemented? How
could you improve the health of your community? What interventions might be deployed in
your community? You will give an oral presentation of the Major Paper in small groups; group
members will provide feedback and an evaluation of the presentation.
Infectious Disease 3 x 5 Card Exercise:
Each student will be assigned a specific infectious disease. You will find out the etiological
agent, the mode of transmission, any hosts involved in the life cycle, and vectors required for
transmission, appropriate interventions that will break the chain-of-infection. Use a 3 x 5 card
to complete this exercise and on the back of the card, please list your references.
Tracing your Food to Its Source paper:
You will bring one food item to class, preferably one that you like to eat. It can be fresh or
packaged. You will then follow that food, or foods, to its or their source (all ingredients). This
can be turned in “bullet form.”
Toilet to Tap paper:
Students will research the issues as applied to the current proposal in San Diego County.
Then you will argue one side or the other. Is this a good idea? What alternative water
resources does the county have? Five pages maximum. This paper required references.
Tobacco Case Study: A short case study will be provided on interventions targeting smoking
cessation in young adults. You will answer the questions provided with the case in writing.
This is no more than two pages.
In-Class Debate:
Each student will be put in a group. Each group will be assigned a topic for debate. The group
will then divide itself into those “for” or “against” the debate topic. Research the topic and be
prepared to debate the subject in class. The debate will follow formal debate guidelines.
2
[Topic examples: Menu labeling; water fluoridation; universal health insurance coverage;
advertising junk food; requiring vaccinations; genetically modified organisms; nuclear power,
etc.]
Final Exam:
The final will cover all class material and all assigned readings.
The final grade for this course will be determined according to the following criteria:
Major Paper
3 x 5 Card Infectious Disease Exercise
Toilet to Tap Short Paper
Tobacco Case Study
Tracing Food to Its Source
In-Class Debate
Final Exam
25%
5%
10%
10%
10%
20%
20%
100%
Course grades will be assigned based on each individual's absolute percentage score. Grades
will be based on the following percentages of the semester grades earned:
A 94-100
A- 90-93
B+ 87-89
B 80-86
B- 78-79
C+ 75-77
C 70-74
C- 67-69
D 60-66
F < 60
Incompletes: Medical emergencies verified by practicing clinicians and other documented
emergencies are the only bases for an incomplete. Failure to complete assignments on time
will result in no credit for the assignment. The final exam will be given only once.
Attendance: Students may miss no more than two class sessions. For every absence
thereafter, one percentage point will be taken off your final grade.
NOTE:
Students who intend to apply for a public health major MUST receive a grade of B or better in
both PH101 and PH290. IF YOU RECEIVE A GRADE OF B-, C+ or C IN EITHER COURSE,
NEW UNIVERSITY POLICY DOES NOT PERMIT YOU TO RETAKE THAT COURSE. This
means you will not be allowed to declare public health as your major if you receive a grade of
B-, C+ or C in PH101, PH 290, PH 296. However, you may retake any course at SDSU if you
receive a grade of C- or lower. Please take this into account as you prepare and study for this
course and the exams. Your final course grade will be based solely on the criteria shown
above. See the General Catalog for a full description of requirements for the public health
major.
Statement on Nondiscrimination Policy
3
San Diego State University complies with the requirements of Title VI and Title VII of the Civil
Rights Act of 1964 as well as other applicable federal and state laws prohibiting discrimination.
No person shall, on the basis of race, color or national origin be excluded from participation in,
be denied the benefits of, or be otherwise subjected to discrimination in any program of the
California State University.
SDSU does not discriminate on the basis of disability in admission or access to, or treatment
or employment in, its programs and activities. Students should direct inquiries concerning
SDSU compliance with all relevant disability laws to the Director of Student Disability Services,
Calpulli Center, Room 3101, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92128 or call
619.594.6473 (TDD: 619.594.2929).
SDSU does not discriminate on the basis of sex, gender, or sexual orientation in the
educational programs or activities it conducts. More details on SDSU’s Nondiscrimination
Policy can be found in the SDSU General Catalog, University Policies.
Student Conduct and Grievances
SDSU is committed to maintaining a safe and healthy living and learning environment for
students, faculty and staff. For more information regarding student conduct, please review
Sections 41301, Standards for Student Conduct, and Sections 41302-41304 of the University
Policies.
If a student believes that a professor’s treatment is grossly unfair or that a professor’s behavior
is clearly unprofessional, the student may bring the complaint to the proper university
authorities and official reviewing bodies. See University policies on Student Grievances.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism or cheating will not be tolerated. If it is found that a student has cheated on the
exam or plagiarized on a paper, the student will lose all points for that assignment. We
reserve the right to put all papers through “Turn It In.” If a student does not want their paper(s)
reviewed with this software, you must provide the full text of each reference you cite in that
paper.
Schedule
Day
F (10 AM)
F (2 PM)
Date
9/2
9/2
Topics
Introduction to course; “What is Public Health?”
Dr. Carleen Stoskopf & Jennifer Schwartz,
MPH
How is Public Health Organized in the U.S.?
Dr. Carleen Stoskopf
Introduction to Epidemiology; Population
health; Health status indicators; Rates & ratios;
Incidence & prevalence.
Chapters/Readings Due
Assignments
Due
Ch. 1 & 2
Ch. 4, 5, 7, & 8
4
Dr. Carleen Stoskopf
Public Health Perspectives from the ER
Guest Lecturer: Dr. Adam Schwartz
Sat (12 PM)
9/3
Health Behavior and Chronic Diseases
Jennifer Schwartz, MPH
Public Health Interventions, Ex: Menu labeling,
junk food advertising, smoking bans
Jennifer Schwartz, MPH
Ch. 11, 13, & 16
“Less Active at Work,
Americans Have Packed
on Pounds”
“Physical Activity to
Prevent CVD”
“HealthCare Reform in
Action – Calorie Labeling
Goes National”
Infectious
Disease
Exercise Due
“Immunizations: A
Child’s Front-Line
Defense”
F (10 AM)
9/23
In-Class “Heart Deck” Activity
Cardiovascular Epidemiology: “How We
Determine Where to Intervene”
Guest Lecturer: Dr. Nketi Forbang
Infectious diseases; 3 x 5 card exercise
Guest Lecturer: Dr. Melanie Rusch
“Vaccine Cleared Again
as Autism Culprit”
“Getting Doctors to Wash
Their Hands”
“Should Smokers and
Obese Pay Fee for
Medicaid in AZ?”
Ch. 9 & 10
“The Outbreak of West
Nile Virus Infection in the
New York City Area in
1999”
Film: “Bird Flu, How Safe Are We”
F (2 PM)
“EIS Case Study:
Measles”
9/23
Sexually Transmitted Infections
Jennifer Schwartz, MPH
“The Forever War:
Malaria versus the World”
“Syphilis Outbreak in San
Diego”
Ch. 19
Sat (12 PM)
9/24
Concepts in Environmental Health; EH
Agencies
Case study: Childhood Asthma
Guest Lecturer: Dr. Jenny Quintana
Film: “Journey to Planet Earth”
Major Paper:
Part I Due
“Study Suggests Higher
Cancer Risk for 9/11
Firefighters”
“In Carlsbad, Parents of
Cancer Patients Plead for
Answers”
“Childhood Asthma in
Metropolitan Areas”
“Fumigant Worry in
5
Strawberry Fields”
Ch. 14
F (10 AM)
10/14
Health Behavior Research & Theories
Guest Lecturer: Dr. Melbourne Hovell
Film: “World in The Balance, Part I”
Tobacco Case
Study Due
"The behavioral ecology
of secondhand smoke
exposure: A pathway to
complete tobacco control"
.
"Chapter 13: The
Behavioral Ecological
Model".
Ch. 20
F (2 PM)
10/14
Climate change & green architecture
Guest Lecturer: Dr. Zohir Chowdhury
“Warming of Earth’s
Surface Creates More
Clouds, Rain”
“Figuring the Nuclear
Odds”
Sat (12 PM)
Organization of the U.S. health care system,
MediCal, Medicare
Dr. Carleen Stoskopf
Ch. 25
Film: “Critical Condition”
“Demand for Medi-Cal
Rises when Economy
Sinks”
10/15
Ch. 15
Sustainability
Guest Lecturer: Dr. Geoff Chase
“Nature’s Barbers”
Food Source
Short Paper
Due
Toilet to Tap
Short Paper
Due
“Nissan Leaf: To Buy or
Not to Buy”
F (10 AM)
11/4
Global and International Health
Case Study: Tobacco
Guest Lecturer: Sanghyuk Shin
“The Earth Charter”
“The Story Of A Poor
Family Afflicted With
Multi-Drug-Resistant
Tuberculosis”
Ch. 23
“CA Death Linked to
Ground Turkey”
F (2 PM)
Sat (12 PM)
11/4
11/5
Food safety (FDA, Dept Agriculture)
Exercise: Tracing Food to its source
Guest Lecturer: Dr. Eunha Hoh
Water resources: Toilet to Tap
Guest Lecturer: Dr. Rick Gersberg
Film: “Liquid Assets”
“Cargill Recalls Ground
Turkey Linked to
Outbreak”
“Making Better Maps of
Food Deserts”
Ch. 21
Major Paper:
Part II Due
“Keeping the Faucets
Flowing”
6
F (10 AM)
12/2
Health Reform, Comparative health systems;
Issues of access & quality
Dr. Carleen Stoskopf
Film: “Sick Around the World”
Health Disparities & Social Determinants of
Health
Guest Lecturer: Holly Shakya, MPH
F (2 PM)
12/2
Film: “Unnatural Causes”
(Presentation of Major Paper Parts I-III in
Groups)
Sat (12 PM)
12/3
In-Class Panel Discussions in Groups
F (10 AM)
12/16
Final Exam: Based on Readings, Lectures,
Films, & Guest Lectures
Ch. 26
Major Paper:
Part III Due
“A Long Way to go on
Health Reform”
“Social Determinants of
Health: The Solid Facts”
“Improving Health Care in
an Underserved
Community”
Ch. 24
In-Class Panel
Discussions
Final Exam
7