Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior
Edward A. Frongillo, Jr., Chair
Programs leading to degrees in health promotion, education, and behavior focus on understanding how policy, environmental, institutional, and individual actions can improve the public’s health. This work, usually done in partnership with organizations and communities, uses principles and methods from the social and behavioral sciences to promote health in diverse settings across South Carolina, the US, and the globe. Health promotion, education, and behavior is an activist field with a deep commitment to improving the health and welfare of the most disadvantaged people in our world. The field recognizes the importance of learning not just what should and can be done to improve the public’s health, but also how it can be done in a way that is cost-effective, embedded in community structures and culture, and at a large enough scale to have real impact. Programs in health promotion, education, and behavior prepare practice and research professionals through courses, practical experiences, and research projects that emphasize understanding of learning, motivation, behavior change, program planning and evaluation, community development, organizational behavior, applied communications, and socio-political processes at multiple levels of societal organization. Students are prepared to engage in professional activities that will:
- influence individuals to adopt or maintain healthful practices through skill development, social support enhancement, and environmental and policy change
- foster teaching and communication skills in all those engaged in health promotion
- advocate changes in organizations and the environment which will facilitate healthful practices
- develop appropriate and effective programs aimed at promoting good health through change in behaviors at the intrapersonal, interpersonal, organizational, community, and public-policy levels
- enhance the health promoter’s role as a model, advocate, and leader in public health
- evaluate health promotion programs to ensure they are meeting societal goals and program objectives
- develop and disseminate new knowledge through systematic research and evaluation
- inform people about health, wellness, illness, and disability, and ways in which they can protect and improve their health, including more efficient use of the health care delivery system.
The Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior offers programs that lead to the degrees of Master of Public Health, dual degree Master of Social Work/Master of Public Health, Doctor of Philosophy, and Doctor of Public Health and to the Graduate Certificate in Health Communication. Although no undergraduate degree is offered by the department, undergraduate students may complete a minor in health promotion, education, and behavior (18 hours). The following courses are available for undergraduate credit with permission of the faculty.
Courses
The historical and philosophical basis, current problems, career opportunities, and literature in the health promotion, education, and behavior change professions.
Practical experience in applying health promotion principles in the community or organization.
Graduation with Leadership Distinction: GLD: Professional and Civic Engagement Internships
Psychosocial health, stress management, leading infectious and noninfectious diseases, nutrition, physical fitness, sexuality, consumer health and health care access, environmental health, aging, and death.
Graduation with Leadership Distinction: GLD: Diversity and Social Advocacy
Methods and materials for elementary schools. Integration and correlation of materials with school subjects. Sample content developed for primary, intermediate, and upper grades.
Emphasis upon preparing school personnel to act responsibly in emergency situations. Includes the American National Red Cross standard and advanced first aid instruction.
Enrollment and topic to be approved in advance by advisor and instructor. Open to sophomores and above.
Graduation with Leadership Distinction: GLD: Research
Methods of teaching health in school and community settings; techniques and strategies.
Place of safety in modern life. Contributing factors to accidents, developing an awareness of the potential accident situation with special emphasis upon school setting, planning for and conduct of a safety education program.
Examination of major global health topics and approaches used by governmental, non-governmental, international institutions and donor agencies to improve health in low and middle income countries. Critical analysis and generation of intervention strategies to combat health issues in various country settings.
The social, cultural, economic, and political factors that influence health and its distribution within and between populations. How society helps shape our health beliefs, behaviors, and status.
Multiple dimensions of food systems along multiple dimensions of theory and practice. Restricted to Junior or Senior level standing.
Synthesis and application of content and competencies of the minor in nutrition and food systems in a practical setting with emphasis on student identified areas for professional growth. Restricted to Senior level standing.
A study of special topics in health promotion, education, and behavior. Individual topics to be announced in master schedule by title.
Planning, implementation and evaluation of effective sexuality education programs. Includes strategies for educating about a variety of sexuality topics (e.g., reproductive biology, relationships, HIV/AIDS, sexual orientation, pregnancy, childbirth, and parenting).
Application of nutrition principles including functions of food and nutrients in health and disease prevention throughout the life cycle. Applied topics include weight management, food safety, and other contemporary issues.
Graduation with Leadership Distinction: GLD: Community Service
Current and emerging health problems in society: causes, effects, and prevention.
Graduation with Leadership Distinction: GLD: Community Service, GLD: Diversity and Social Advocacy
Investigation of the unique health and disease profile of the American South, including regional disparities that remain unresolved despite a public health revolution. Topics range from endemic diseases of the antebellum period to the current HIV/AIDS crisis, and ethics of research.
A comprehensive overview of race/ethnicity and health. Class discussions will focus on comparing health status and health outcomes of different racial/ethnic groups in the U.S. and discussing possible explanations for inequalities from a behavioral science perspective.
Graduation with Leadership Distinction: GLD: Diversity and Social Advocacy
A course designed to acquaint the student with the various facets of the modern school health program. Includes school responsibilities for health and safety instruction, school health services, school environmental health problems, school and community relationships, resources for health, and evaluation of programs.
Nature of drug actions, motivational factors that influence the use and abuse of drugs, and examination and evaluation of procedures to provide effective drug prevention efforts.
Examines policies and practices for tobacco prevention and control in public health.
An analysis and appraisal of issues related to the production and distribution of products and services as these activities affect consumer health.
The development of interpersonal skills in dealing with health clients in various settings.
Application of observation techniques, field notes, informant interviewing, and secondary data analysis to interpreting differential perceptions of health problem solving in the community and clinic.
Socio-cultural factors in health, illness, healing, and in medical systems. Cross-cultural and ethnographic evidence for public health research and program applications.
Cross-listed course: ANTH 552
Identification and analysis of major community health problems, their causes, the roles of individuals, community agencies, and government in affecting their solutions. Emphasis upon personal involvement and the responsibility for community health.
Graduation with Leadership Distinction: GLD: Community Service
Conceptualizing the nature of the stress; psychological, emotional, and spiritual aspects of stress; competency in the active management of stress and mobilizing support.
The role of food in defining our relationships to our family, community, nation, and world. How food underlies much of the political, economic, and social struggles throughout the world.
Examination of nutritional concerns, requirements, and metabolism from pre-conception through the aging process; analysis of cultural, environmental, psychosocial, physical, and economic factors affecting nutritional status through the life cycle; and methods for assuring adequate nutrition through dietary selection, promotion of healthy eating throughout the life cycle and nutritional assessment for each state of the life cycle.
Public health issues, social and behavioral science, policies, programs, and services related to maternal and child health in the United States and other countries.
Cross-listed course: WGST 621
Health status and concerns of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities. Includes an examination of measurement issues and methodological considerations in research, as well as intervention efforts targeting LGBT populations.
Graduation with Leadership Distinction: GLD: Diversity and Social Advocacy
A multimedia course emphasizing health education strategies for major S.C. health problems, risk factors, and concepts of positive health behavior.
The ways behavioral economics can help achieve goals in public health and health care. How behavioral insights can be applied to reach promotion aims ranging from achieving weight loss to medication adherence to appointment attendance.
Assessment of nutritional outcomes and work with research participants/patients. Methods for collection of dietary data, anthropometry, and body composition, including the use of new technologies. Nutrition counseling and interviewing techniques useful in gathering nutrition information.
A survey of current concepts in clinical and public health nutrition which are unique to infants, children, and pregnant and lactating women.
Examination of health sciences and sociological research on social networks, social capital, and health. Theoretical and methodological foundations for network analysis of social relationships and health, design of public health interventions, and use of online social networks to promote health. Key constructs include social support, social capital, and social diffusion.
Approaches for prevention of childhood obesity, using perspectives from public health, social work, exercise science, pharmacy, medicine, and behavioral nutrition. Training to teach diet/physical activity lessons in elementary school settings.
Cross-listed course: SOWK 679
Practical laboratory skills and theoretical bases of measurements in human physiology; bioelectrical potentials, respiratory physiology, energy expenditure, body composition, temperature regulation, and biochemical assays.
Comprehensive overview of contemporary topics in sexual health.
The role of effective behavioral interventions in preventing the spread of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and other sexually transmitted infections (STI) among diverse populations.
Graduation with Leadership Distinction: GLD: Diversity and Social Advocacy, GLD: Research
Topics to be assigned and approved by advisor and department head.