Public Health

HLTP 110. Introduction to Public Health. This course will explore the multidimensional aspects of public health in the United States from a historically aspect, current practices and potential future needs. Public health professional practice is diverse due to multiple cultures, environments, and health care delivery systems in the 21st century United States. Prerequisite: none.

HLTP 185. Service in Public Health. Partnering with the Moravian College Center for Career and Civic Engagement, students will contribute to the health and well-being of individuals and populations by serving community-based organizations and initiatives. As an integral part of service learning, students will reflection and present on their experiences and share ideas for capacity building and service improvements. Prerequisite: Approval of the public health program director.

HLTP 189 Biostatistics. This course introduces students to the key statistical concepts and methods used in public health and health sciences. The curriculum focuses on the following biostatistical topics: measurement, descriptive and graphical analysis, hypothesis testing, confidence intervals, correlation, analysis of variance, regression analysis, and writing and interpreting statistics. A major component of the course includes learning how to manage, analyze, interpret, and communicate quantitative health findings. Another major component of the course includes learning how to utilize SPSS, which is one of the leading statistical software packages for public health. This course prepares students to be a good consumer of health research. Students will apply ethical principles to data collection and recognize the importance of limitations based on study design. Prerequisite: none.

HLTP 218. Writing about Health. (WI) (cross-listed as ENGL 218) This workshop-based course introduces students to the practice of writing about complex medical topics with a focus on defining the purpose, identifying the audience and developing the appropriate tone for selected documents. Students will read and discuss representative works and will draft and revise a number of their own health-related documents. Writing intensive. Prerequisite: LINC 101 or WRIT 100.

HLTP 230. Epidemiology. This course is an introduction to the study of disease occurrence in human populations. Basic epidemiological concepts, data sources, study designs, and analysis are discussed. Emphasis is place on how epidemiology impacts the way we make personal decisions about our own lives and the ways in which governments and public health agencies make policy decisions that affect how we live. Prerequisites: none.

HLTP 231. Nutrition. (also IDIS 231) Food is essential not only for our health and wellbeing, but also for our basic survival. How we obtain, preserve, and prepare our food has changed drastically since the days when our hunter-gatherer ancestors discovered fire, domesticated the first livestock, and cultivated the earliest crops. Today, concerns about food safety, poor diets, and obesity dominate the U.S. headlines, and we are bombarded with all sorts of conflicting dietary claims in the media or via the internet. This course will focus on the science of nutrition: the macro and micro nutrients we need and why, the linkages between energy balance and body composition disordered eating, and food safety. Because there are so many false, conflicting, and newly-emerging (but as of yet, unproven) claims about diet and our health, we will also use the scientific understanding gained to help identify credible sources of information about nutrition, diet plans and dietary supplements, and food safety.

HLTP 240. Essentials of Health Behavior. In the search for why individuals make various health choices this course will explore many theories of the intricacies of human behavior and change. The health of individuals affects the health of their families, communities and society. Recognizing the complexity of human behavior and the related dynamics of cultural, social and environmental factors, students will analyze and evaluate various health intervention and programs.

HLTP 289. Social Determinants of Health. Social and economic conditions are the best predictors of health outcomes. Students will learn why a person’s zip code is a better predictor of health than genetic code. Students are introduced to emerging research on the social determinants of health and are challenged to experience social disadvantage. Health’s relationship to life chances and choices is critically analyzed throughout the course. Prerequisite: none.

HLTP 310.  Stats and Methods for Health Professions. Scientific method as the means through which knowledge advances in allied health fields. Developing and researching hypotheses, collecting data, testing hypotheses using appropriate statistical techniques, interpreting and reporting statistical results. Research methodology, descriptive statistics, and inferential statistics, as well as use of the computer software Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) to analyze data. Writing intensive.  Prerequisite: PSYC 120 and junior or senior class standing.  

HLTP 311. Professionalism in Public Health. Becoming a health professional requires building a base of knowledge, skills, and experiences. During the course, students reflect on their knowledge, skills, and experience. Based on this reflection fitting internship, graduate school, and/or career opportunities are identified. Elevator pitch, public speaking, community engagement, resume writing, and interview skills are developed and evaluated. Prerequisites: HLTP 110, 218, 230, 240, or instructor’s approval.

HLTP 315. Health Policy. This course provides a foundation for both healthcare professionals and citizens to evaluate, and potentially change, health policies which influence the quality of their lives. The course provides an overview of policymaking and the law, the U.S. healthcare system, and public health institutions. Current issues in health policy including individual rights, health economics, health insurance and reform, and healthcare quality are addressed. Students will practice basic skills in health policy analysis and communication for political success. Prerequisites: HLTP 110 Instructor's permission.

HLTP 321. Global Health. (also NURS 321) Global health explores the huge disparities of health from country to country. In the 21st century the ease of travel has erased the confinement of communicable diseases and bioterrorism to the borders of a country. The health advances of the 21th century are costly and often pose ethical dilemmas for their implementation. Improvement of global health is a complex and often misunderstood process. Lack of public health professionals in many countries can prevent implementation of beneficial changes. Millennium developmental goals and the World Health Organization goals will guide the study of this course. Prerequisites: HLTP 110 or Instructor's permission.

HLTP 330. Environmental Health. (also Environmental Studies 330) This course addresses key areas of environmental health. Environmental epidemiology, environmental toxicology, and environmental policy and regulation are discussed as tools necessary to understand and promote environmental health. Specific agents of environmental diseases are analyzed. Applications of environmental health, including water and air quality, food safety, waste disposal, occupational health, and unintentional injuries and death, are explored. Prerequisites: HLTP 110 or ENVR 110 or 112.

HLTP 340. Health Program Planning and Evaluation. (also Nursing 340) This course introduces students to the theory and application of public health program planning, implementation, and evaluation. The curriculum focuses on community needs assessment, partnership building, designing clear objectives, developing a strategic plan, implementing culturally competent interventions, formative and summative evaluation, and sustainability of programs. Students will design their own public health program and evaluation plan using a logic model and public health planning models. Prerequisites: HLTP 110 or Nursing 115