Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences

Module Information
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EPH2022  - Lifestyle, Work and Health in the EU

Period 2: from 28-10-2024 to 20-12-2024
Co-requisites:
None
Coordinator: Meertens, R.
ECTS credits: 8
Language of instruction: English

Publication dates timetable/results in the Student Portal

Deadline publication timetable
The date on which the timetable of this module is available: 11-10-2024

Deadline publication final result
The date on which the final grade of this module is available: 24-1-2025


Resit booking

Exam booking for a test in current academic year (resit)
You will be booked automatically for the resit in one of our resit periods. You may check our calenders to find out which modules can be retaken and when: https://intranet.maastrichtuniversity.nl/nl/fhml-studenten/studieverloop/wanneer-wat
As of one week before the resit test takes place, you can check in Student Portal if you are booked correctly: Student Portal > My Courses > More actions. The test will also be visible in your time table.

Exam booking for a test from a previous academic year (exam only)
All students who have not passed the test for this module in a previous academic year, will be booked automatically for the test during the regular block period. You will be enrolled in the new course in Canvas but not scheduled for a tutorial group and other educational activities. If you do not wish to participate in this test at the end of the regular block period please de-register via askFHML.

Though great care has been taken to assure the accuracy of the information on fhmlweb, the FHML cannot be held responsible for possible printing errors, incomplete information, or misinterpretations. Additionally, the FHML reserves the right to make changes to this information.


Course information

Description: EN:

After students have gained insight in the determinants of health and public health methods in general (courses EPH1021 and EPH1022), and in the influence of the (macro) social and physical environment on health (course EPH1024), this course specifically focuses on lifestyle and work characteristics as determinants of health. Students will also be introduced to methods to improve health and quality of life by intervening in these determinants, i.e. by health promotion, work-related interventions, and (EU) policies and regulations regarding lifestyle and work.

The course is structured according to a socio-ecological model, in which individual health is seen as a result of micro, meso and macro level influences and their interactions. On the micro level, the course focusses on the individual’s lifestyle, i.e. the individual’s health-related behaviour. On the meso level the focus of attention is on the work characteristics and how these influence employee health, and on the macro level the focus is on EU policies and regulations with regard to lifestyle and occupational health.  

Work characteristics can affect individual health directly (e.g. dangerous or stressful working situations), and indirectly through lifestyle (e.g. shift work leading to an unhealthy lifestyle). Students will also be introduced in how socio-economic status, work characteristics and lifestyle interact, and how this contributes to socio-economic inequalities in health.

The socio-ecological model is also used to describe how interventions or (EU) policies and regulations can lead to improved health and quality of life. On a micro level, it is addressed how the individual’s behaviour can be changed to a healthier lifestyle. On a meso level, it is addressed how work characteristics can be improved and how the work site setting can be used for promoting a healthy lifestyle.  And on a macro level, it is discussed how (EU) policies and regulations can lead to more health and well-being. 
Goals: EN:

By the end of the course, the student:

-Organizes and applies lifestyle and work related determinants of health on a micro, meso and macro level, and analyses what this means for interventions and policies.

-Analyses lifestyle and work influences on health and inequalities in health, and analyses what this means for interventions and policies.

-Analyses real-world data on health status and inequalities in relation to life style, work and work settings.

-Describes and compares health-relevant public policies with respect to lifestyle and occupational health at Member State and EU levels.

-Describes taxonomies of organizational factors and policies within work environments that impact health status

-Inventories and describes specific examples of public health with respect to lifestyle and the work context.

-Distinguishes among various categories (i.e. types) of work related and health promotion interventions at community, organization and policy levels.

-Matches research methods and data analysis to work-related and health promotion interventions.

-Applies critical academic thinking tools to dilemmas in work-related and health promotion policy, practice, and scientific research.

-Presents on public health topics for a lay audience.

-Identifies personal bias and prejudices related to distribution of responsibility and blame for (poor) health and acts responsibly to address them.

-Has experience with alternative forms of problem-based learning (i.e. flipped classroom).

Key words: EN:
Lifestyle, Work characteristics & conditions, Lifestyle interventions, Socio-economic health differences, Health Promotion, Occupational Health, Work place, Socio-ecological model.
Literature: This is the link to Keylinks, our online reference list.  
Teaching methods:
  • Assignment(s)
  • Work in workgroup(s)
  • Lecture(s)
  • Paper(s)
  • Problem Based Learning
  • Presentation(s)
  • Training(s)
Assessments methods:
  • Assignment
  • Attendance
  • Computertest
  • Final paper
  • Participaion
  • Presentation
  • Written exam

This page was last modified on:27-4-2023
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