Public Health and Nutrition

Knowledge related to the scientific area of ​​Dietetics and Nutrition acquired at the level of the 1st year of the degree, namely in curricular unit of Human Nutrition.

The curricular unit will be developed according to a theoretical model with moments of structured exposition of the contents and respective analysis and discussion or debate.

An interrogative and interactive methodology will be used prior to the presentation of the main contents and concepts, and demonstration/exemplified of them through their practical application in everyday situations and resorting, whenever appropriate, to videos, computer programs, professional tools. It also includes, and whenever justified, the autonomous study with research on the exposed contents and the reading and critical analysis of articles/texts.

Attending this course should allow students to be able to:

Have the capacity for criticism and self-reflection:

- About the role of the Dietitian as a health professional and the acquisition of necessary requirements for performance

the profession in the field of Public Health;

- About the theoretical principles that underlie the practice of Dietetics and Nutrition and how to maintain or

improve your performance;

- Have the ability to effectively contribute to group work, integrated into teams multidisciplinary;

- Knowing the history and development of Public Health in Portugal;

- Develop scientific and academic work complying with scientific research methodologies;

- Increase the ability to understand the profession and its importance in the field of Public Health;

1 - Health and Public Health:

- Epidemiology and its evolution as a science of public health;

- Historical evolution of concepts and relationship with nutrition;

- Disease prevention to health promotion;

- Health determinants;

- Public Health Indicators;

- International health care charters;

2 - National Health Service and the role of the nutritionist in Public Health.

- Organization of health services;

- Role of the nutritionist in public health;

- National health plan and respective programs;

3 - Main Public Health problems related to nutrition;

4 - Food and Nutritional Security in Public Health.

NAO

Primary:

SPARK, A., DINOUR, L. M., OBENCHAIN, J. (2016). Nutrition in Public Health – Principles, Policies and Practice.  CRC Press;

Secondary:

HUGHES, R., MARGETTS, B. M. (2011). Practical Public Health Nutrition. Wiley-Blackwell;

EDELSTEIN, S. (2011). Nutrition in Public Health – A Handbook for Developing Programs and Services. EUA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.