Module Aims

This module equips students with foundational skills in quantitative health impact assessment (HIA), emphasising practical applications. It focuses on upstream determinants of health such as transport and urban planning, environmental exposures (e.g. air pollution), and behavioural risk factors (e.g. physical activity, diet, tobacco smoking), and examines how these contribute to the burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and mortality. The modelling principles taught are widely applicable, including for interventions within the health care sector. There will be a focus on methods used for understanding health related inequalities.
Students will be introduced to the key theories, methods, models, and tools needed to conduct robust, data-driven health impact assessments. They will learn to quantify health risk at both population and individual levels, assess how interventions can shift these risks, and simulate the resulting impacts on health outcomes.

Module Learning Outcomes

By the end of this module, students should be able to: 

1. Understand the role and range of applications of quantitative HIA.
2. Identify the main steps in conducting a quantitative HIA.
3. Explain the calculation methods used at each step in the HIA process.
4. Perform key calculations required for a quantitative HIA.
5. Interpret model outputs, including checking results and presenting them in reports / scientific publications

Pre-requisites

Principles of Epidemiology; Principles of Biostatistics; Conducting Research using R; Principles of Public Health

Teaching Strategy

The module is delivered using a combination of lectures, class discussions and individual and group practical sessions.

Assessment

The module will be assessed through a practical exercise due during the assessment week, accompanied by a set of questions designed to encourage critical thinking about modelling choices in quantitative health impact assessment.. 

Module Length

4.5 days