This course is part of the Foundations of Public Health Practice Specialization

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Dr Richard J Pinder

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Associated with the Global Master of Public Health degree
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Foundations of Public Health Practice SpecializationImperial College London

About this Course

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The Health Protection course is the third instalment of the wider Foundations of Public Health Practice specialisation from Imperial College London's Global Master of Public Health (MPH). The scope and content of this course has been developed from the ground up by a combined team of academics and practitioners drawing on decades of real-world public health experience as well as deep academic knowledge. Through short video lectures, practitioner interviews and a wide range of interactive activities, learners will be immersed in the world of public health practice.
Designed for those new to the discipline, over three modules (intended for three weeks of learning), learners will become familiar with the scope, theory and implementation of behaviour change in the context of public health practice. The course begins by challenging learners about their preconceptions about healthy and unhealthy behaviour - seeking to contextualise these ideas within the broader public health approach (the first course of this specialisation). The course thereafter swiftly covers the origins of risk communication and behaviour change through the lens of health psychology and classical economics, before introducing ideas of bounded rationality and the genesis of behavioural insights and so-called Nudges. By the end of the course, learners will be fluent with their use of the Behaviour Change Wheel methodology of intervention development and the application of the COM-B framework to a range of target behaviours and behavioural barriers.

The subsequent courses of this specialisation will cover health protection before moving into the final (degree learner) course which where learners will focus on developing the core professional skillset that defines public health practitioners - whether in service or academia.

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Course 3 of 4 in the

Foundations of Public Health Practice Specialization

Beginner Level

Approx. 16 hours to complete

English

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Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Course 3 of 4 in the

Foundations of Public Health Practice Specialization

Beginner Level

Approx. 16 hours to complete

English

Could your company benefit from training employees on in-demand skills?

Try Coursera for Business

Instructor

Instructor rating

4.9/5 (25 Ratings)

Dr Richard J Pinder

Consultant Public Health Physician

School of Public Health

25,936 Learners

5 Courses

Offered by

Imperial College London

Imperial College London is a world top ten university with an international reputation for excellence in science, engineering, medicine and business. located in the heart of London. Imperial is a multidisciplinary space for education, research, translation and commercialisation, harnessing science and innovation to tackle global challenges.

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This course is related to the 100% online Global Master of Public Health from Imperial College London. It will provide you with a preview of the topics, materials and instructors so you can decide if the full online degree program is right for you.

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Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Week1

Week 1

4 hours to complete

Module One: Behaviour and behaviour change principles

This third course, "Behaviour and Behaviour Change", part of the wider Foundations of Public Health Practice specialisation, is designed to introduce learners to the topic of behaviour and the centrality of behaviour change throughout public health. A very broad lens is cast on behaviour change as the course encompasses everything from clinical intervention up to national-level regulation and legislation. This first module, entitled "Understanding Behaviour" introduces learners to what behaviour means in the context of health improvement, and examines how we interpret risk. We look at risk communication before examining the health psychology literature and three common theories of behaviour: The Health Belief Model, Social Cognitive Theory and the Theory of Planned Behaviour. The second lesson examines more modern insights into behaviour through the lens of behavioural economics, examining behavioural insights and the application of nudge-based techniques.

4 hours to complete

9 videos (Total 33 min), 8 readings, 2 quizzes

9 videos

Meet the Team (Optional): Richard Pinder3mMeet the Team (Optional): Samantha Alvarez Madrazo3mMeet the Team (Optional): Katharine Collet3mMeet the Team (Optional): Talia Boshari3mMeet the Team (Optional): Carolyn Sharpe3mMeet the Team (Optional): Helen Skirrow2mAn introduction to behaviour and behaviour change2mWhy is behaviour important in public health?5mRisk analysis and motivation5m

8 readings

About Imperial College London & the FPHP Team5mHow to be successful in this course5mGrading policy5mGlossary5mThinking about behaviour and how it impacts on health5mAn evolution to risk communication and understanding uncertainty1hFraming risk40mConclusion10m

2 practice exercises

Describing behaviour and riskDescribing behaviour and risk20m

Week2

Week 2

5 hours to complete

Behaviour change models

5 hours to complete

5 videos (Total 23 min), 8 readings, 2 quizzes

5 videos

Introducing social norms and the influence of culture5mNudge: an introduction to behavioural economics6mNudges in public health practice5mBuilding nudge into policy: MINDSPACE and EAST5mConclusions to the module1m

8 readings

An introduction to behavioural theories5mCore Theory 1: The Health Belief Model5mCore Theory 2: Social Cognitive Theory5mCore Theory 3: Theory of Planned Behaviour5mQuick recap and even more theories of behaviour!5mApplying behavioural insights to public policy1h 30mApplying behavioral insights to public policy30mApplying behavioural insights to public policy10m

2 practice exercises

Describing and applying behaviour change models25mDescribing and applying behaviour change models40m

Week3

Week 3

6 hours to complete

Module Two: Analysing behaviour and effecting change

This third course, "Behaviour and Behaviour Change", part of the wider Foundations of Public Health Practice specialisation, is designed to introduce learners to the topic of behaviour and the centrality of behaviour change throughout public health. A very broad lens is cast on behaviour change as the course encompasses everything from clinical intervention up to national-level regulation and legislation. This second module, entitled "Analysing behaviour and effecting change" introduces learners to the Behaviour Change Wheel methodology that incorporates the COM-B model of behaviour. Students are guided through the latest approaches to behavioural analysis and evidence-based intervention development. While the module focuses on physical activity, we draw upon a range of other topics from the breadth of public health practice including medicines adherence and school-based interventions.

6 hours to complete

7 videos (Total 35 min), 8 readings, 2 quizzes

7 videos

The Behaviour Change Wheel (BCW) methodology2mStage 1: Mapping the target behaviour against the COM-B domains6mStage 2a: Identifying intervention functions4mStage 2b: Selecting policy options4mBCW methodology in Boston: Stage 1 - analysing the problem using COM-B6mBCW methodology in Boston: Stage 2a - selecting intervention functions4mBCW methodology in Boston: Stage 2b - selecting policy categories6m

8 readings

How to use the Behaviour Change Wheel methodology1hUsing the COM-B approach in medicines adherence45mStage 3: The Behaviour Change Taxonomy (BCT)10mReflections on the BCW methodology5mIntroduction to the worked example10mSummary of recommendations3mReflections on our Boston example3mConclusion10m

2 practice exercises

Introducing the behaviour change wheel methodology15mDescribing and applying the BCW Methodology40m

Week4

Week 4

1 hour to complete

Module Three: Theory into practice

This third course, "Behaviour and Behaviour Change", part of the wider Foundations of Public Health Practice specialisation, is designed to introduce learners to the topic of behaviour and the centrality of behaviour change throughout public health. A very broad lens is cast on behaviour change as the course encompasses everything from clinical intervention up to national-level regulation and legislation. This third module, entitled "Theory into practice" builds on learners' existing knowledge of the Behaviour Change Wheel methodology and invites them to undertake their own rapid analysis of a public health problem and propose their COM-B diagnosis and BCW-based intervention via a peer-review exercise.

1 hour to complete

2 videos (Total 8 min), 2 readings, 1 quiz

Reviews

4.8

20 reviews

5 stars
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4 stars
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3 stars
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1 star
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TOP REVIEWS FROM FOUNDATIONS OF PUBLIC HEALTH PRACTICE: BEHAVIOUR & BEHAVIOUR CHANGE

by SJJun 25, 2020

I felt this had too much material but not enough assignments. The instructor seemed unsure sometimes in videos.

by MSMay 20, 2020

wonderful course. Get to learn about behavior as a health worker.

by DNJun 23, 2020

I thoroughly enjoyed the course and the Behavioral Change Wheel.

by SHNov 2, 2020

Thank you for an excellent course. Samantha Henry,Guyana

View all reviews

About the Foundations of Public Health Practice Specialization

This specialisation will enable you to reflect on and cultivate the behaviours you require to become an effective public health professional –whether as an academic, practitioner, clinician, manager or leader.The specialisation is shaped into four courses covering the origins of public health, health improvement, behaviour change, and health protection. The specialisation will draw upon learning from the Statistics for Public Health and Epidemiology for Public Health specialisations, and builds the foundations of public health knowledge.

By the end of this specialisation, you will be able to: 1. Use the principles which underpin public health as a discipline in order to articulate public health objectives; 2. Critically analyse public health challenges using data and health intelligence in order to characterise need and prioritise actions for key stakeholders 3. Devise effective interventions using behaviour change theory and other public health approaches in order to improve population health outcomes; 4. Assess both operational and strategic health protection threats in order to recommend appropriate management actions to relevant parties; 5. Reflect upon one's own professional skills, attitudes, and behaviours in order to improve leadership capability and personal effectiveness in public healthpractice; 6. Apply appropriate health protection, health improvement and disease prevention interventions in order to improve public health programmes.

Frequently Asked Questions

When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:
The course may not offer an audit option. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid.
The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
What is the refund policy?
If you subscribed, you get a 7-day free trial during which you can cancel at no penalty. After that, we don’t give refunds, but you can cancel your subscription at any time. See our full refund policy.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.

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Foundations of Public Health Practice: Behaviour & Behaviour Change

About this Course