Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Fall 2024 - BPK 140 D100

Contemporary Health Issues (3)

Class Number: 6151

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Sep 4 – Dec 3, 2024: Thu, 8:30–10:20 a.m.
    Burnaby

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Explores health from a holistic perspective, in which health is viewed as physical, psychological, and social well-being. Considers genetics, environment, personal health behaviors (such as diet, exercise, stress management, and drug use), socioeconomic status, health care delivery systems, and aging with the intent to improve students' abilities to evaluate health information. Breadth-Science.

COURSE DETAILS:

This course is organized into 13 units designed for a 13-week semester. The following topics will be covered over the 13-week semester. 

 

Topics 

·                Health Wellness and Assessing Credibility 

·                Healthcare Delivery 

·                Infectious Disease and Sexually Transmitted Infections 

·                Cardiovascular Disease and Diabetes 

·                Cancer 

·                Physical Activity 

·                Nutrition 

·                Weight Management 

·                Mental Health 

·                Drugs and Alcohol 

·                Relationships and Human Sexuality 

·                Fertility and Fertility Control 

·                Environment and Climate  

 

The course will consist of one 2-hour lecture and one 1-hour tutorial each week. There are NO tutorials during the first week of the course.

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

·       To be able to identify and compare different health models 

·       To be able to identify modifiable risk factors of major health conditions such as CVD, Cancer, Diabetes and Hypertension 

·       To be able to critically evaluate health claims 

·       To be able to provide rationale for trends in infectious disease 

·       To understand guidelines and components of Physical Activity as it pertains to health 

·       To be able to outline factors to determine a healthy diet and global dietary issues 

·       To understand the role of mental health in overall health and learn coping strategies in    times of stress 

·       To identify the role of human sexual behaviour in overall health 

·       To identify the impact of drug use in society on health and disease 

·       To be able to discuss the Canadian Health Care System and its model of operation 

·       To better understand how Environmental issues play a role on the health and well-being of the human population. 

 

Grading

  • Weekly Canvas Quizzes (Weeks 2-13) 10%
  • Online Discussions (Week 5 and Week 9) 10%
  • Midterm Exam (Week 7) 30%
  • Tutorials (Weeks 2-13) 10%
  • Final Exam (Week 14/15) 40%

NOTES:

IMPORTANT: Academic Honesty and Student Conduct 

 

Academic honesty is a condition of continued membership in the University community. Academic dishonesty, including plagiarism or any other form of cheating is subject to serious academic penalty including but not limited to failure of an assignment or a course, cancellation of scholarships, suspension or expulsion from the University. The University codes of student conduct and academic honesty are contained in policies T10.01 and T10.02 which are available on the SFU website via www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student.html. As a student of the University community, you are responsible for being aware of, and abiding by, University policies. This course has a zero-tolerance policy for academic dishonesty. Any incidents of academic integrity violations will be reported and penalties will be assessed. 

It is required that you take both the Academic Integrity and Plagiarism tutorials before continuing in the course.  

 

IMPORTANT: Failure to Attend an Examination or Submit an Assignment 

 

NO EXCUSE FOR MISSING ANY ASSIGNMENT DEADLINES OR ANY EXAM WILL BE ACCEPTABLE UNLESS COMMUNICATION WITH COURSE SUPERVISOR IS INITIATED PRIOR TO THE EXAM DATE. FOR MEDICAL CONCESSIONS, SFU'S CERTIFICATE OF ILLNESS MUST BE FILLED IN BY YOUR PRIMARY PHYSICIAN, MUST STATE THAT YOU WERE PHYSICALLY UNABLE TO COMPLETE THE EXAMINATION, MUST BE COMPLETED ACCORDING TO SFU POLICIES, AND MUST BE FILED ALONG WITH THE FACULTY OF SCIENCE ONLINE CONCESSION REQUEST (STORED FOR REFERENCE) https://advance.science.sfu.ca/science/concession/   

DOCUMENTS MUST BE FILED WITH THE SUPERVISOR WITHIN FOUR (4) CALENDAR DAYS OF THE DATE ON WHICH THE EXAM WAS TO HAVE BEEN WRITTEN. EXCEPTIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES MUST BE APPROVED BY THE UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM COMMITTEE TO RECEIVE CONSIDERATION. IF AN ALTERNATE EXAM IS APPROVED, IT WILL BE AN ORAL EXAM AT THE INSTRUCTOR’S CONVENIENCE AND IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO ARRANGE YOUR SCHEDULE TO ACCOMMODATE THE EXAM. 

 

REQUIREMENTS:

Weekly Quizzes 

There are weekly online quizzes that gives you an opportunity to test your understanding of the material and to get an idea of the important concepts associated with each unit. There will be 13 quizzes in total (Week 1 is practice only; Weeks 2-13 count for marks), each associated with a particular unit. Quizzes will be available each Monday and due the following Sunday at 11:59 pm during the week in question unless otherwise specified. The first quiz will be a practice quiz and will not count towards your grade. No arrangements for alternate quiz times or make-up quizzes will be made. Your lowest quiz score will be dropped. 

 

Online Discussion 

There are 2 graded unit discussions (worth 5% each). These discussions will occur in small groups that will be created in tutorials at the start of the semester. You should assume that discussions will be in your small group unless otherwise noted. The format is explained in detail within the Discussions page on Canvas. The discussions are set up in a way that you will only be able to see others' postings after you have posted.  

 

You will be graded on the quality of contribution and on your participation. Please note that quantity is not necessarily indicative of quality. Be sure to post early in the week. Monitor the discussion as it progresses, responding to and building on your classmates' posts using the prompts provided. Look for prompting questions from time to time as the discussion progresses. 

 

TUTORIALS

Students MUST attend the tutorial for which they have registered.

Tutorials will begin in the second week of classes.

Exams 

There is one midterm and a final exam in this course. Both exams are in person at the Burnaby Campus. No arrangements for alternate format or timing will be made. 

 

Grades* 

Your final grade will normally be determined according to the following scale. 

 

A+   >92         4.33 

A     87-91      4.00 

A-    82-86      3.67 

B+   78-81      3.33 

B     74-77       3.00 

B-    70-73       2.67 

C+   65-69       2.33 

C      60-64       2.00 

C-    55-59       1.67 

D     50-54       1.00 

F       <50          0.00 

 

*This is the grade scale that will normally be used. However, the supervisor reserves the right to modify particular score-to-grade conversions. For more information about grading criteria see the BPK Undergraduate FAQs. 

 

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

Textbook* – required 

Irwin, J., Burke, S., Insel, C., Insel, M., Roth, W.T. (2023). Core Concepts in Health (4th ed.). McGraw-Hill. ISBN:  1260881318 · 9781260881318 

 

*Note: The textbook can be purchased online through McGraw Hill or through the SFU Bookstore. Hardcopy or electronic versions of the textbook are acceptable. Access to Connect is NOT required.  

 

Any readings or videos beyond the textbook will made available for download as PDFs or links. 

 Overall, there are several core resources to support your learning in this course, including: 

·                Course Textbook 

·                Course Readings 

·                Lectures and Lecture PDFs 

 

REQUIRED READING NOTES:

Your personalized Course Material list, including digital and physical textbooks, are available through the SFU Bookstore website by simply entering your Computing ID at: shop.sfu.ca/course-materials/my-personalized-course-materials.

Department Undergraduate Notes:

It is the responsibility of the student to keep their BPK course outlines if they plan on furthering their education.

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

SFU’s Academic Integrity website http://www.sfu.ca/students/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating. Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English.

Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the university community. Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the university. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the university. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html

RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION

Students with a faith background who may need accommodations during the term are encouraged to assess their needs as soon as possible and review the Multifaith religious accommodations website. The page outlines ways they begin working toward an accommodation and ensure solutions can be reached in a timely fashion.