Overview

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

This course is an investigation of some of the health issues facing adolescents, in Canada and in other international contexts. We will review the health status of adolescents using a range of indicators and consider how gender, ethnicity, socio-economic position, sexual identity, immigrant status and disability influence adolescent health. Students will explore theoretical approaches used in adolescent health research and we will discuss programs and policies that could promote adolescent and prevent morbidity and mortality in adolescence and throughout the lifecourse. Topics will include eating, eating disorders and obesity; physical activity and inactivity; tobacco, drugs and alcohol; stress, suicide and mental health; sleep; sexual health; bullying and violence; and employment This course will provide students with an opportunity to reflect on their adolescence and personal experience with particular health issues and situate their personal experience in relation to the published research literature. Students with credit for HSCI 471 (2007) and HSCI 472 (2009) may not complete this course for further credit.

COURSE DETAILS:

The course format includes a 2 hour lecture followed by a 2 hour dialogue "lab". In the laboratory section of the course, there will be six debate weeks, where students will participate in a debate about a key issue related to the health of tweens, teens and twenty-somethings(e.g. Should high school hours be changed from 8:30am-2:30pm to 10:30am-4:30pm?). Each debate team will consist of 4 students. In weeks when you are not debating, you are expected to be an active audience participant. In other weeks, students will engage in a variety of activities designed to encourage dialogue about the week's material. Some of these activities will occur in a variety of locations across campus. 

The course is reading intensive (usually 3 articles per week) and requires a high level of engagement. We will be reading papers on marijuana use, pornography, social media, sexting, tattooes, bullying, eating disorders, stress and other topics of interest to this population. All participation marks are based upon active participation; there are no marks for merely showing up for class. Various preparation exercises will help to prepare you for the interactive dialogue and activities in the laboratory section of the course.  

Students from any faculty at SFU are welcome. You will make friends in this course!

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

*describe the health status of various groups of adolescents and twenty-somethings using a range of indicators and critically discuss health issues facing these populations today
*explain how a range of factors may act as potential determinants of health of adolescents and twenty-somethings
*identify and evaluate a range of information sources available to understand the health of adolescents and twenty-somethings
*demonstrate a critical, in depth examination of a particular health issue and communicate an idea/s for a program/resource/policy/research solution to address that particular issue; and
*appreciate your personal experience of health in relation to the published literature.

Grading

Materials

MATERIALS + SUPPLIES:

TopHat required.

REQUIRED READING: