HSN301 - Diet and Disease

Unit details

Year:

2024 unit information

Enrolment modes:Trimester 1: Burwood (Melbourne), Warrnambool, Waurn Ponds (Geelong), Online
Credit point(s):1
EFTSL value:0.125
Unit Chair:Trimester 1: Shaun Mason
Prerequisite:

HSN211

Corequisite:Nil
Incompatible with: HSN703
Typical study commitment:

Students will on average spend 150 hours over the teaching period undertaking the teaching, learning and assessment activities for this unit.

This will include educator guided online learning activities within the unit site.

Educator-facilitated (scheduled) learning activities - on-campus unit enrolment:

Burwood (Melbourne) students:
2 X 1 hour lectures per week
6 x 2 hour on-campus or online seminars per trimester

Waurn Ponds (Geelong) students:
2 X 1 hour stream or online recorded lecture per week 
6 x 2 hour on-campus or online seminars per trimester

Warrnambool students:
2 X 1 hour stream or online recorded lecture per week and 6 x 2 hour on-campus or online seminars per trimester
Seminar attendance is not a hurdle requirement but attendance is strongly recommended.

Educator-facilitated (scheduled) learning activities - online unit enrolment:

2 X 1 hour stream or online recorded lecture per week and 6 x 2 hour online seminars per trimester.
Recorded Burwood (Melbourne) lectures will be available to all students on the unit site.

Content

This unit concentrates on major nutrition-related components of the major non-communicable diseases that affect the health of developed nations. Topics include: the metabolic syndrome, obesity (regulation of energy balance, health consequences, best practice dietary interventions); cardiovascular disease (atheroma pathophysiology, lipoprotein metabolism, dietary management); type 2 diabetes (T2D) (the role of diet and physiological mechanisms in the pathogenesis and treatment of T2D); nutrient-gene interactions (epigenetic methylation, histone modifications and single nucleotide polymorphisms); mental health (role of nutrients in the brain and effect on several significant mental health pathologies) and cancer (dietary components as indicators, promoters or protective agents).

ULO These are the Learning Outcomes (ULO) for this unit. At the completion of this unit, successful students can: Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes

ULO1

Explain the aetiology and pathophysiology of common nutrition-related diseases.

GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities
GLO6: Self-management

ULO2

Explain the role of different nutrients and diets in the prevention of common nutrition-related diseases.

GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities

ULO3

Search, interpret and critically evaluate scientific publications on the relationship between diets and nutrition-related diseases.

GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities
GLO4: Critical thinking

ULO4

Synthesise current scientific knowledge on the prevention of nutrition-related diseases and produce reports for a professional and lay audience.

GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities
GLO2: Communication
GLO3: Digital literacy
GLO4: Critical thinking
GLO5: Problem solving
GLO6: Self-management

Assessment

Trimester 1:
Assessment description Student output Grading and weighting
(% total mark for unit)
Indicative due week

Assessment 1: Assignment 1

1000 words 20%
  • Week 5

Assessment 2: Assignment 2

2000 words 40%
  • Week 9

Assessment 3: Multiple choice quizzes

3 x multiple choice quizzes 10%
  • Weeks 3, 7 and 11

Assessment 4: End-of-Unit Assessment

90 minutes 30%
  • End-of-unit assessment period

The assessment due weeks provided may change. The Unit Chair will clarify the exact assessment requirements, including the due date, at the start of the teaching period.

Learning Resource

There is no prescribed text. Unit materials are provided via the unit site. This includes unit topic readings and references to further information.

Unit Fee Information

Fees and charges vary depending on the type of fee place you hold, your course, your commencement year, the units you choose to study and their study discipline, and your study load.

Tuition fees increase at the beginning of each calendar year and all fees quoted are in Australian dollars ($AUD). Tuition fees do not include textbooks, computer equipment or software, other equipment or costs such as mandatory checks, travel and stationery.

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