Investigate your health topic : TUBERCULOSIS and create a presentation

The written report is an opportunity to investigate your health topic in detail and practice longer form academic writing. Below is the suggested structure although you may choose to have additional subheadings specific to your topic. Some of the content will replicate information in your presentation but please ensure that you use academic language (non-emotive) and cite sources of all information.

1.0 Introduction (5%)  [~150 words]

In this section you should introduce your topic, describe what your report is about, and define any necessary terms. At the end of the introduction, include a clear statement of purpose. You will need one to two paragraphs and this section should include references.

2.0 Overview of health topic and determinants (15%)  [~350 words]

In this section you should clearly describe your allocated health topic - what it is and what causes or contributes to it (i.e. specific social determinants and/or risk factors).

3.0 Rationale for health topic needing action (20%) [~400 words]

In this section you should describe who the health issue affects (populations of interest), how many it affects (prevalence and incidence) and how badly it affects them (morbidity and mortality). You should include statistics (where appropriate) such as:

• trends of the health issue in Australia (or another relevant country) over at least 8–10 years (is this issue increasing or decreasing in severity/impact?);
• gender and/or age differences in those affected; and
• any vulnerable or marginalised groups disproportionately affected.

Consider whether a table, graph or image would be useful. Ensure that tables or graphs are properly labelled and the source identified and referenced. Sources may include journal articles, publications from government and semi-government bodies, and research statistics. Consider your chosen health issue in the context of definitions of health, public health and health promotion as well as the social determinants of health.

4.0 Primary prevention 1 (Health Education) (15%) [~250 words]

In this section you should describe ONE program that is (or has been in the past) used to prevent this health issue and would be considered to fit within a Health Education approach as discussed in the unit. A program is a specific set of activities used to change someone’s behaviour or reduce their risk of disease by a specific organisation or government department. Do not discuss a broad approach such as social marketing or peer education. Find a specific program that has been implemented and evaluated (i.e. has been tested to see if it was successful in some way) - you may use government or organisational websites for this section. Describe the features of the program and what impact it has had on the epidemiology of the health topic. If you cannot find a program in the country you have discussed in the previous section find one in a similar country and explain how it could be relevant to your context.

5.0 Primary prevention 2 (Policy) (15%) [~250 words]

In this section you should describe ONE policy/law that could be used to prevent this health issue from occurring. Describe the features of the policy/law and how it impacts the epidemiology of the health topic. Prioritise identifying a policy/law that has actually been implemented (even if not in your country of choice). For some health topics this may be difficult in which case find a policy/law that has been recommended by experts in peer reviewed journal articles.

6.0 Conclusion (5%) [~100 words]

In this section you should remind the reader of the overall content and purpose of the report. Reiterate why your health issue requires action. Include information regarding who is most at risk and who health promotion programs should be aimed at in the future (e.g. whole population or a particular target group). Don’t include any new information in the Conclusion and references are generally not necessary for this section.

7.0 References (5%)

You should use a minimum of five peer-reviewed journal articles (published later than the year 2010) although you may require more to ensure that all of your statements are justified. There is no maximum number of references. You may also consider information sourced from authoritative sites on the Internet such as the Australian Institute for Health and Welfare, Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet and the Australian Bureau of Statistics. However, the latter should not make up more than 20% of your references and will not count towards the five peer-reviewed journal articles which should be your main source of information. Please do not use textbooks as references.

Referencing is tedious and requires patience and discipline but it is not difficult. Do not try to remember how to reference. Always have your referencing guide by you when you are writing a reference and make sure you follow it exactly. The alternative is to use Endnote (referencing software that automatically formats your references). You will be required to use Endnote for assessments later in your degree so it is worth becoming familiar with it now.

Other assessable criteria

Adding the marks for each of these seven sections together gives you 80%. The other 20% of the marks apply to the written paper overall and are divided into the following four areas. The explanation from the ‘excellent’ category in the marking guide is included here to make clear you know what to do in order to get full marks.

• Paraphrasing, citing and referencing (5%)
  Paraphrases well and references well. No errors with citing and referencing.