Learning objectives
Allow the student to be able to know and understand the tools and the basic methodology to develop and use the own and specific concepts of hygiene in the prevention of infectious and non infectious diseases.
Among the competences acquired, students will be able to:
develop self-analysis of certain health risk factors, prevention strategies both individual and collective, and of interventions to preserve and promote the health of healthcare workers and users.
Prerequisites
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Course unit content
The course deals with aspects related to the aim of epidemiology as a fundamental tool to identify Public health problems, risk and protective factors, and to plan and to evaluate public health interventions. The first lesson deals with the general and specific aspects of Hygiene, Preventive Medicine and Public Health, referring to the concepts of health and disease. In the following lessons, the fundamental elements of the general epidemiology of infectious and non-infectious diseases, the basic tools of Public Health used in the context of primary, secondary (screening), tertiary and quaternary prevention are presented; the concepts of primary prevention of infectious and non-infectious diseases and related operational tools are explored in depth. In the last part of the course, the hygienic quality of water intended for human consumption within environmental hygiene and food hygiene, with particular reference to the importance of food in the transmission of pathogens to humans and strategies for optimal conservation are treated.
Full programme
Health and disease concepts
Epidemiology: definition and study areas. Causal and risk factors. Epidemiological metodology and overview of health demography. Data sources. Epidemiological measures, health indicators, rates and proportions (prevalence and incidence). Risk measures and causal relationship. Association. Epidemiological studies.
General epidemiology of infectious disease: sources of infection, mode of transmission, channels of infections. Features favoring the spread of infections. Ways of infections onset in the population.
The levels of prevention (quaternary, tertiary, secondary, primary prevention).
General prophylaxis of infectious diseases, notification, isolation, disinfection, sterilization, active and passive immunization, chemioprophylaxis.
General principles of epidemiology and prevention of not infectious diseases. Screening definition and main features of a screening test, sensitivity, specificity, predictive values. Screening campaigns.
Epidemiology and prevention of care-associated infections.
Drinking water. Quality-supply sources and possible ways of pollution; requisites of the water drinkability.
Food hygiene-public health aspects. Brief mentions of epidemiology and prevention of food-borne diseases. Methods of food preservation.
Bibliography
Barbuti, Fara, Giammanco et al. Igiene Medicina Preventiva Sanità Pubblica. Edises (2014)- II Ed. 2022.
Pontello, Auxilia. Igiene, Medicina Preventiva e salute globale. Padova: Piccin, 2021.
Signorelli C. Igiene e sanità pubblica. Secrets. Domande e risposte. Editore SEU (2021).
Didactic material available on the specific platform (ELLY).
Teaching methods
The course will be conducted through frontal lectures, with interactive teaching. Visual aids will support lessons, and these materials will be available to students on the Elly platform.
Assessment methods and criteria
The assessment of the definited objectives achievement consists of an oral examination. Through questions about the contents of the course will be determined whether the student has achieved the goal of knowledge and understanding of the content and whether it is able to apply the knowledge acquired in the exercise of profession.
Students with learning disabilities (DSA/BSE) must contact the University's Center for Accommodation and Inclusion (cai@unipr.it).
Other information
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