Units / NUT3082
NUT3082 · Public health nutrition
2026 Handbook6 credit pointsLevel 3Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food
Last checked: 23 Aug 2026 UTCOverview
This unit will review the concepts and approaches of population health in the context of nutrition. The content will explore current public health nutrition practice issues related to priority issues such as obesity, food security and the food supply. A systems based, health promotion framework to addressing priority nutrition issues will be discussed and current public health nutrition practice will be evaluated. Students will explore the political foundations of public health policy in Australia including the impact of public health policies and will develop skills in policy analysis and public health advocacy. This unit will provide students with the foundations knowledge in preparation for the development of skills of the practice of public health nutrition. The key theme explored in this unit is Theme 2: Determinants and influences on population health and nutrition coupled with partial integration of content from Theme 4: Food: from science to systems.
Areas of study: Nutrition Dietetics
Offerings
| Campus | Teaching period | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| Clayton | Second semester | Teaching activities are on-campus (ON-CAMPUS) |
Assessment
The Handbook does not list a final examination among the assessment items. That is not a guarantee there is none.
| # | Assessment | Type | Weight | Hurdle |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Advocacy pitch (1,500 words) | Artefact | 40% | — |
| 2 | Public health nutrition program plan (2,500 words) | Project | 30% | — |
| 3 | Policy analysis (15 mins and 1,000 words) | Project | 30% | — |
Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.
Requisites
The Handbook lists no prerequisite, corequisite or prohibition for this unit.
Learning outcomes
- Describe the current key public health nutrition priorities and issues in Australia and the policy frameworks that support these.
- Appraise the political, environmental, social and economic influences on public health nutrition goals and practice.
- Explore opportunities for beneficial social, environmental and nutritional change to the Australian food supply.
- Evaluate how public health policy may influence food consumption and nutrition status.
- Apply a socio-ecological, systems based approach to understanding and managing population nutrition issues.
- Employ best practice frameworks and approaches for planning, implementation and evaluation of these issues in the development of nutrition interventions.
- Explain the use of and process of public health advocacy and apply the advocacy framework to a current public health nutrition issue.
Workload
Week 1 - 12: 3 hour interactive workshops and 3 hour pre/post class activities, and self-directed study.
| Activity | Duration |
|---|---|
| Workshops | 28 hours |
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