Module Code - Title:

FT6002 - NUTRITIONAL EPIDEMIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH METHODS

Year Last Offered:

2025/6

Hours Per Week:

Lecture

2

Lab

0

Tutorial

2

Other

0

Private

6

Credits

6

Grading Type:

N

Prerequisite Modules:

Rationale and Purpose of the Module:

In this module students will develop an understanding of epidemiological study designs and research concepts of direct relevance to the role of food and nutrition in the prevention and causation of disease. Nutritional epidemiology techniques for the assessment of diet and body composition of individuals and populations are covered in depth. The module covers sources of data on mortality and morbidity, measures of disease prevalence, incidence and risk, chance, bias and confounding. Students will use statistical software programme to analyse a population dataset pertaining to nutritional data.

Syllabus:

Fundamentals of nutritional epidemiology and overview of study designs.; The nutrition research process and ethical considerations; Biostatistics, accuracy and measurement calculations in nutritional epidemiology; Critical appraisal of the literature; Dietary assessment methodologies in nutritional research; Analysing a population nutritional dataset. This module will run over 10 weeks in Year 1, Semester 2 Spring from week 3 to week 12 - 2hour lecture and 2hour tutorial/workshop per week to be scheduled

Learning Outcomes:

Cognitive (Knowledge, Understanding, Application, Analysis, Evaluation, Synthesis)

1. Demonstrate fundamental understanding of terms and definitions used in nutritional epidemiology and concepts of measurements of disease. 2. Examine the features of different study designs in nutritional epidemiology and critically appraise the appropriateness for the research questions/hypothesis presented and methodology employed. 3. Design a simple epidemiological nutrition study in practice. 4. Critically analyse and interpret a small population dataset using biostatistics 5. Evaluate the role of ethics in nutrition research and the ethics code of conduct.

Affective (Attitudes and Values)

Critically reflect on the role of food and nutrition in preventing and causing disease.

Psychomotor (Physical Skills)

Measure and assess the dietary intake, anthropometry and body composition of individuals and population groups.

How the Module will be Taught and what will be the Learning Experiences of the Students:

Lectures, Workshops, Online modules, Computer labs

Research Findings Incorporated in to the Syllabus (If Relevant):

Prime Texts:

Macera C, Shaffer R, Shaffer PM. (2012) Introduction to Epidemiology: Distribution and Determinants of Disease , Cengage Learning

Liamputtong P (2013) Research Methods in Health , Oxford

Other Relevant Texts:

Programme(s) in which this Module is Offered:

Semester(s) Module is Offered:

Spring

Module Leader:

Generic PRS