Master of Public Health Nutrition

Purpose

The qualification encourages advanced intellectual achievement in the form of productive scholarship and research. The Exit Level Outcomes of the qualification is to ensure learners will be able to:

• Access, critically review and apply relevant scientific information.
• Develop, design and implement a research project.
• Critically discuss the application of ethical principles to nutrition support therapies for patients with various clinical conditions.

Rationale

The aim of public health nutrition interventions is to implement effective and sustainable policies and strategies to deal with the increasing public health challenges related to diet and health. Nutrition is a major modifiable determinant of chronic disease, with scientific evidence increasingly supporting the view that alterations in diet have strong effects, both positive and negative, on health throughout the lifecycle (Scanlan, 2004). Dietary adjustments may not only influence a person's present health, but may determine whether or not such an individual will develop a disease later in life, such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, or diabetes. Current nutrition and food strategies are focusing on the treatment of disease and are not addressing the prevention of the chronic diseases that beset the population. Thus the Public Health Nutritionist's role is to focus on the level of nutrition and health among the population, as well as conduct nutrition and agriculture interactions for improved health.

Therefore this qualification will provide interdisciplinary training in public health, food and nutritional sciences to prepare the learners for careers as public health nutritionists in public health practice, government agencies, academic institutions, health care systems and the private sector. The public health nutrition field must be prepared to respond to the challenges facing the achievement of the millennium development goals. The qualification aims also to up skill current nutritionists and other health care workers or other practitioners in related fields in new areas to face the demands of a dynamic public health climate in areas such as nutritional assessment, food accessibility, food policy and assurance, conducting, monitoring and surveillance of healthy people and making a contribution to reducing hunger through sustainable food security programmes.

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

The institution has an Assessment and Recognition of Prior Learning (ARPL) policy in place.

The Master of Public Health Nutrition conforms to the institution's Policy for the Assessment and Recognition of Prior Learning (ARPL) as well as the RPL policy of the Faculty of Health Sciences.

The policy defines the process that must be followed in the assessment of an application for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) at postgraduate level and provides information pertaining to assessment tools that can be used in the assessment of RPL applications. In order to meet the requirements for the Master of Public Health Nutrition learners would need to submit a portfolio outlining their relevant prior learning. The RPL process is subjected to the Faculty's quality assurance process. Unsuccessful learners may appeal according to the relevant appeal procedures as stated in the Institution's General Calendar Part 1.

Entry Requirements

For admission to the Masters of Public Health Nutrition a learner should have an NQF Level 8 qualification (or international equivalent) in Health, Natural or Agricultural Sciences.

This qualification is offered either as a dissertation or as a coursework. For the coursework option, the qualification comprises compulsory modules and elective modules at NQF Level 9, totalling 180 Credits. For the dissertation option there is a module comprising 180 Credits.

Coursework

Compulsory Modules

• Nutritional Epidemiology, 30 Credits.
• Economic Evaluation in Health Care, 12 Credits.
• Introduction to Health Systems and Services Research, 12 Credits.
• Research Thesis in Public Health Nutrition, 90 Credits.

Elective Modules

• Nutrition, Health and the Environment, 9 Credits.
• Food Security, 9 Credits.
• Advanced Nutrition Analysis, 9 Credits.
• Food, Nutrition and Livelihood in Humanitarian Emergencies, 9 Credits.
• Nutrition and Economic, Human and Social Development, 9 Credits.
• Public Health Nutrition Policies and Programming, 9 Credits.
• Nutrition in Health and Disease Prevention, 9 Credits.

Or

Dissertation (Compulsory)

• Research Thesis in Public Health Nutrition, 180 Credits.

1. Access, critically review and apply relevant scientific information.
2. Develop, design and implement a research project.
3. Critically discuss the application of ethical principles to nutrition support therapies for patients with various clinical conditions.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1

• The nutritional effects of policies in other sectors, such as, environment, education and social development are evaluated.
• Sustainable food-based approaches are formulated and implemented in solving population nutrition and health problems at local, regional and international level.
• Understanding of the environment and circumstances of the community are understood and this is related to the nutritional problems observed.
• Insights from the scientific literature are applied to understand the Food Security situation with a particular Focus on Sub-Saharan Africa
• Insights from research, policy and programmatic literature are applied to assess approaches to addressing food insecurity in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).
• The contribution of nutritionists and dieticians are evaluated to addressing food security challenges in SSA.
• Policies are planned and developed to improve nutrition in populations that require advanced nutrition assessment and analysis.
• Nutrition monitoring and surveillance system are planned and implemented for a community or populations.
• The possible role of international nutrition and aid organisations are appraised to assist in the management of emergency and crisis situations with respect to food and nutrition security
• Evidence-based approaches and strategies are proposed to promote health and nutrition security.
• Success factors in public health micronutrient interventions are critically analysed.
• Recommendations are made relating to key evidence base nutrition interventions for maternal and child health

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2

• Social determinants of health is synthesised and applied to content, and the necessary skills are gained to design, analyse and present data.
• An understanding of the process of acquiring, handling and analysis of data from a conceptual through to implementation, of nutritional situation analysis at individual, household, community and population level is shown.
• The difference between a (narrative) review, systematic review and meta-analysis is understood and applied appropriately.
• Articles based on the strength of evidence are assessed and articles are appraised based on systematic review criteria.
• Statistical inferential techniques are applied and interpreted.
• Limitations to sampling error and sampling bias in planning dietary intake studies are explained.
• Design strategies for either qualitative or quantitative or mixed method research are employed correctly.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3

• The ethical aspects of epidemiological research is explained and employed correctly.
• The main ethical principles in medical and nutritional research are understood.
• The importance of patient autonomy in the decision-making process is discussed.
• Familiarity with the various regulations of health research in South Africa is shown.

Integrated Assessment

There will be both formative and summative assessments for the coursework. Final marks for theoretical modules will consist of class mark (35% - Sun Learn discussions, assignments, tasks) and examination (65%). A minimum of 50% is required for all individual modules. The research final marks will be 15% protocol, 10% project execution, 65% thesis and 10% oral examination/result presentation. The research will be assessed as follows: 15% protocol, 10% project execution, 65% thesis and 10% oral examination/result presentation.