Critical Understanding of Nutrition Related to Public Health Assignment

Introduction to the specific issue of public health nutrition in a community or nation

1    Demonstrate a critical understanding of nutrition related to public health, from the underpinning science through to the regulatory, economic and policy implications 
2    Assess and evaluate data from nutritional surveys in order to identify markers of nutritional status that allow development of interventions in the promotion of health in populations.     

What am I required to do in this assignment?

This assignment will identify a population of interest, e.g. a specific malnutrition (or nutrient deficiency) etc, within a community or nation, then write a coherent and realistic experimental design to explore a nutritional intervention. This will be based on current published data or national/community/population specific programmes to improve the intervention. 

You will demonstrate:
Critically evaluate the supporting and contradicting evidence regarding intervention or nutritional strategy to improve nutritional status, as well as dietary intake and nutritional value and formulate a diet strategy to meet the needs of the chosen population.    

This assignment brief provides the basic structure and requirements of your report. However, further specific guidance will be provided in tutorials. You must read and follow the specific guidance in addition to this assignment brief.
An individual report will be with  3000 (+ 10%) words with the following guideline/template: 
a)    Introduction: Background of the specific issue of public health nutrition in a community or nation and why it needs assessment (including aims and objectives)
b)    Intervention 

•    Review the risk factors on the identified nutritional issues in a population
•    Review current successful models or intervention strategy used to tackle the similar issue related public health nutrition. 
•    Propose/design an intervention based on a specific target population 
You should clearly review a theoretical framework of your intervention. You must explain why you have selected your specific intervention approach based on appropriate supporting scientific literature. Doing so you will acknowledge gaps and/or contradictions; ability to work at the current limits of theoretical and research knowledge.

c)    Evaluation 
You must provide an effective evaluation plan.Doing so you will illustrate how the proposed intervention would be evaluated to determine its effectiveness. Practical and methodological issues surrounding its implementation should be considered. 

What do I need to do to pass? (Threshold Expectations from UIF)

Produce a literature review - based upon a population of interest for which nutritional data is available Evaluate current published data and national / community / population specific programmes to improve health through nutritional interventions. 

Assessment of the risk factors on the identified nutritional issues in a population

Produce an individual report that evaluates the supporting and contradicting evidence regarding markers of nutritional status, as well as dietary intake and nutritional value and formulate a nutritional programme to meet the needs of the chosen population How do I produce high quality work that merits a good grade?

•    You should provide a strong justification for the proposed intervention. Appraisal and analysis should be competent and sometimes insightful and/or imaginative 
•    Develop a critical understanding of the application and limitations of nutritional public health initiatives in a chosen community, or national and / or international contexts. 
•    Critically identify the risk factors/markers of nutritional status that allow development of interventions in the promotion of health in populations.
•    Critically evaluate specific public health nutrition programmes through nutritional interventions/strategy to improve health, e.g. caused by over and under nutrition. You should state outcomes for nutrient adequacy and select important and changeable determinates.  

Minimal introduction with some omission of detail. Section lacks clarity and focus.  Weak analysis type rationale provided. A reasonable introduction to the topic. Section written in a mostly clear and concise fashion.  Reasonable  justification for the proposed intervention provided A good introduction to topic. Section written in a clear manner. Good focus.  Good analysis type rationale provided. A good  justification for the proposed intervention with a good appraisal and analysis for the  outcomes of  nutrient adequacy section written in a thoughtful, clear and concise manner. Work has precise focus. Excellent analysis type rationale provided. An excellent justification for the proposed intervention with a competent appraisal and analysis for the  outcomes of  nutrient adequacy.

Intervention Section is minimal but supports some parts of the work done.  Many errors present. Minimal requested components included. Section is appropriate, and mostly unambiguous.  Some errors present. Some requested components included. Section is good, unambiguous, concise and focussed.  Minor errors present.  Most requested components included. Section is excellent, unambiguous, concise and focussed.  All requested components (a theoretical framework of your intervention, which is based on appropriate supporting scientific literature with excellent theoretical and research knowledge) included.Evaluation (30%) and conclusion (5%) Minimal use of illustration to summarise evaluation. Minimal consideration on the practical and methodological issues surrounding its implementation. Many errors present. 

 An excellent evaluation plan by illustration how the proposed intervention would be evaluated to determine its effectiveness. Practical and methodological issues surrounding its implementation should be considered. The conclusion is very clear and concise

Spelling, grammar, referencing & presentation  Work has many errors in structure, presentation and referencing skills. Work has some errors in structure, presentation and referencing skills. Work has good structure, presentation and focus. Report shows a good scientific writing style. Work is well referenced. Minor errors present. Work has excellent structure, presentation and focus. Report shows an excellent scientific writing style. Work is fully referenced and is in Harvard referencing format.