SHN6502: Contemporary Issues in Public Health and Individual Wellbeing
Due on: 23 January 2026
Assessment Pack contents:
Short introduction to the task.
Key terms
Key resources
Template to outline structure and content
Rubric to understand marking criteria
Video to explain it.
Short introduction to the task:
You must pick a current public health issue, which is apparent in the UK. This must be supported by data and statistics from reliable, valid sources. You must be able to use this information to identify a target group.
You must follow the template to ensure that you meet the learning outcomes for this module.
You have 2,000 words to cover the areas, and this component is worth 50% of your overall grade.
This assessment covers learning objectives 1, 2, 3 and 4:
Demonstrate critical awareness of the key debates in contemporary public health.
Engage with the practical, moral and ethical issues that drive public health in a contemporary context that is dynamic and impacted by issues such as funding and liberty.
Evaluate the application of various approaches to securing positive public health outcomes relative to issues of age, race, class, education and geographical location.
Demonstrate high levels of communication skills, using a variety of media to deliver and secure positive public health outcomes.
Key terms:
Economical, Education, Health Literacy, Equity, Social Justice, Ethics, Principality, Law, Governance, Liberty, Awareness, Theories, Positive Public Health, Digital, Promotion, Campaign
Key Resources:
Reading List:
Core texts
Berridge, V. (2016). Public Health: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press.
Corrigan, PW. (2014). The stigma of disease and disability: Understanding causes and overcoming injustices. Washington DC: American Psychological Association.
HM Government, (2011). No Health Without Mental Health: A cross government mental health outcomes strategy for people of all ages. Her Majesty’s Government/Department of Health.
Schenker, MB. (2014). Migration and Health: a research methods handbook. University of California Press.
Tulchinsky T. & Varavikova E. (2000). The New Public Health: An introduction for the 21st Century. (Chapters: 1, 2, 4, 5, 9)
World Health Organization, (2015). World Report on Ageing and Health. WHO.
Recommended texts
Brown, GW., Yamey, G., Wamala, S., and Afshin, A. (Eds) (2014). The handbook of global health policy. Wiley-Blackwell.
Falge, C., Ruzza, C., and Schmidtke, O. (Eds). (2012). Migrants and health: political and institutional responses to cultural diversity in health systems. Burlington, VT: Ashgate
Green, J., Tones, K., Cross, K., and Woodall, J. (Eds) (2015). Health promotion, planning and strategies. SAGE Publications.
Rosenberg, S. J., & Rosenberg, J. (2013). Community mental health: Challenges for the 21st century. Routledge.
Schutt, RK. (2015). Investigating the social world: The process and practice of research. University of Massachusetts Boston. SAGE.
Sharma, M., Branscum, P., and Atri, A. (Eds) (2014). Introduction to community and public health. San Francisco, California: Jossey-Bass.
Buse K, Mays N, Walt G. Making Health Policy.
Clinton C & Sridhar D. Governing Global Health: who runs the world and why.
Crisp N. One World Health.
Deaton A. The Great Escape: Health, Wealth and the Origins of Inequality.
Farmer P. Pathologies of Power: Health, Human Rights and the New War on the Poor.
Freire P. Pedagogy of the Oppressed.
Hickel J. The Divide.
Marmot M. The Health Gap: The Challenge of an Unequal World.
McMichael, Woodward A, Muir C. Climate change and the health of nations: famines, fevers, and the fate of populations.
Missoni E, Pacileo G, Tediosi F. Global Health Governance and policy: an introduction.
Sen A. Development as Freedom.
Sontag S. Illness as Metaphor and AIDS and its Metaphors.
Wilkinson D & Pickett K. The Spirit Level: why greater equality makes societies stronger.
Journals
American Journal of Public Health: AJPH
Annual review of public health
BMC Public Health
Critical Public Health
European Journal of Public Health
Global Public Health: An International Journal for Research, Policy and Practice
Health Education and Behaviour: The Official Publication of the Society for Public Health Education
Journal of Public Health
Journal of Public Health Research
Journal of School of Public Health and Institute of Public Health Research
Perspectives in Public Health: Formerly Journal of the Royal Society for the Promotion of Health
Quality of Life: A Multi-Disciplinary Journal of Food Science, Environmental Science and Public Health
Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence in this module
This module maintains a policy that you may not use generative AI to assist you in the process of undertaking the assessment.
Websites
www.parliament.uk
www.ons.gov.uk
www.ageuk.org.uk in particular the ‘Later in Life in the UK’ report, 2016.
DFID Health: https://www.gov.uk/international/health-in-developing-countriesLinks to an external site.
Gapminder: https://www.gapminder.orgLinks to an external site.
Global Fund: https://www.theglobalfund.org/en/Links to an external site.
IHME: http://www.healthdata.orgLinks to an external site.
Lancet Global Health Portal https://www.thelancet.com/global-healthLinks to an external site.
Our World in Data: https://ourworldindata.orgLinks to an external site.
SDGs: https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdgsLinks to an external site.
UNDP: https://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/Links to an external site.
UNDP: What does it mean to leave no one behind?
https://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/librarypage/poverty-reduction/what-does-it-mean-to-leave-no-one-behind-.htmlLinks to an external site.
UNICEF: https://www.unicef.orgLinks to an external site.
WHO: https://www.who.int/en/Links to an external site.
World Bank: http://www.worldbank.orgLinks to an external site.
Worldmapper: http://worldmapper.org/index.html
Template:
Assessment 1: Rationale for Poster campaign (50%)
Please include the following sections:
Background (15%): Here you should describe the public health issue at hand, supported by data and recent statistics as figures if available on specific target groups that are most affected. You must cover the last five year or less history of the issue, making sure that you include political, social and economic perspectives. These may be made into subheadings in your rationale.
Literature review (20%):
Here you should critically review examples of previous (last 5 years) or current public health interventions with images; addressing the issue among the selected target population(s). You must consider the findings of these and impact? Contemplate the strengths and weaknesses of the interventions and discuss how successful they were. (2 or 3 interventions). Look for articles/reports that reviewed these interventions
Please go on to discuss what effects are generally achieved by a poster campaigns. What media may be used and why may this make it more successful e.g., QR codes.
What are poster campaigns
How effective are they
What media outlets can be used and what are the benefits and disadvantages
Rationale for poster (35%): Considering a poster as main delivery mode for your intervention, define what it should entail:
what are the campaign goals and objectives (e.g., changes in knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, behaviours, skills, social environment, policies, etc.)?
who is the desired target audience and why? rationale
what are the communication objectives of the poster ? What would you want the poster to achieve
how would it reach the desired audience and how would it prompt to action? Communication medium- social media, etc
what key message should the poster have, what arguments should it include? What would you want your poster to communicate- background, statistics, benefits, etc
How would you consider your poster effective? Evaluation?
What are the barriers in this mode of promotion campaign and how to overcome these barriers? Barriers to poster campaign? how to overcome
What would be your underpinning behavioural theory
Ethics (20%) What ethical considerations should you make when designing such a poster. Can you mention some theories/concepts in ethics. (covered in teaching materials or (e.g., readability, functional and health literacy, accessibility) to maximise social justice and equity?
Academic literature and referencing (10%). Use of academic literature and accurate referencing style. APA 7TH Edition
Element of Assessment
Criteria
Outstanding 1st Class
100, 95, 92
Excellent 1st Class
88, 85, 82
1st Class
78, 75, 72
2:1
68, 65, 62
2:2
58, 55, 52
3rd Class
48, 45, 42
Fail
38, 35, 32
Abject Fail
25, 20, 10, 0
Background (15%)
Describe the public health issue at hand, supported by data and recent statistics on specific target groups that are most affected.
Outstanding description of the public health issue with recent, relevant, and up-to-date data, citing credible sources.
Outstanding and detailed description of specific target groups that are most affected by the issue. The description includes an excellent summary of relevant statistics and critical review of relevant research literature about why and how these groups are affected.
Excellent description of the public health issue showing a very good selection of available evidence, with relevant and up-to-date data.
Excellent description of specific target groups, showing very good understanding of subgroup differences and engagement with the data.
The description of the target group shows strong engagement with the literature base.
Excellent description of the public health issue showing a good selection of available evidence, with relevant and up-to-date data.
Very good description of specific target groups most affected by the issue, showing good understanding of subgroup differences and engagement with the data.
The description of the target group shows strong engagement with the literature base.
A very good description of the public health issue. Evidence is broad and relevant, showing discernment in selection.
The description of specific target groups most affected by the issue is well elaborated but could be enhanced by more relevant and updated statistics, data, and literature.
Good rationale was provided for public health issue, with a good selection of relevant evidence.
The description of specific target groups most affected by the issue is well developed but includes enough resources including statistics, data, and literature.
Public health sufficiently described, using some evidence.
The description of the target groups most affected by the issue is superficial but backed up by some relevant and updated evidence.
Some attempt at providing a justification for the focus and the target group but lacking in supporting evidence.
The description of the target groups most affected by the issue is superficial and not supported by relevant and updated evidence.
The public health issue is described with very little if any supporting evidence.
There is very little to no description of the specific target groups most affected by the issue.
The summary includes little to no statistics and literature about the issue related to the target groups.