Interdisciplinary Sciences I

Module General and applied hygiene

Knowledge and Understanding

Students will acquire knowledge of the factors influencing the health and disease potential of populations, understanding the main determinants of risk and the basic principles of epidemiology and prevention.

Applying Knowledge and Understanding

Students will be able to apply the knowledge acquired to identify and assess different types of health risks and to interpret epidemiological data for prevention purposes.

Making Judgements

Students will develop the ability to critically analyze health determinants and to formulate informed judgments in risk management.

Communication Skills

Students will be able to clearly communicate information regarding risk factors and prevention strategies.

Learning Skills

Students will acquire methodological tools useful for continuous professional development in the fields of epidemiology and prevention.

The course includes classroom-based frontal teaching with a focus on fostering continuous interaction with students to develop their ability to apply the knowledge acquired during the course.

No prerequisites. A basic school-level knowledge level is required.

General Concepts of Epidemiology. Health and its determinants. Definition of Hygiene and Epidemiology. Health Indicators.

Epidemiological Studies. Observational and Experimental Epidemiological Study Models. Measures of association between exposure and effect.

Environmental Hygiene. Definition of environment. Studying the relationship between the environment and health. Identification of causative agents and risk factors. Risk analysis. Definition of hazard and hazard classification. Dose-response assessment. Preventive measures.

Epidemiology and prevention of chronic-degenerative diseases. Risk factors and protective factors. Primary and secondary prevention.

General requirements and measures for protection from biological risk. Classification of biological agents. General measures for protection from biological risk.

Epidemiology and prevention of infectious diseases. Concepts of infection transmission - Sources and reservoirs of infection - Chains of contagion - Epidemics - Endemics - Sporadicity. Primary and secondary prevention - Active and passive immune prophylaxis.

The maximum score will be awarded to the student who demonstrates mastery of the topics, the ability to relate acquired knowledge, presentation skills, and mastery of disciplinary vocabulary.

Definition of primary and secondary prevention. Definition of source and reservoir of infection. Classification of biological agents. Cohort studies: study design and main characteristics. Risk analysis. Risk measures. Air pollution.