OVERVIEW

This assignment requires you to complete a literature review of the current best evidence on the determinants of a chosen health issue.

The purpose of this assignment is to demonstrate you can achieve the following Unit Learning Outcomes:

 Demonstrate an understanding of the wide range of factors that need to be considered in thinking about the possible “causes” of specific health outcomes;

 Demonstrate the nature and importance to human health of communicable diseases, environmental health, food and nutrition and non-communicable diseases; and

 Discuss in detail the nature and scope of public health, including attention to current challenges.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Choose ONE of the following health issues:

1. Suicide in young adult males
2. Type 2 diabetes-related renal failure in adults
3. Cardiac disease in adults

2. Identify the significance of your chosen health issue within a defined population (e.g. suicide amongst young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander males, or cardiac disease in women in India), using sources such as the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare and the Australian Bureau of Statistics (or other relevant agencies if you are investigating these health issues in another country). (n.b. Significance can be identified through statistics relating to prevalence of health issue, changes in prevalence over time, morbidity and mortality associated with health issue etc.)

3. Search current (from 2012 to present) published literature and select ten academic sources (journal articles, government or health agency reports, texts) that provide evidence on the social determinants which influence your chosen health issue within the defined population. As you conduct your search, keep a record of the search terms, any inclusion and exclusion criteria and search engines you use. Use the template provided in the Assessment 2 folder to record this information.

2

4. Write a critical analysis which compares and contrasts the main themes you have identified in your sources which relate to the determinants of your chosen health issue. Multiple sources must be discussed within each theme (e.g. what does the literature identify as the main determinants of your chosen health issue amongst the defined population? What are the common themes in the literature, and where do they differ? What are the strengths and limitations of the evidence cited in the literature?)

5. Write in a formal and concise academic style, and structure your essay clearly – you may use headings if this assists you to organise the content. (NB do not use ‘Main body’ as a heading!).

Your literature review should follow this structure:

1. a) An Introduction that (i) identifies the purpose and scope of your paper; (ii) succinctly describes the significance of your chosen health issue; and (iii) outlines the structure of the paper. scope refers to whether your analysis is focused on a particular population group (e.g. cardiac disease amongst women in Australia). ii. significance can be explained using statistics and other data which highlight what percentage of the defined population is affected by this health issue in comparison to the general population, what levels of mortality and/or morbidity are associated with this health issue in the defined population etc.).  iii. structure of your paper refers to how you have ordered your discussion

1. b) A brief explanation of the literature search undertaken. Include search terms, inclusion and exclusion criteria and search engines used. Include a brief explanation of how articles were evaluated and chosen for inclusion in the literature review. (n.b. use the information you recorded in the template (see Point 3 above) for this section)

1. c) A critical analysis which compares and contrasts the main themes you have identified in your sources which relate to the determinants of your chosen health issue. (This is the main body of your essay!). Multiple sources must be discussed within each theme.

1. d) A Conclusion, in which you restate the main purpose of your essay and summarise the key findings from your review of the literature. Explain how this knowledge could be used to inform future public health actions to address your chosen health issue amongst the defined population. That is, how could the main evidence you have discovered from your analysis of the literature be used to enhance public health initiatives around your chosen topic? Do not include any new information in the conclusion.

6. e) An end text reference list. Do not exceed 2000 words. A minimum of 10 different academic references is required to support your literature review.

7. Please read the PPT on writing literature reviews, which has been uploaded to the Assessment 2 folder on BB.

3

8. Please follow the APA assessment format, using the ECU Referencing Guide to assist you – http://www.ecu.edu.au/centres/library-services/workshops-and-training/referencing/relatedcontent/downloads/

ECU-Referencing-Guide-2014-July-update.pdf  9. Your assessment should be formatted using 1.5 or double spacing, indenting paragraphs, Arial 11 or Times New Roman font 12 and correct formatting and ordering of reference list (alphabetical order of first author and hanging indents).

10. Refer to the HST5161 Assessment 2 Marking Key (below) for further guidance on marking criteria.

11. When you have completed your report, copy and paste your Word document to the 3rd page of the ECU Assignment Cover Sheet, which you can access at: http://intranet.ecu.edu.au/__data/assets/word_doc/0010/64936/

AssignmentElectronic_Portrait.docx .

NB you must use this version of the cover sheet, as it has been designed specifically to be uploaded through Turnitin, and includes the English Language Proficiency measures. Please don’t forget to complete the information in the cover sheet.

12. Save this document in the following file name format: your surname, your first name initial_HST5161 Assessment 2 (e.g. Smith, G_HST5161 Assessment 2).

HOW TO SUBMIT Assessment 2 must be submitted via the Blackboard site for HST5161 > Assessments > Assessment 2 Turnitin link.

Prior to the due date, you will be able to submit your paper multiple times via Turnitin to check for plagiarism and originality. Once the due date has passed, all assignments submitted at that time will be considered to be the final version, and will constitute the assignment which will be marked. It is therefore students’ responsibility to complete assessments in a timely manner so as to make best use of the Turnitin system.

LEARNING MATERIALS RELEVANT TO THIS ASSESSMENT Unit material from Modules 3 to 5 are pertinent to this assessment.