Title:	Global Nutrition
Keywords:	Public Health Nutrition Malnutrition Child health
Country:	Norway
Institution:	Norway - Centre for International Health, Universitetet i Bergen
Course coordinator:	Prof. Ingunn Marie S. Engebretsen
Date start:	2025-04-22
Date end:	2025-05-09
About duration and dates:	Pre-reading before the course starts: 0,5 ECTS/15 hrs SIT +3 weeks full-time study. Regarding admission, please visit here: http://www.uib.no/en/cih/71970/courses-cih (annual application deadline 1 November)
Classification:	advanced optional
Mode of delivery:	Face to face
Course location: Centre for International Health University of Bergen P.O. Box 7804 N-5009 Bergen Norway
ECTS credit points:	5 ECTS credits
SIT: In total 150 SIT, including: Lecture/tutor contact is 35+6 SIT (27%) Group work is 6+5+30 SIT (27%) Individual work, reading and exam is 68 SIT (46%). Breakdown of all 150 hours: 65 hrs of fixed hours: -35 hrs face-to-face lectures -10 hrs of theoretical group work preparation -6 hrs of practical group work -5 hrs of group work peer-review -6 hrs of group work presentation -3 hrs of exam 10 hrs of e-learning with video lectures and digital exercises on Canvas, the university learning platform. 45 hrs individual reading and self-study 30 hrs written assignment peer reviewed to be submitted within 2 weeks.
Language:	English
Description: At the end of this module students should be able to ● Describe the nutritional challenges globally in our world today, and compare regional trends in nutritional indicators, and recognize food as a human right. ● Assess the interaction between nutrition and health, especially in low-resource settings and among children. ● Discuss the influence of gender, trade, policy and climate change to the production of food in general and the commonest food crops in the world, smallholder’s production systems, subsistence farmers’ strategies and livestock ● Independently use relevant methods for research focusing on use of scientific literature about preventive strategies relevant for SDG 1,2,3
Assessment Procedures: There will be three assessments, and summative assessments (i) and (ii) must be done in order to take (iii) the final graded exam: i. Summative assessment of the theoretical and practical group work with peer review and presentation. Oral feedback will be given by course teachers on content issues in written and presented work. This method assesses if the students are able to differentiate and criticise health matters of the relevant dietary and food practices connected with it. ii. Written assignments on a given nutrition-related health challenge by small groups/pairs with peer review. The assignment is 800-1200 words. Summative assessment and written feedback by course teachers will be given for each written assignment. iii. 3-hour exam The assessment will be an individual exam-evaluation of multiple choice questions and short questions capturing their ability to use and demonstrate advanced knowledge expected according to the learning objectives. The exam is graded and basis (100%) for the students’ final grade. Below 60% is FAIL. Students wanting individual feedback on their grade can request thid through student online system. An example of an assessment is given in the annex. Grades A-F The students need to pass the group and pair/small group assignments in order to get their marks for the final 3h exam. This course is designed for 1st year master students in the spring semester. If the student fails to pass the 3 h exam, and has met the other requirements, he/she will be allowed to resit the exam the following year.
Content: Content: The course content is divided into three parts. Food security and gender issues in food production are key areas and are discussed throughout the course. Implementation science and bio-medical and public health research supporting the various interventions. Focus on child, gender, climate, policy and assessment issues. NCDs are included, and a focus on NCDs and elderly. Discussion on sustainable diets. 1. Overview of global nutrition Overview of the world nutrition situation in relation to other critical issues for our common future, including: poverty, demographic changes, water, sanitation, climate change and other environmental issues, the UN Sustainable Development Goals and food as a human right, epidemiology of global nutritional problems and their current trends. 2. Health and nutrition The influence of nutrition on the health status, including: immunity, diseases of poverty, non-communicable diseases, maternal and child health, child feeding. 3. Food production and nutrition in low-resource settings Overview of crop and livestock systems, household fuel, food production, post-harvest technology, marketing and subsistence farmers strategies.
Methods: Each course day has a mixture of lectures and practical sessions, with group work or individual work on specific assignments. The lectures are interactive, and course participants are encouraged to ask questions and discuss during all sessions. The group work also facilitates student-to-student interaction. The group- and individual tasks facilitate direct feedback from the lecturer. The reference literature will be made available online at least 2 weeks in advance of the course. Scientific papers will be handed out for reading, group work and presentations/ discussions in plenary together with the course facilitators/ lecturers. A food- and crop-exercise is included in the group work preparation. The students will be expected to research and present farming and production systems, environmental aspects, nutritional and health values of the respective chosen crop, prepare the crop for eating. Focus will be on roots; legumes; lentils and vegetables commonly served in LMICs.
Prerequisites: 1. Students admitted to a Master’s degree p rogramme may join this course (e.g. t ropEd network). 2. English competence: Good working knowledge of English (TOEFL score of at least 550 points paper-based or 213 points computer-based, or an equivalent approved test) is required. 3. Special requirements: background holding at least a bachelor´s degree or similar in nutrition; agriculture, food and nutrition, medicine, social anthropology or other allied health professions.
Attendance: Maximum 40 students, including max. 10 tropEd students Minimum 5 students.
Selection: Preference will be given to those registered for an MSc or PhD programme in international health/global health; Master in clinical or human nutrition at University of Bergen and troped students. Previous work experience in a low-income country is a merit.
Fees: No course fee, only a semester fee to the student union of around 500 NOK; about 55 Euro must be paid by students outside the University of Bergen; to cover administrative cost.
Scholarships: None
Major changes since initial accreditation: Content: Most of the course-content remains the same, but with stronger focus on implementation science and bio-medical and public health research supporting the various interventions. Child, gender, climate, policy and assessment issues have a stronger focus. Also, NCDs are more clearly included, added a focus on NCDs and elderly. More discussion on sustainable diets. Removal of historic crop methods. Learning methods: The joint cooking exercise is removed and placed as part of the practical group work. This was considered more time efficient and good for establishing group dynamics. Assessments: The old individual written assignment is replaced by the same assignment in pairs/small group. The rationale for this shift was varying quality of the individual assignments which is expected to improve students’ group work. It will also allow a thorough written feedback to the points raised. Reasons for change of assessment methods: Before all three assessment elements were basis for grading. Now grading is based on the exam, but to be allowed for the exam you need to pass the other assessments.
Student evaluation: In general the international student groups have been very positive towards this course finding it relevant, interesting and useful for their master. Feedback on issues that were not so good has been on a bulky and busy schedule, particularly having this as a compulsory course, and this overlapping with other activities.
Lessons learned: The largest improvement based on student feedback is improved communication throughout the entire course period. Reliable, clearly defined learning goals which the students recognize in the online platform given as modules, have been more streamlined over the last 5 years. The interaction between the master students in clinical nutrition having this as a compulsory course and the other, mostly international students having this as an elective course is very important for both student groups and both are benefitting from that interaction. The interaction through group work, meals and continuous dialogue is very beneficial for both groups. The nutrition students are stronger in nutrition science, the other students are stronger in implementation and public health science. The synergies that are established in the group work is improving overall learning.
tropEd accreditation: Accredited in May 2017 and December 2022 This accreditation is valid until December 2027.
Remarks: 22.Key reading: Book chapter: ● WHO 2009: Infant and young child feeding: Model Chapter for textbooks for medical students and allied health professionals, or related update Reports: ● Ambition and Action in Nutrition 2016-2025, WHO ● The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2022 (And latest update) ● Training Course on child Growth Assessment: WHO Child Growth standards, Module C: Interpreting Indicators (WHO, 2008) ● UN Standing Committee on Nutrition. latest on the world nutrition situation. Per 2022: The UNSCN 2016-2020: Capturing the learnings from its final years ● Lancet Series on Maternal and Child Undernutrition: Progress 1. Revisiting maternal and child undernutrition in low-income and middle-income countries: variable progress towards an unfinished agenda. Lancet 2021;397:1388–99. ● UNICEF, WHO, WB: Levels and trends in child malnutrition. Joint Child Malnutrition Estimates. Key findings of the 2020 edition or subsequent updates ● Eliminating postnatal HIV transmission in high incidence areas: need for complementary biomedical interventions. Lancet 2021; 397: 1316–24 ● Guideline: Updates on the management of severe acute malnutrition in infants and children, WHO 2013 ● The double burden of malnutrition. A review of global evidence. Roger Shrimpton and Claudia Rokx, HNP 2012 ● The Integrated Framework for Gender Analysis of Nutrition Policy, Elizabeth Mkandawire and Sheryl Hendriks, 2017. ● Food system strategies for preventing micronutrient malnutrition By Dennis D. Miller, Ross M. Welch, Food Policy, 2013. ● Sustainable Diets for Healthy People and a Healthy Planet, UNSCN 2017 or relevant updates. Recommended: ● Latest Global nutrition report (annual) ● WHO 2022: How the marketing of formula milk influences our decisions on infant feeding. ● Protecting, promoting and supporting breastfeeding in facilities providing maternity and new-born services, WHO 2017. ● Ending childhood obesity. WHO 2016 ● No right to food and nutrition in the SDGs: mistake or success? BMJ GH 2016;1:e000040. The literature list is not exhaustive and under yearly editing.
Email Address:	Linda.Forshaw@uib.no
Date Of Record Creation:	2017-06-22 14:28:06 (W3C-DTF)
Date Of Record Release:	2017-06-22 19:01:51 (W3C-DTF)
Date Record Checked:	2017-10-02 (W3C-DTF)
Date Last Modified:	2024-09-18 10:49:01 (W3C-DTF)