Understanding Health Behaviours (PUBH2004)

Course overview

The course provides an overview of behavioural risk factors for major chronic diseases at a population level: their prevalence and variations, and the social and environmental factors that may be influencing them. This provides key elements of the knowledge base for evidence-based population health programs and policies.

Health promotion and disease prevention are central to Australia’s national health priorities. Non-communicableﾠ diseases (such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer) have increased in prevalence over the past century. They affect one in two Australian adults, and account for over 40% of the total disease burden in Australia. One aspect in the prevention ofﾠchronic conditions is through changing behavioural risk factors such as: quitting cigarette smoking; reducing risky alcohol consumption; increasing physical activity; decreasing sedentary behaviour;ﾠand, having a healthier diet.

PUBH2004 'Understanding Health Behaviours' uses a Behavioural Epidemiology Framework to understand behaviours at a population level. This framework guides researchers to: understand the relationships between health behaviours and health outcomes; develop accurate measures of health behaviours; and, identify factors that influence health behaviours. This course will teach students the concepts, methods and evidence for researching these key elements of the Behavioural Epidemiology Framework. The knowledge gained from this course provides the necessary grounding for understanding how to bring about health behaviour changes. As such, PUBH2004 does not deal with developing health promotion interventions; this is the subject of PUBH3005 Influencing Health Behaviours.

Course requirements

Assumed background

It is assumed that students have a basic understanding of the principles of public health.

Course contact

Course staff

Timetable

The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.

Aims and outcomes

Learning outcomes

After successfully completing this course you should be able to:

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment details

Assessment 1 - Infographic and critique

Mode

Written

Category

Paper/ Report/ Annotation

Weight

30%

Due date

1/09/2025 2:00 pm

Learning outcomes

L01, L02, L04, L05, L06

Task description

Submission guidelines

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.

Please see 10. Policies & Guidelines

Late submission

Please see 10. Policies & Guidelines

Assessment 2 - Health Promotion Theory In-Class Quizzes

• In-person

Mode

Written

Category

Quiz

Weight

30% 30

Due date

16/09/2025 - 9/10/2025

Learning outcomes

L01, L02, L04, L06

Task description

Submission guidelines

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.

Please see 10. Policies & Guidelines

Late submission

Please see 10. Policies & Guidelines

Assessment 3 - Report of App Review

Mode

Written

Category

Paper/ Report/ Annotation

Weight

40%

Due date

29/10/2025 2:00 pm

Learning outcomes

L01, L03, L04, L05, L06

Task description

Submission guidelines

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.

Please see 10. Policies & Guidelines

Late submission

Please see 10. Policies & Guidelines

Course grading

Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.

Additional course grading information

PUBH2004 Learning Objectives are covered across the three assessments. Therefore, all assessments need to be submitted (of reasonable quality) to pass this course.

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Supplementary assessment

Supplementary assessment is available for this course.

The final grade awarded will be based on the results of the supplementary assessment only, and a passing grade will be awarded if, and only if, the student receives at least 50% of the marks on the supplementary assessment. 

Additional assessment information

PUBH2004 Learning Objectives are covered across the three assessments. Therefore,ﾠ all assessments need to be submitted (of reasonable quality) to pass this course.

Please save a copy of your assignment prior to submission and retain it in a safe place. Assignments must be typed/word-processed in size 12 Arial or Times New Roman font, 1.5 or double spaced text. There are further instructions on task sheets about formatting.

Assignment Submission:ﾠ

Turnitin no longer automatically emails students a receipt when they upload an assignment.ﾠ Students need to download their receipt manually and keep a copy as proof of submission.ﾠ ﾠ

Assignments for this course will be submitted electronically via Blackboard and/or using Tunitin.ﾠ

Before submitted any assignments for this course you must ensure you have completed UQ’sﾠ compulsory online ﾠAcademic Integrity Tutorial.

When you successfully submit your assessment, you need to manually download your receipt and keep a copy as proof of submission as Turnitin no longer automatically emails students a receipt when an assignment is uploaded.ﾠ ﾠ

It is the responsibility of the student to check the assignment preview and confirm that the assignment has been successfully submitted.ﾠﾠ

If the submission was not successful:

1. Note the error message (preferably take a screenshot)
2. Go to your assignment page and see if it is possible to submit again
3. If you cannot submit again, immediately email your course coordinator.ﾠ

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RE-MARKING: Students are able to request a re-mark if they have valid academic reasons for disputing a mark awarded. The student must first seek and receive feedback from the course coordinator and then apply online via their my.UQ outlining their case. If a re-mark is approved then, in all cases, the re-mark replaces the original mark, which could lead to your mark and/or final grade going up, down, or remaining the same.ﾠ

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Learning resources

You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.

Library resources

Library resources are available on the UQ Library website.

Additional learning resources information

Please note that students need to check the Blackboard site regularly as important announcements will be posted there and any changes made to course documents will be available there. Check your UQ student email regularly or have it forwarded to an email that you do check regularly. An email will be considered received within 24 hours of it being sent.

Learning activities

The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.

Policies and procedures

University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:

• Student Code of Conduct Policy
• Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
• Assessment Procedure
• Examinations Procedure
• Reasonable Adjustments for Students Policy and Procedure

Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.

Course guidelines

School of Public Health (SPH) Guidelines for late submission of progressive assessment - Preamble

To apply for an extension to the due date for a piece of progressive assessment (eg assignments, oral presentations and computer-based assignments) students should complete the online request at  https://my.uq.edu.au/information-and-services/manage-my-program/exams-and-assessment/applying-assessment-extension?p=2#2 

Information regarding deferral of in-semester exams and end-of-semester exams is available from https://my.uq.edu.au/information-and-services/manage-my-program/exams-and-assessment/deferring-exam 

If requesting an extension on medical grounds, a medical certificate must be provided. The extension will be approved for the number of days included in the medical certificate that the student was not fit to study or work, eg if the medical certificate is for 3 days, an extension will be approved for 3 days maximum regardless of the student's request.  

If requesting an extension using a Student Access Plan (SAP) as evidence, a maximum of 7-day extension will be approved in the first instance. Updated medical documentation, as well as a copy of the SAP, is required if requesting an extension for more than 7 days. 

A student may have a maximum of three extension requests approved for a single assessment task.   

An extension for an assessment item due within the study period in which the course is offered, must not exceed four weeks in total.  

The following SPH guidelines are consistent with the UQ policy. However, the SPH Guidelines contain specific rules and interpretations for SPH courses, and requests for extension and penalties for late submissions will be judged according to the guidelines outlined in this document. You should read both the information in your my.UQ at the following link: https://my.uq.edu.au/information-and-services/manage-my-program/exams-and-assessment/applying-assessment-extension and the SPH guidelines (below) before submitting a request for an extension. The SPH Guidelines apply to all courses offered by the School of Public Health unless the Course Profile explicitly states otherwise.

SPH Guidelines for late submission of progressive assessment

Initial extension for an individual item of assessment – the SPH Student & Academic Administration Team and/or the Course Coordinator decides.

This could be for medical or compassionate reasons, or if, in the opinion of the Course Coordinator, there are exceptional circumstances.

Acceptable and unacceptable reasons for an extension are listed at the following link, along with the required evidence to be provided:  https://my.uq.edu.au/information-and-services/manage-my-program/exams-and-assessment/applying-assessment-extension?p=1#1

A request for an extension to an assessment due date must be submitted through mylUQ as soon as it becomes evident that an extension is needed, but no later than one calendar day after the assessment task submission due date and time. 

If applying for an extension after the due date and time of the assessment item, your request may not be approved. An explanation as to why your request was not submitted prior must be included.       

If approved, a new due date will be set. This would generally be no later than 7 days after the original due date, however this can be modified to take account of the circumstances of the request and the time that would have been lost from studies.

If the new due date is past the date for submission of end-of-semester results, the student will receive an INC (incomplete) result.

Second and all subsequent extensions for an individual item of assessment – the SPH Student & Academic Administration Team and/or the Program Convenor together with the Course Coordinator decides.

This would only be approved for exceptional circumstance with supporting documentation.

• Online requests must be made at least 24 hours prior to the due date from the first extension.
• The SPH Student & Academic Administration Team and/or the Course Coordinator will consult with the Program Convenor, who will make the final decision.
• If approved, the new due date would generally be no later than 7 days after the first extension due date.
• The Program Convenor should consider if remedial or other support should be offered to the student.
• The Program Convenor should provide a report on these matters as needed at SPH Examiners’ Meetings.

A student may have a maximum of three extension requests approved for a single assessment task.   

An extension for an assessment item due within the study period in which the course is offered, must not exceed four weeks in total.  

Please Note: In order to support course progression, extensions that total more than 14 calendar days from the original due date of an assessment item will only be approved in very exceptional circumstances. These requests are assessed and approved or denied on a case-by-case basis. 

If you have been ill or unable to attend class for more than 4 weeks in a semester, we advise you to carefully consider whether you are capable of successfully completing your courses this semester. You might need to consider applying for removal of course.

Penalty for late submission

Submission of assignments, practical reports, workbooks, and other types of written assessments after the due date specified in the Course Profile will receive a penalty.

The penalty will be a deduction of 10% RELATIVE PERCENTAGE per day (24 hour period or part thereof, including weekends and public holidays) or for work graded on a 1-7 scale, a deduction of one grade per day, e.g. If the original mark is 73%, then 10% relative percentage is 10% of this value, ie 7.3%, The final mark for this assessment item after applying the penalty for 1 day late submission would be 73 -7.3 = 65.7% The same outcome is achieved by multiplying the original score by .9; ie 73 x .9 = 65.7%

The penalty for multiple days late is the relative percentage multiplied by the number of days late. 

A submission that is not made within 10 days of the due date will receive a mark of 0% for that assessment item.

Where a student has sought more than one extension, the due date for calculating the penalty will be the due date for the most recently approved extension.

Submission of Medical Certificates

Students are responsible for ensuring that any medical documentation they submit is authentic and signed by a registered medical practitioner. Such practitioners can be identified via the AHPRA website. Also note that:

• Not all online medical services are staffed by registered practitioners
• If the registration status of the practitioner cannot be verified, then an alternative practitioner should be sought
• Students will be held fully responsible for all documentation they submit, even if done so in ignorance of the practitioner's registration status

Medical documentation may be subjected to an audit by the University.

SPH Assessment Guidelines

The School of Public Health assessment tasks have been designed to be challenging, authentic and complex. While students may use AI technologies, successful completion of assessment in this course will require students to critically engage in specific contexts and tasks for which artificial intelligence will provide only limited support and guidance.

A failure to reference AI use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.

To pass this assessment, students will be required to demonstrate detailed comprehension of their written submission independent of AI tools.