PE 172 - Physical Activity & Public Health

3 CR

This course will explore the intersection of physical activity and public health and provides students with the basic knowledge necessary to understand how health and fitness are managed in a variety of community settings. More specifically, students will learn about 1) integrating public health issues that relate to physical activity; such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, and cancer, 2) common fitness assessments that can be used in various healthcare settings; and 3) evidence-based strategies to promote physical activity at the individual, community, and policy levels.

The purpose of this course is to make students aware of the interrelationships between various diseases and disabilities that develop with inactivity. This course will allow the student to see the interactions between the area of public health and exercise science.

Prerequisite(s): Instructor’s Consent Required

Course Outcomes

Describe the main principles that guide health promotion and health education efforts in public health
Understand the field of kinesiology and how its subdisciplines have contributed to our understanding of exercise, physical fitness, maximizing performance and the shifting paradigm of the promotion of public health benefits through physical activity.
Describe the history of physical activity (PA) and public health
Discuss techniques to measure physical activity among individuals and populations.
Explain the PA and exercise recommendation for cardiorespiratory health, metabolic health, brain/mental health, functional health, and healthy weight.
Describe physical activity guidelines for cancer prevention.
Discuss considerations for using community-wide, mass media campaigns, and classroom-based health education programs.
Analyze examples of school-based programs that increase PA
Understand behavioral and social approaches to PA promotion
Discuss how aspects of the built environment can promote or hinder physical activity.
Understand the importance of program evaluation for physical activity promotion.
Explain the importance of developing public health partnerships to promote physical activity and exercise
Apply general epidemiological principles when investigating physical activity’s role in the prevention of chronic disease morbidity and mortality.
Critically analyze physical inactivity as a public health problem.

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