Course

FHV313 Psychosocial Factors and Health

Credits (ECTS):10

Course responsible:Camilla Martha Ihlebæk

Campus / Online:Taught campus Ås

Teaching language:Norsk

Limits of class size:None

Course frequency:Annually.

Nominal workload:Totally 250 hours. Workshops: 3 gatherings of 3-4 days = 50 hours. Preparation and following up work of the workshops including e-learning, self study and exam: 200 hours.

Teaching and exam period:This course has teaching/evaluation in Autumn parallel.

About this course

The course provides an introduction to how social environments affect human health and quality of life, and is based on the understanding that this must be viewed both evolutionarily and culturally. Human psychosocial environments involve psychological and social factors experienced in interpersonal interactions in various settings, and are an important element for ensuring a socially sustainable society. The course has a special focus on stress as a mechanism for how and why psychosocial factors affect health and quality of life. Furthermore, psychosocial factors in the workplace, and various models and theories on how these factors are related to subjective health complaints, marginalization, and absenteeism will be highlighted. The course also covers knowledge on how to measure psychosocial factors and provides an introduction to various tools for measuring and investigating psychosocial factors.

Learning outcome

Knowledge:

  • Have in-depth knowledge of what psychosocial factors are and how they affect health, quality of life, and social sustainability.
  • Have in-depth knowledge of various theories and models regarding the relationship between stress and coping, and how these factors affect health and quality of life.
  • Have in-depth knowledge of social factors (macro, meso, and micro levels) and social capital, and understand how these factors affect health and quality of life.
  • Have in-depth knowledge of various work-related models regarding the relationship between psychosocial factors in the workplace and health, work disability, and absenteeism.

Skills:

  • Be able to apply theories and models regarding the relationship between stress and coping, psychosocial work factors and health, and social factors at various levels.
  • Be able to use relevant questionnaires to measure and map psychosocial factors.
  • Be able to reflect on and discuss how evolutionary and cultural factors affect psychosocial factors and how these influence disease, health, and quality of life.

General Competence:

  • Understand why human psychosocial environments are important for ensuring good health and quality of life, and thereby a socially sustainable society.
  • Learning activities
    Lectures, seminars, discussions, e-learning and self-study.
  • Teaching support
    Teachers are available at the workshops and through Canvas. All litterature will be available in CANVAS.
  • Prerequisites
    None
  • Recommended prerequisites
    None.
  • Assessment method
    An individual oral exam up to 1/2 hour, counts 100 %. A-F

    Oral exam Karakterregel: Letter grades
  • Examiner scheme
    An external examiner approves the evaluation system and participates in the oral exam.
  • Mandatory activity
    None
  • Teaching hours
    The course teaching is gathering-based. 4 lectures and seminars.
  • Preferential right
    M-FOL / M-FOL-DEL
  • Reduction of credits
    None
  • Admission requirements
    Minimum requirements for entrance to higher education in Norway (generell studiekompetanse).