PUBH 3130 - Substance Use and Abuse (NET)

This course will explore legal and illegal drug use in modern society. Issues related to the social, cultural, political, economic impact of drug use will be addressed. The recurrent theme throughout the course will be on prevention. This will include discussions on the best ways to postpone the initiation of substance use and abuse among school aged persons as well as the cessation of use and treatment for abuse among adult populations. Substance use and its abuse effects ALL of us and does NOT discriminate on the basis of age, gender, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity or income

PUBH 3330 - Modifying Health Behaviors

This course is intended to introduce students to the learning and behavioral science theories that provide a framework for the practice of health education and promotion. Application of the theories to planning and implementing health promotion and education programs for individuals, groups, families, and communities will be emphasized. This course also introduces the students to various approaches to describing, explaining, and predicting health behaviors that have or are perceived to have significant effect on human health. Prerequisite: PUBH 213

CHBE 9235 Communication and Advocacy

This course is designed to familiarize students with the history and current applications of health communication theory and strategies to public health practice and research. This course examines how to structure, develop and evaluate social marketing, media advocacy, risk communication and advocacy skills for change. In addition, systematic qualitative data collection processes such as interviewing skills, participant observation and focus groups will be developed. Emphasis is placed on critical thinking skills to help students analyze and utilize these skills in research and practice

COHE 7233 - Ecologically Focused Program Evaluation

This course provides an overview of the principles of program evaluation. It explores the methods associated with systematic evaluation of public health education programs. Students will learn the skills needed to plan, conduct, and critique evaluation research. The content of the course includes: program logic models, formative, process, impact, outcome, and summative evaluation; theory driven evaluation; a review of validity issues as they relate to evaluation; sampling in a complex context; operationalizing variables; assessment of measurement instruments; and analysis of quantitative evaluation designs. In addition, issues that impact evaluation across the ecological model, specifically the importance of context and equity issues, will be examined. Qualitative methods used in program evaluation and mixed method designs for evaluation will be highlighted. Supporting the needs of stakeholders in the evaluation will be emphasized

CHBE 9230 - Community-based Public Health Program Planning and Evaluation

This course introduces students to the theory and application of community-based program planning and evaluation. Concepts in community assessment, organization, and mobilization for the purposes of addressing identified public health concerns will serve as the foundation for the public health planning process. Appropriate techniques of partnership building, planning strategies, data collection, data analysis, and evidence-based decision-making will also be introduced

Exploring Risk and Protective Factors for Alcohol and Tobacco Use Among Youth: An Innovative Approach

Most recent data from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS; 2013) suggest that 41% of youth have ever tried cigarettes, and 66.2% have ever tried alcohol. Targeted public health interventions are desperately needed for this at risk population. The purpose of the secondary analysis study using YRBS data from 2011 was to use an innovative segmentation approach, chi-squared automatic interaction detection (CHAID) to identify unique segments at risk for and protected from tobacco and alcohol use to inform future public health efforts. The sample comprised 2,613 youth in middle school from racially diverse backgrounds. The segment most at risk for current cigarette smoking were those youth who used cigarettes to cope with stress. The segment protected from cigarette use comprised youth who disagreed that smoking reduced stress and felt good about saying no to tobacco use. The segment most at risk for having consumed alcohol in the past thirty days was comprised of those who thought those who used did more poorly in school, agreed that alcohol use reduced stress, and made Ds in school. The segment most protected from alcohol use comprised those who believed alcohol made youth do poorly in school, alcohol did not reduced stress, and made higher grades in school. Classification accuracy for both test models exceeded 70%. All results were significant at or below the p=.05 level. Results suggest a variety of complex interactions determine past thirty day tobacco and alcohol use. Prevention programming recommendations will be made

COHE 7233 - Ecologically Focused Program Evaluation

This course provides an overview of the principles of program evaluation. It explores the methods associated with systematic evaluation of public health education programs. Students will learn the skills needed to plan, conduct, and critique evaluation research. The content of the course includes: program logic models, formative, process, impact, outcome, and summative evaluation; theory driven evaluation; a review of validity issues as they relate to evaluation; sampling in a complex context; operationalizing variables; assessment of measurement instruments; and analysis of quantitative evaluation designs. In addition, issues that impact evaluation across the ecological model, specifically the importance of context and equity issues, will be examined. Qualitative methods used in program evaluation and mixed method designs for evaluation will be highlighted. Supporting the needs of stakeholders in the evaluation will be emphasized

CHBE 9235 - Communication and Advocacy

This course is designed to familiarize students with the history and current applications of health communication theory and strategies to public health practice and research. This course examines how to structure, develop and evaluate social marketing, media advocacy, risk communication and advocacy skills for change. In addition, systematic qualitative data collection processes such as interviewing skills, participant observation and focus groups will be developed. Emphasis is placed on critical thinking skills to help students analyze and utilize these skills in research and practice

COHE 7234 – Community Health Analysis and Assessment

This course familiarizes students with concepts and approaches for community health assessment and analysis. This includes discussion of social action, organizational development, policy advocacy, capacity building, community diagnosis (needs assessment), social networking and coalition formation to bring about health and quality of life improvement. Special focus will be placed on the application of qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods and CBPR approaches for assessment

PUBH 3330 -Modifying Health Behaviors

This course is intended to introduce students to the learning and behavioral science theories that provide a framework for the practice of health education and promotion. Application of the theories to planning and implementing health promotion and education programs for individuals, groups, families, and communities will be emphasized. This course also introduces the students to various approaches to describing, explaining, and predicting health behaviors that have or are perceived to have significant effect on human health. Prerequisite: PUBH 213