Objective: Final year undergraduate students, undertaking a health promotion module, were asked to reflect on their experiences of contributing to the strategic development of a health promoting university. As part of this module students were engaged in carrying out a health needs assessment(HNA) in order to inform the development of a health promoting university and enhance the curriculum.
Design: This case study was conducted with forty students, and used un-moderated focus groups (n = 9) where students recorded their experiences of carrying out a HNA.
Results: Key findings of the students’ refl ections(rather than of the health needs assessment) are presented in this paper. Students reported that by carrying out a HNA they: developed an understanding of the links between theory and practice; developed communication and networking skills; found the assessment meaningful; welcomed the opportunity
to make a difference; could identify improvements that could have been made, along with challenges to carrying out their work and health gains.
Conclusion: This study has shown how the student learning experience has been enhanced, whilst at the same time the university (and potentially the wider community) will potentially benefi t from the HNA that was carried out. Ultimately, the students were
able to ‘reach the parts that other researchers can’t
reach’, i.e. explore complex issues amongst their
fellow peers
