78938 - General Hygiene

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student is able to show evidence of the knowledge acquired, within the field of its competence, in the field of general hygiene and public health as applied the social and physical environment, the workplace, education, food and nutrition, community medicine, preventive medicine and rehabilitation.

Course contents

Definition and aims of Hygiene and Public Health.

Definition and aims of Epidemiology.

Measuring the frequency of health events: ratio, rate, proportion, incidence and prevalence of diseases.

Measuring the risk of diseases: relative risk (RR) and attributable risk (AR).

Causal inference in epidemiology.

Basic general prevention: aims and methods of prevention. Primary prevention, secondary prevention, tertiary prevention.

Oncologic screening: requirements for their effectiveness. The case of uterine cervix screening.

General epidemiology of infectious diseases: general aspects, reservoirs and sources of infection. Routes of entry and elimination of infective agents. Direct and indirect transmission (through inanimate vehicles and vectors) of infectious diseases. Ways in which diseases may appear in the population (sporadic, endemic, epidemic and pandemic). Basic and observed reproduction number.

General prophylaxis for infectious diseases: notification of infectious diseases, diagnosis, epidemiologic enquiry, quarantine measures. Disinfection and sterilisation using physical methods and chemical methods. General concepts of disinfestation. Vaccine prophylaxis and seroprophylaxis.

Healthcare associated infections. 

General prophylaxis for non-communicable diseases: general concepts, risk factors, prevention, and Rose paradox.

Readings/Bibliography

Manzoli L, Villari P, Boccia A. Epidemiologia e Management in Sanità. Elementi di Metodologia (2° Ed.). Edi-Ermes, 2015.

Teaching methods

Teaching will take place through lectures, with the help of power point presentations (which will be made available to students). Priority will be given to interaction and active participation of students. Where possible and appropriate, use will be made of case studies taken from local, national and international contexts.

Assessment methods

Learning will be assessed through a written test. Further details about student evaluation modalities will be provided at the beginning of the course.

Teaching tools

Power-point slides

Office hours

See the website of Cecilia Acuti Martellucci