90105 - COMMUNITY INTERVENTIONS WITH ADOLESCENTS

Conoscenze e abilità da conseguire

Al termine dell'attività formativa, lo studente: - ha appreso conoscenze sulle caratteristiche dello sviluppo durante le diverse fasi dell’adolescenza; - conosce nozioni sulla prevenzione del rischio e la promozione del benessere con particolare riferimento alla fase dell’adolescenza e del giovane adulto; - sa distinguere le specificità della prospettiva psicosociale e di comunità all’analisi dei bisogni e agli interventi preventivi rivolti ad adolescenti e giovani adulti.

Contenuti

The course will address community health promotion approaches and methods to improve young people health and well being.

Course contents and methods aim to develop knowledge and skills to understand young people’s health-compromising behaviors and identify intervention strategies to address them. 

Topics include:

1)epidemiology of young people health;

2)factors and processes (at individual level and within socioecological contexts) that impact young people health and health behaviors;

3)methods to assess young people's health needs;

4)health promotion approaches and methods to improve young people health. Media literacy; Life skills education; Mentoring; Photovoice and arts based methods; Youth-led participatory action research (YPAR).

The course includes two integrated modules:

Elvira Cicognani (30 hrs) - Lectures on Monday and Wednesday

Iana Tzankova (15 hrs) - Lectures on Tuesday

Testi/Bibliografia

Compulsory readings for the theoretical part of the course and scientific papers for the practical activity (group work) will be made available at the website at the beginning of the course.

Metodi didattici

The course includes:

-lectures on the key course contents;

-group work on the analysis and discussion of scientific papers focused on key young people's health issues and interventions to address them;

-presentations of the outcomes of group work to the class.

Modalità di verifica e valutazione dell'apprendimento

Assessment is based on the following assignments:

 

Part A - Group work on the analysis of research papers (50%)

Students will be split into small groups (approx 4-5 students each). Each group will analyse 2 scientific papers (paper 1, focused on description and explanation(s) of young people health issues; paper 2, focused on interventions to address them). Through this activity, as well as the contents delivered in the lectures/readings, students are expected to reflect on the health issues and try to develop an appropriate intervention. Students are expected to contribute equally to the analysis and writing of a small report, as well as preparing a presentation of the work for the class. 

The presentations will be scheduled in the second part of the course and will be organised according to a conference format.

The final grade (max 15 points) is based on the following: understanding of the contents of the paper and the study, breadth and depth of the critical analysis of the papers; effectiveness of presentations to the class and quality of the discussion; formal aspects.

To obtain 15 points the following conditions are expected: students should evidence understanding of the contents of the paper; display capacity of critical analysis by locating the paper into the theoretical and empirical literature and identifying the specific contributions as well as limitations; the report is complete and clear, the terminology is appropriate and formal aspects (APA guidelines) are respected, the presentation is clear and effective for the audience, there is evidence of engagement of the group members in the work and during the discussion of the presentations.

The points will be reduced if one or more of these conditions are not present.

 

Part B - Individual test with 20 multiple choice questions, with 4 response alternatives (50%)

The questions will be based on the contents of the lectures and readings. The test will be scheduled the last day of class. Registrations for the test will be collected the week before the test.

The grading system will be the following:

20 correct answers = 16 points;

18-19 correct answers = 15 points;

16-17 correct answers = 14 points;

15 correct answers = 13 points;

14 correct answers = 12 points;

13 correct answers = 11 points;

12 correct answers = 10 points;

11 correct answers = 9 points;

10 correct answers = 8 points.

Less than 10 correct answers will be considered insufficient. The student may, however, try again (max 1 possibility) the test during the first date of the of the regular exam session (January 2022).

NOTE. Students who regularly attend lectures and participate in the group work, but who cannot be present in the date of the final test for justified reasons, may take the test during the first date of the regular exam session (January 2023).

The final grade will be the sum of the grades obtained in the group work and individual test. The degree of active engagement and participation in class and to the group work will also be considered in the overall evaluation.

The results of the individual test and the group work will be communicated to the students on Virtuale platform as soon as available; however, to register the final grade, students need to register on Studenti online in one of the two regular dates of the official exam session (January/February 2022).

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Instructions for students not attending classes on a regular basis.

Students who cannot attend the course may take the exam by preparing a review paper in English (7000-8000 words / 20 pages). This option should be preliminarily discussed and agreed with the teachers.

The student will choose a domain of health or risk behavior among those addressed in the course. The review should address the issue by reporting the following information:

•a)Introduction on the health issue, its relevance and epidemiological data

•b)Analysis of the established theoretical explanations of the health issue, by referring also to supporting empirical evidence.

•c)Analysis of at least one type of intervention approach adopted to address the issue, possibly reporting on its effectiveness.

•d)Discussion of the findings and possible future directions of research and intervention

•e)References

In order to prepare the review, besides referring to the compulsory readings of the course, students should search for and use at least 6 papers that coherently address the health issue at stake, allowing to respond to all the questions above.

The review should be sent by email at least one week before the official date of the exam. The exam will focus on the discussion of the review, and on the compulsory readings for the course. The grade will be based on the contents (breadh, depth of the critical analysis) and the quality of its discussion.

 

All the students should register for the exam on Studenti online.

Strumenti a supporto della didattica

Papers, PowerPoint.

During the sessions of group work, students are invited to bring their laptops.

No calculation tools nor dictionaries are allowed.

Students with certified disabilities can benefit from support instruments for the exam as established by L. n°170/2010.

Students with special needs are invited to contact the professors.

Orario di ricevimento

Consulta il sito web di Elvira Cicognani

Consulta il sito web di Iana Ivanova Tzankova

Consulta il sito web di Iana Ivanova Tzankova