PUBLIC HEALTH

Academic year
2025/2026 Syllabus of previous years
Official course title
SALUTE E SANITA' PUBBLICA
Course code
FT0178 (AF:445070 AR:324232)
Teaching language
Italian
Modality
On campus classes
ECTS credits
6
Degree level
Bachelor's Degree Programme
Academic Discipline
MED/42
Period
1st Term
Course year
3
Moodle
Go to Moodle page
The course falls within the common basic teachings of the Social Sciences and Social Services program, aiming to provide students with fundamental knowledge about the concept of health, the national healthcare system, and public health policies from a sociological perspective.

The main objectives of the course are as follows:
a) To acquire knowledge about the dimensions of health and the healthcare system in Italy and worldwide.
b) To understand the social and environmental changes that have led to the altered health conditions of individuals over the past decades.
c) To recognize the underlying trends behind the transformations of the concept of health and the functioning of the healthcare system.
d) To develop the skills to assess policies aimed at combating health inequalities and promoting individual and social well-being.
e) To attain an independent and critical understanding of the micro- and macro-social factors that can influence the population's health conditions.
Frequency and active participation in the three educational activities offered by the course (lectures, group work, and classroom presentations), along with individual study, will enable students to:

Knowledge and understanding:
Acquire basic knowledge of the sociology of health.
Understand the origins and functioning of national healthcare systems.
Comprehend the logic and functioning of public health policies.

Ability to apply knowledge and understanding:
Independently and critically analyze social phenomena related to health.
Evaluate and compare the impact of different social, political, and environmental factors in shaping population health.

Judgement skills:
Assess the potential effectiveness of public health policies.

Communication skills:
Effectively articulate their thoughts on the topics covered.
Interact and engage in critical and respectful discussions with peers and instructors during lectures and group activities.

Learning ability:
Critically consult the recommended texts and the bibliographic material contained within them.
No formal prerequisites. Sufficient training in logic and social culture and reasonable abilities in learning, writing, and oral communication are required.




The course aims to provide knowledge related to the main dimensions of interest in the sociology of health and healthcare systems. From a macrosociological perspective, the goal is to equip students with tools to understand the persistent health inequities in our society. Additionally, knowledge will be provided on health determinants and risk factors. From a microsociological perspective, emphasis will be placed on the social construction of illness and the multidimensionality of the concept of health. In addition to the topic of health, ample space will be given to discussing the evolution of healthcare systems, particularly the principles and functioning of the Italian healthcare system. Finally, policies addressing health inequities and access to and utilization of healthcare services will be analyzed. Methodologically, the course will enable students to acquire the necessary tools to accurately describe a health event in a population.
Multimedia teaching material made available by the teacher, also made available on the moodle e-learning platform

Hygiene Preventive Medicine Public Health, Barbuti-Fara-Gianmanco, EdiSES


The method of verifying the profit, aimed at ascertaining the adequate preparation of the students and the ability to effectively communicate the topics covered by the teaching carried out, is written, with a mark expressed out of thirty; the learner must provide for the drafting of a written paper, on topics covered by the lectures, to be presented to the teacher in compliance with the timing and procedures established for the examination This assessment, always individual, takes place in conditions that guarantee the deepening, objectivity and fairness of the assessment in relation to with the course provided.
As regards the gradation of the grade (how the grades will be assigned), regardless of the attending or non-attending mode:
A. scores in the 18-22 range will be awarded in the presence of:
- sufficient knowledge and ability to understand applied in relation to the programme;
- limited ability to collect and/or interpret data, making independent judgements;
- sufficient communication skills, especially in relation to the use of specific language relating to the economic functioning of public services;
B. scores in the 23-26 range will be awarded in the presence of:
- reasonable knowledge and ability to understand applied in relation to the programme;
- reasonable ability to collect and/or interpret data, making independent judgements;
- fair communication skills, especially in relation to the use of specific language relating to the economic functioning of public services;
C. scores in the 27-30 range will be awarded in the presence of:
- good or excellent knowledge and ability to understand applied in relation to the programme;
- good or excellent ability to collect and/or interpret data, making independent judgements;
- fully appropriate communication skills, especially in relation to the use of specific language relating to the economic functioning of public services.
D. praise will be awarded in the presence of knowledge and understanding applied in relation to the program, excellent judgment and communication skills.



written
Grading Criteria
Regardless of attendance status (attending or non-attending), the grading will follow the criteria below:
A. Scores in the 18–22 range will be awarded in the presence of:
Sufficient knowledge and applied understanding of the course content;
Limited ability to gather and/or interpret data and formulate independent judgments;
Sufficient communication skills, particularly regarding the use of the specific language of social work and, more generally, of the social sciences.
B. Scores in the 23–26 range will be awarded in the presence of:
Fair knowledge and applied understanding of the course content;
Fair ability to gather and/or interpret data and formulate independent judgments;
Fair communication skills, particularly regarding the use of the specific language of social work and, more generally, of the social sciences.
C. Scores in the 27–30 range will be awarded in the presence of:
Good or excellent knowledge and applied understanding of the course content;
Good or excellent ability to gather and/or interpret data and formulate independent judgments;
Fully appropriate communication skills, particularly regarding the use of the specific language of social work and, more generally, of the social sciences.
D. Honors ("cum laude") will be awarded in the presence of:
Excellent knowledge and applied understanding of the course content,
Excellent judgment skills and communication abilities.
Cycle of frontal teaching lessons, delivered with multimedia mode (pc-slides)

The syllabus is subject to partial modifications upon the assignment of the official course instructor.

Definitive programme.
Last update of the programme: 01/06/2025