Assessment

Public Health Promotion Pitch

Format:

Distance Learning (DL): delivered online via a live virtual session or recorded with a scheduled Q&A.

You will deliver a 25‑minute public health promotion pitch presenting a strategically designed behaviour‑change intervention or community‑action initiative addressing a defined public‑health issue. Your pitch should be clearly tailored to an identified target audience.

Your presentation must demonstrate the application of relevant health‑promotion theories, behaviour‑change models and community‑engagement strategies, supported by appropriate justification.

You should apply evidence‑based and culturally responsive approaches that consider ethical, sustainability and equity implications. Digital tools should be integrated to enhance communication and support effective mobilisation or delivery of behaviour‑change techniques. You are expected to communicate your proposal clearly and professionally, using accessible language and appropriate visual formats. You will also respond to questions to demonstrate understanding and justify key decisions.

Rationale

This assessment is designed to cultivate the advanced theoretical, analytical, and applied skills expected of public health practitioners working in the public health promotion, behaviour-change and community action space. By developing a health promotion pitch, you will demonstrate your ability to synthesise complex theories of behaviour change, evaluate community‑focused strategies, and apply these concepts to the design of contextually appropriate public health interventions. The requirement to incorporate digital tools and platforms strengthens your digital literacy and reflects the realities of contemporary health promotion practice, where digital engagement is increasingly central to public health education, behavioural change, and community mobilisation.

Health promotion principles
Behaviour change theories (psychological and socio-ecological)
Community mobilisation strategies
Risk communication and infodemiology
Digital health promotion tools
Cultural adaptation of interventions
Monitoring and evaluation of health programmes
Ethics in health promotion
Social marketing for health
Advocacy and policy influence
Participatory approaches in LMICs
Sustainability in health promotion

1. Critically evaluate health promotion theories, behaviour change models, and collaborative community engagement strategies while demonstrating integrated understanding of their application within diverse public health contexts.

Programme Learning Outcome: Knowledge & Understanding, Critical Reasoning & Collaboration

2. Apply evidence-based approaches to design and implement culturally responsive health promotion interventions incorporating ethical and sustainability considerations within diverse global contexts.

Programme Learning Outcome: Application & Problem Solving

3. Utilise digital platforms and technological tools to design, enhance, and mobilise effective health communication and community action for public health education, promotions and behavioural change.

Programme Learning Outcome: Digital Literacy

4. Communicate health promotion strategies effectively to professional and non-specialist audiences.

Communicate health promotion strategies with clarity and professional judgement, adapting content, format and delivery to suit diverse professional and non‑specialist audience.

Programme Learning Outcome: Communication

Lectures on key concepts will be delivered in-person on campus for both the full time and part-time cohorts while the distance learning cohorts will be delivered online. This will be complemented by online group discussions among the students to explore key issues and their relevance in practice. Interactive sessions and critical appraisal of data would be employed. Students will also engage in independent, self-directed learning activities and drop-in support sessions, where needed, will be provided.

Naidoo, J. and Wills, J., (2023). Foundations for Health Promotion. 5th ed. London: Elsevier.

Dennison, L., Yardley, L. and Michie, S., (2021). Understanding and Changing Health Behaviour: From Theory to Practice. 2nd ed. London: Routledge.

Bunton, R., Baldwin, S. and Flynn, D., (2022). Health Promotion: Disciplines, Diversity and Developments. 3rd ed. London: Routledge.

McKenzie, J.F., Neiger, B.L. and Thackeray, R., (2024). Planning, Implementing & Evaluating Health Promotion Programs. 9th ed. London: Pearson.

Michie, S., Atkins, L. and West, R., (2024). The Behaviour Change Wheel: A Guide to Designing Behaviour Change Interventions. Updated ed. London: Silverback Publishing.

What truly drives health change—knowledge, behaviour, or community action? This module equips you to answer that question by combining the science of behaviour with the art of health promotion and community engagement. You will explore leading theories such as COM-B, socio-ecological models, and the Behaviour Change Wheel, alongside practical strategies for mobilising communities and influencing policy. Through real-world examples and digital tools, you’ll learn to design culturally responsive interventions, apply social marketing, and tackle ethical and sustainability challenges. By mastering evidence-based approaches and communication techniques, you will gain the skills to create impactful programmes that improve health behaviours and empower communities - preparing you to lead transformative public health action locally and globally.