PHS809:Social Medicine
PHS809 Social Medicine is a two (2) credit unit course undertaken by students pursuing Master‟s Degree at National Open University of Nigeria. Social Medicine is concerned with the relationships between health and social factors. It also focuses on the causes of human behaviours and the consequences of human behaviours, particularly as they relate to health and illness. Social medicine identifies man as a biological and a social being and that diseases have social causes, social consequences and social therapy. The importance and relevance of sociological approach to the study of health and medical practice cannot therefore not be over emphasised.
You have this course guide which uncovers what this course is all about, by giving a general overview of the course materials which you will be using. It further spells out how to use the course materials for your maximum benefit as a student. The course guide aids your understanding of the importance of attending tutorials, carrying out Tutor-Marked Assignments (TMAs), which will form part of your overall assessment at the end of the course and participating in the examination. This course material covers nine units of study organised in three modules which are of equal importance and you should therefore give them adequate time to enable you study and understand the contents. You are provided with list of reference materials relating to each study unit. You are to access them at your own time as they are beneficial and they are to your advantage.
At the end of this course, you should be able to:
i) Explain the concept of health
ii) Explain the concept of disease
iii) Explain the concept of illness
iv) State the etiology of disease and illness
v) Explain the concept of disease in Nigeria/Africa
vi) Explain social factors and health
vii) Explain health behaviour
viii) Explain illness behaviour
ix) Explain health seeking behaviour
x) Explain sick role behaviour
xi) Explain the meaning of social epidemiology