Pedagogical Sciences

MARIA SOFIA CATTARUZZA

The course is mainly aimed at supplying deep knowledge and understanding skills of the main principles of Hygiene, of determinants of health and disease, of principles of health education and prevention, in order to make the student able to apply them for health promotion and maintenance in any operational context.
The specific goals are:
 to know and understand the main social health, demographic and health indicators;
 to know and understand the fundamental concepts of hygiene and epidemiology of infectious and chronic degenerative diseases, as well as of environmental hygiene;
 to know and prevent some menaces to public and individual health, operating on social and ethical responsibilities, especially on vaccine issues, smoking, obesity and posture;
 to know and understand issues on global health.

At the end of the course, the student is expected to (Learning results):
 know and understand the elements to promote health and prevention culture, especially in the school and among the youths;
 identify the health social determinants (the "weak" subjects) and the measurement methods of the health state.

At the end of the course, the student, applying the acquired knowledge, will (Skills to be acquired):
 be able to promote health and prevention culture;
 know well his/her role of educator and model for promotion and maintenance of healthy lifestyles;
 be able to analyse, with scientific proficiency, critical abilities and autonomously, problems and data concerning health and its protection;
 be able to carry out researches with a scientific method and make analysis with a presentation of data, to communicate the results and to engage with colleagues.

By the end of the course, students will have acquired solid theoretical knowledge of the principles of epidemiology, microbiology, and public health, and will understand their relevance in pedagogical and socio-health contexts. They will be able to interpret and critically analyze the main socio-health and demographic indicators, distinguish between frequency and association measures, and apply these tools to the interpretation of collective health and disease phenomena.
Students will develop the ability to apply models of prevention, screening, and risk factor management, with particular focus on tobacco studies and chronic diseases, while recognizing the role of social, environmental, and behavioral determinants of health. They will be able to critically evaluate health education strategies and health promotion campaigns and connect scientific knowledge with current challenges such as the Coronavirus pandemic, antimicrobial resistance, and environmental issues.
Finally, students will be able to integrate the various competences acquired into a comprehensive vision linking health, environment, and society, and will develop the ability to design educational pathways and preventive interventions aimed at improving collective health.

Interest in improving individual, collective, and environmental health from a one health perspective

The course begins with an introduction to epidemiology and its relevance in the pedagogical and socio-health context, emphasizing the importance of knowledge as a starting point for understanding collective phenomena related to health. Starting from the famous experience of John Snow during the cholera epidemic in London, the principles of the scientific method are addressed as the foundation for the study and interpretation of data.
Subsequently, students are guided in the use of fundamental tools of epidemiology, with particular attention to the questionnaire as a universal tool of investigation, to frequency measures such as prevalence, incidence and duration, and to measures of association, such as relative risk, leading to an understanding of the criteria of causality. The main socio-health indicators, including infant mortality, are discussed, together with the major public health objectives established at the international level, from the Millennium Development Goals to the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda.
Through the analysis of crude and specific rates and standardization techniques, students are guided to a deeper understanding of data and its correct interpretation. At the same time, basic notions of demography are introduced, with particular attention to demographic and epidemiological transitions as interpretative keys to social change.
Ample space is devoted to the study of the natural history of diseases and the different forms of prevention – primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary – with a focus on screening as a method of early diagnosis and on risk factors, starting from the well-known Framingham study. The concept of multifactorial causation and the use of cardiovascular risk charts are also explored to develop the ability to analyze the complexity of health determinants.
A significant section of the course is dedicated to tobacco studies, addressing the social and environmental impact of tobacco, new forms of advertising, and the analysis of different types of exposure, from direct smoking to passive and third-hand smoke. Epidemiological data on prevalence, the mechanisms of nicotine dependence, and the history and strategies of the tobacco industry are examined, with particular attention to emblematic cases such as the Frank Statement and the testimony of Dr. Wigand, also recalling cinematic contributions such as Insider and The Answer. The pathway culminates with the analysis of smoking cessation, its health and environmental benefits, and the public health campaigns designed to support it.
The course also introduces the fundamental principles of microbiology and biological contamination, focusing on the role of microorganisms – bacteria, viruses and spores – and on techniques for their identification, such as Gram staining. Methods of disinfection, sterilization and pasteurization, as well as preventive hygiene practices including proper hand washing, are addressed, alongside the role of vaccines and vaccinations in preventing infectious diseases.
Students are encouraged to compare models of disease spread, distinguishing epidemic, endemic and sporadic patterns, up to the study of the Coronavirus pandemic and its comparison with other past pandemics and epidemics, such as SARS, swine flu and the Spanish flu. Special attention is given to the role of mass media in communicating health emergencies and to the interconnections between health, environment and society, including the consequences of habitat destruction and zoonotic spillover. Finally, the course addresses current and highly relevant public health issues such as antimicrobial resistance, encouraging students to develop critical reflections and to design educational and preventive strategies aimed at improving collective health.
Further topics include school hygiene, covering the main parasitic diseases, exanthematous diseases, and chronic conditions such as asthma, allergies, celiac disease, food intolerances, thalassemia and epilepsy, as well as health education issues related to nutrition, obesity prevention, and domestic accidents.
The course aims to ensure that students acquire solid theoretical knowledge while developing also the ability to understand it in depth, apply it in practical contexts, evaluate it critically, and integrate it into a comprehensive vision that connects health, environment and society, with particular attention to the educational and pedagogical dimension.

No textbook purchase is required. The necessary material will be made available on e-learning during the course.
Reference text: HYGIENE AND PUBLIC HEALTH. SECRETS. Questions & Answers. Signorelli C., SEU, 2025

Lectures are held in person and combine traditional teaching with interactive methods, supported by multimedia resources to ensure clarity, continuity, and access to study materials.

Attending classes is recommended, but attendance is not mandatory.
During the exam, non-attending students will be required to answer 2 additional open-ended questions.

Multiple-choice tests on all course topics and open-ended questions to explore certain topics in greater depth.
The final grade is expressed in thirtieths and the exam is passed with a grade equal to or higher than 18. The maximum grade achievable is 30 with honors.
Compensatory tools are guaranteed for students with disabilities and/or SLDs, in accordance with current legislation.

1) Which of the following can be defined as a distal (indirect) determinant of health?
a) etiological agent
b) socio-economic condition
c) genetic deficit
d) comorbidity (presence of one or more diseases in addition to the one considered)

2) Who is John Snow? Describe who he is and why he is a key figure in epidemiology (max 10-15 lines).

• Introduction to the course and epidemiology. John Snow and cholera in London. The scientific method.Epidemiology: the questionnaire as a universal investigative tool, frequency measures: prevalence, incidence, duration.
  • Books: Material available on e-learning platform


• Measures of association: relative risk. Causality.Key socio-health indicators: infant mortality.
  • Books: Material available on e-learning platform


• The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Agenda 2030. Crude and specific rates; standardization.An overview of demography and demographic and epidemiological transitions. 
  • Books: Material available on e-learning platform


• Natural history of diseases.Types of prevention: primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary. Screening.
  • Books: Material available on e-learning platform


• Risk factors and the Framingham study. Multifactoriality and cardiovascular risk charts. 
  • Books: Material available on e-learning platform


• Tobacco studies: Epidemiological prevalence data, influencers, and new products. Nicotine addiction. Exposure to first-, second-, and third-hand smoke. Health effects. 
  • Books: Material available on e-learning platform


• The social and environmental impact of tobacco.The tobacco industry: the Frank Statement, the story of Dr. Wigand, the films “Insider” and “The Answer.” 
  • Books: Material available on e-learning platform


• Smoking cessation and the benefits for health and the environment. Health education and health promotion campaigns.
  • Books: Material available on e-learning platform


• Introduction to microbiology and biological contamination. Microorganisms: bacteria and viruses. Spores, example: tetanus. Gram staining and Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Disinfection, sterilization, pasteurization, spores, hand washing.
  • Books: Material available on e-learning platform


• Vaccines and vaccinations.Epidemics, endemics, sporadic outbreaks. The Coronavirus pandemic. A comparison between epidemics and pandemics in the new and old millennia (Coronavirus, SARS, Swine Flu, and Spanish Flu). The influence of the mass media on the correct communication of health emergencies. The role of wild animals, the destruction of their habitats, spillover.
  • Books: Material available on e-learning platform


• Correlation between health, environment, and society. Antibiotic resistance.School hygiene: Parasitic diseases: Pediculosis (lice), scabies, and body lice; Exanthematic diseases; Asthma and allergies; Celiac disease, lactose intolerance, thalassemia, epilepsy.
  • Books: Material available on e-learning platform


• Healthy and proper nutrition, food education, obesity.Accidents in the home: extent of the phenomenon and prevention.
  • Books: Material available on e-learning platform