General Hygiene and Sports Nutrition 1

Module General Hygiene

Knowledge and understanding
At the end of the course, students will acquire basic knowledge of the principles of hygiene and prevention applied to individual and public health. In particular, they will gain knowledge of the determinants of health, the main risk factors associated with lifestyles and environmental conditions, the mechanisms underlying the onset and spread of infectious diseases, and the principal strategies for the prevention of chronic-degenerative diseases. The course will also address the relationships between environment and health, with reference to issues related to biological, chemical, and physical pollution of different environmental matrices.

Applying knowledge and understanding
Students will be able to apply the acquired knowledge to recognize and evaluate the main factors influencing the health status of the population, with particular reference to the role of physical activity in health promotion and disease prevention. They will also be able to understand the basic principles of preventive measures and health promotion strategies in educational, sports, and community settings.

Making judgements
Students will develop the ability to critically evaluate information related to health risk factors and prevention strategies, interpreting data and information derived from the scientific literature and institutional sources. These skills will enable them to formulate preliminary assessments of the most appropriate behaviors and interventions for the protection and promotion of health.

Communication skills
Students will be able to use appropriate scientific terminology to describe health determinants, risk factors, and the main prevention strategies, communicating clearly and accurately information related to health promotion and healthy lifestyles in educational and sports contexts.

Learning skills
By the end of the course, students will have acquired the conceptual tools necessary to independently deepen their knowledge of hygiene, prevention, and health promotion, developing the ability to update their knowledge through consultation of scientific literature and institutional sources in the field of public health.

Frontal lessons.

Should teaching be carried out in mixed mode or remotely, it may be necessary to introduce changes with respect to previous statements, in line with the programme planned and outlined in the syllabus.

Learning assessment may also be carried out on line, should the conditions require it.

Definition, basic concepts and tasks of Hygiene. Natural history of disease. Primary, secondary and tertiary prevention. The role of Health Education in health advocacy.

Elements of Epidemiology: definition, characteristics and purposes.

Sources and reservoirs of infection; routes of entry and elimination of pathogens; transmission mode; diffusion rates of infectious diseases.

General prophylaxis: direct prophylaxis. Specific prophylaxis: vaccine prophylaxis. Serum and Immunoglobulin prophylaxis. Chemoprophylaxis.

Epidemiology and prevention of infectious diseases in relation to the transmission mode.

Epidemiology and general prevention of non-infectious diseases: causes and risk factors. Genetic risk factors, environmental, behavioral. Modification of lifestyle. Secondary prevention.

The environment and its factors; relationships with health. Environmental pollution; bioavailability and biological amplification. Chemical hazards, the main pathological effects.

Atmospheric air. Definition. Physiological importance of the air. Physical and chemical characteristics.

Effects of atmospheric change on human health, its physical and chemical characteristics. Air pollution. Harmful effects of air pollution on the environment and humans: the immediate or short-term; distance or long term. Air pollution control.

Microclimate. Physical and chemical characteristics. Air intramural and environmental well-being. Thermoregulatory mechanisms. The indices of well-being. Pollution "indoor".

Water intended for human consumption. General. Sources of supply. The water needs. Potability requirements. Criteria to judge the potability. Correction of the organoleptic, chemical character, character bacteriological.

Noise. Noise characteristics. Health effects. Prevention of noise pollution. Italian legislation.

Radiation. Ionizing radiation. Radon. Non-ionizing radiation. Biological effects of electromagnetic fields.

Liquid waste. Definition, types of waste and their quantitative characteristics. Removal and disposal of municipal wastewater. Primary treatment, secondary, tertiary, sludge treatment.

Solid waste. Definition, classification. Collection, removal and disposal.

A text of Hygiene chosen by the student.

The assessment consists of a structured written test with 13 multiple-choice questions covering the course content, administered via the Exam.net digital platform.

Each of the first 12 questions has one correct answer and is worth 2.5 points, for a maximum of 30 points. The 13th question is used exclusively for the possible award of honors (cum laude) and is considered only if the student achieves full marks in the first 12 questions.

The test is designed to assess students’ knowledge and understanding of the course topics, their ability to apply this knowledge to public health and hygiene-related issues, and their ability to identify relationships between risk factors, health determinants, and prevention strategies.

An oral examination may be required at the instructor’s discretion.

Grading Criteria

The final grade is expressed on a 30-point scale and is based on the number of correct answers in the first 12 questions (2.5 points each).

A score of 30/30 is awarded for 12 correct answers. Lower grades are assigned proportionally based on the number of correct responses.

A minimum of 8 correct answers (18/30) is required to pass the exam. Higher scores reflect a progressively stronger level of knowledge (e.g., 10 correct answers = 25/30; 11 correct answers = 28/30, after rounding).

The final grade directly reflects the level of mastery of the course content.

Honors (cum laude) may be awarded to students who achieve 30/30 and correctly answer the 13th question.