Fitness, Nutrition and Health - BSc (Hons)

Abertay University

In this practical module, you’ll explore how different food ingredients work and how their properties affect the final product. You’ll develop essential food handling and preparation skills, then apply your knowledge to design, create and promote your own multi-component recipe. Indicative Content - Fundamental Food Handling and Demonstration Skills: Develop core food handling and preparation skills while learning how ingredients interact within recipes. Build the confidence to adapt and modify recipes, and practice demonstrating multi-component dishes. - Theoretical Underpinning of Recipe Development for Specific Groups: Explore the principles of recipe development and modification to meet the needs of specific audiences or dietary requirements. Learn about nutritional guidelines, ingredient functionality, and effective food demonstration techniques. - Safety Management: Understand the principles of food safety management through the assessment and design of HACCP plans. Learn how to implement and monitor food safety systems in practical settings.

In this module, nutrient needs, nutritional status and associated nutritional issues are explored using a lifespan model. Indicactive content - Overview of nutrients and their function - Nutrition during pregnancy and lactation - Nutrition during infancy - Nutrition in childhood - Nutrition in adolescence - Nutrition in adulthood - Nutrition in aging - Nutrition for physical activity and sports

Explore the core principles of physiology and how they apply to sport and exercise. You’ll learn about energy systems, fatigue, and how the cardiovascular system adapts to physical activity. You’ll also examine how exercise affects different populations, including those with specific health or performance needs. Indicative content - Fundamentals of bioenergetics: You'll further explore the core concepts of energy production during exercise, examining the interaction of the different energy systems during exercise, how these change with intensity of activity and the role of the endocrine system. You'll also begin to explore protein metabolism - Neuromuscular adaptations to exercise: You'll learn about how the body adapts to different types of exercise (endurance, resistance and high intensity). - Fatigue: You'll learn about possible causes of peripheral fatigue during exercise. - Cardiovascular adaptations to endurance training: You'll learn about how the cardiovascular system adapts to endurance training and how this can influence performance. - Physiological Testing: You'll explore a number of physiological tests that are used routinely for health and fitness assessment. You'll develop an understanding of the tests and their limitations and will be introduced to ethical and practical considerations when working with individuals with protected characteristics. You'll also learn how to analyse and interpret the results of physiological tests.

Please note: If you are a Direct Entrant (new student) to this year of study and have not previously taken module ABE101, then you MUST take ABE201 as your Term 2 microcredential module. If you have previously taken ABE101, then you are NOT permitted to take ABE201 in Term 2. Starting university brings new opportunities and challenges, and every student’s journey is different. This microcredential helps you settle into life at Abertay and build the habits that lead to success. You’ll hear from current students sharing their own tips, and reflect on the areas you most want to develop. You’ll get to know Abertay’s systems, explore what makes a successful student and practise core skills such as time management, referencing, academic writing style and using support services. By the end, you’ll have the tools and strategies you need to thrive at university. Indicative content - Navigating Abertay Systems: Get to know the key systems you’ll use at Abertay—such as MyLearningSpace, MS Teams, OASIS and MyAbertay—and learn how to use them effectively. - Expectations of University and You: Explore what’s expected of you as a student and what you can expect from the university. Topics include the code of conduct, independent and blended learning, how courses are structured, health and safety, and the Abertay attributes. - Abertay Discovery Tool: Complete the Discovery Tool to identify your strengths and areas for development across five themes: studying at university, academic skills, digital skills, careers and employability, and wellbeing. - Fundamentals of University: Learn how modules work, how assessments are set, and how to use assignment briefs and feedback to improve your work. - Understanding, Searching and Evaluating Information: Develop strategies for finding and assessing reliable information, building your confidence in research and study skills. - Successful Student Behaviours: Practise the habits that help you succeed: managing time, avoiding procrastination, effective note-taking, preparing for classes, developing a growth mindset, and making use of student support services. - Referencing: Understand academic integrity and why referencing matters. Learn how to avoid plagiarism, create in-text citations and reference lists, and use digital tools to manage your sources. - Sounding Academic: Discover what lecturers mean by “academic style” and how to use the right language in your writing. Learn the rules of academic writing, how to paraphrase effectively, and how expectations differ between school/college and university. You’ll also explore how assessments, marking and feedback work.

This module covers the concepts of public health, development of public health policy and key public health issues. It will also provide the fundamentals of epidemiology. Indicative content - Food & Nutrition policy: Framework of national and local policy and guidelines; models of good practice. - Health policy and public health: What is health policy? State intervention in health. Development of policy documents/guidelines for health/targets and implementation. Influences of global health policy. Structure of public health agencies. - Policy Implementation: Implementation of food and nutrition policy in educational establishments, community food initiatives, local authorities and health services. - Fundamentals of epidemiology: e.g. concept, measuring disease frequency, study designs for public health

Analysis of food and drink is a very important part of product development and quality assurance encountered by food scientists and nutritionists in the workplace. This module introduces you to the techniques required to test food using analytical, physicochemical and sensory analysis techniques. Indicative content: - Physicochemical Characterisation of Foods: Analyse the physical and chemical properties of foods through practical experiments. Learn how to measure pH and acidity using titration and determine key macro- and micronutrients such as vitamin C and total phenolic compounds. - Sensory Evaluation Techniques: Explore a range of sensory testing methods, including discrimination, ranking, descriptive and affective tests. Learn how to apply basic statistical techniques to analyse and interpret sensory data. - Introduction to Human Intervention Trials: Gain an understanding of how randomised control trials are used to study food characteristics and their effects on human health. Learn how to calculate and interpret the glycaemic index of foods. - Data Collection, Analysis and Interpretation: Develop skills in collecting, analysing and interpreting experimental data using appropriate statistical methods to draw meaningful conclusions.

This module will give you the skills to critically explore the consumer issues that sit behind a range of nutrition-related public health challenges. You’ll learn how to question, analyse and understand the factors that shape people’s choices, and how these link to wider health concerns in society. Indicative Content - Satiety/Obesity and CVD Explored in Terms of Drivers of Consumption: You’ll explore how factors such as satiety, obesity and cardiovascular disease (CVD) are linked to what and how we eat. This includes looking at genetic and age-related differences in sensory perception, such as the role of “supertasters” (e.g. bitter sensitivity and fat taste receptors like CD36). You’ll also examine how chewing strategies, biomarkers, hormones, receptors and cognitive factors influence satiety. Alongside this, you’ll take a sociological perspective on eating behaviours, including disordered eating. - Research Methods: You’ll review a range of research techniques used to study nutrition and behaviour, considering their strengths and weaknesses. For example, you’ll question whether attitudinal scoring can really predict behaviour. You’ll also develop practical skills in report writing, data accuracy, presentation and analysis, as well as learning how to critique experiments and structure reports effectively. - Solutions/Interventions: You’ll investigate a variety of approaches to tackling nutrition-related health issues, including psychological, medical, dietary and technical solutions. This will help you understand the range of strategies available and how they can be applied in real-world context.

In this module, you’ll explore how nutrients interact with other components, including non-nutrient food elements, genes and even drugs. You’ll also learn about the different methods used to assess nutritional status, giving you the tools to understand how diet affects health. Alongside this, you’ll be introduced to the exciting field of nutritional genomics, where nutrition and genetics come together to shape our understanding of personalised health and wellbeing. Indicative Content - Introduction to Nutritional Genomics: You’ll start by learning the genetic fundamentals that underpin nutrition. You’ll then explore how genetics and nutrition interact through the fields of nutrigenomics and nutrigenetics, helping you understand how our genes can influence dietary needs and responses. - Food-Drug Interactions: You’ll examine how drugs and nutrition affect each other. This includes how drug use can impact nutritional status, how drugs can alter the way food and nutrients are processed, and how food and nutrients can change the way drugs work. You’ll also study alcohol as a drug, looking at its absorption, metabolism and effects on health. - Non-Nutrient Components in Foods: You’ll explore the role of non-nutrient food components, including bioactive compounds and their metabolic activity. You’ll also look at the main classes of anti-nutrients and how they affect nutrient bioavailability, as well as adverse reactions to certain foods or food components. - Functional Foods: You’ll learn what functional foods are and the health benefits they can provide. This includes exploring prebiotics and probiotics, as well as other functional components that can support wellbeing and prevent disease. - Laboratory Data in Nutrition Assessment: You’ll develop an understanding of how laboratory data is used to assess nutritional status. This includes identifying indicators of protein-energy malnutrition (such as starvation and chronic undernutrition), exploring inflammation and biochemical assessment, and reviewing markers of vitamin and iron status, with an overview of their functions and deficiencies.

In this module, you’ll learn the key principles of assessment and exercise programming, exploring both the immediate and long-term effects of training on health. You’ll carry out a range of physiological and fitness tests, then use the results to plan, deliver and evaluate safe, evidence-based exercise programmes. By the end, you’ll have the skills to design tailored programmes that help clients achieve their individual health and fitness goals Indicative Content - Basic Principles of Assessment and Programming : You’ll be introduced to the core concepts and methods used to assess physical fitness and design effective exercise programmes, giving you the foundations to build safe and structured training plans. - Health Screening and Pre-Exercise Evaluation: You’ll learn how to evaluate an individual’s health status and potential risks before starting an exercise programme, ensuring that training is both safe and appropriate. - Exercise Programming for Health: You’ll develop the skills to create tailored exercise programmes designed to improve overall health and wellbeing, with a focus on evidence-based practice. - Acute Responses and Chronic Adaptations to Exercise: You’ll explore how the body responds immediately to exercise and how it adapts over time with regular training, helping you understand the science behind fitness improvements. - Programming and Adaptations for Special Populations: You’ll learn how to adapt exercise programmes to meet the needs of specific groups, such as older adults, pregnant women, or individuals with health conditions, ensuring inclusivity and safety in practice. - Assessing Body Composition: You’ll use different methods and tools to measure body fat percentage, lean mass and overall body composition, and understand how these results can inform training plans. - Assessing Muscle Strength, Endurance and Flexibility: You’ll practise techniques for assessing muscle strength, endurance and flexibility, and learn how to use this information to design personalised exercise programmes. - Assessing Functional Fitness: You’ll measure an individual’s ability to carry out everyday tasks and activities, helping you understand how fitness translates into real-life function and independence. - Assessing Cardiorespiratory Endurance: You’ll evaluate cardiovascular and respiratory efficiency through endurance-based tests, giving you insight into an individual’s aerobic fitness and stamina.

This placement is designed to build on your academic studies and give you the chance to apply what you’ve learned in a real workplace setting. It’s an opportunity for you to take responsibility for your own personal and professional development, while gaining valuable skills, training and experience that will support both your learning and your future career. Indicative Content - Placement Preparation: You’ll be supported in preparing for your placement by covering key areas such as induction, confidentiality, health and safety, setting realistic expectations and understanding how you’ll be assessed. Before starting, you, your employer and your placement tutor will agree on the tasks you’ll be involved in, the learning opportunities available and the outcomes expected. You’ll also get help with CV writing and developing reflective learning techniques to make sure you’re ready to get the most out of the experience. - Placement: Your placement experience will depend on the organisation or agency you’re matched with, giving you a unique opportunity to learn in a real-world setting. During Term 2, you’ll complete an unpaid work placement for three days each week, allowing you to apply your academic knowledge in practice and develop valuable workplace skills. - Debriefing: At the end of your placement, you’ll take part in a debrief session designed to help you reflect on your experiences. This will give you guidance on how to transfer what you’ve learned into your future studies and career development, ensuring the skills and insights you’ve gained continue to benefit you beyond the placement.

This module helps you develop the communication skills needed to support behaviour change strategies that encourage positive lifestyle choices. You’ll learn how to use these approaches to promote better health and wellbeing, gaining practical tools you can apply in real-world settings. Indicative Content - Communication, Self-Awareness and Active Listening: You’ll develop key skills in effective communication, self-awareness, and active listening—essential tools for supporting behaviour change and working with clients. - Management Skills: You’ll learn the practical aspects of management, including administration and client organisation, to help you work effectively and professionally in real-world settings. - Behaviour Change : You’ll explore what influences behaviour, how to understand and assess it, and the factors that impact motivation. You’ll also look at how individual differences shape behaviour and how to use this knowledge to support positive change. - Time Management: You’ll develop strategies to manage your time more effectively, including how to adapt your approach, plan efficiently, and balance competing demands. - Goal Setting: You’ll learn how to identify meaningful goals and turn them into practical, realistic plans. You’ll explore both short- and long-term goal setting, and how to support clients in achieving them. - Behaviour Change Models: You’ll study key models of behaviour change, such as social cognitive theory, relapse prevention, ecological theories, and stages of readiness. You’ll also explore the role of moderators and mediators in the change process. - Promoting Adherence: You’ll examine how to encourage long-term commitment to behaviour change, focusing on self-efficacy, social support, and the impact of habits. You’ll also learn strategies to overcome barriers and strengthen adherence.

In this module, you’ll explore how non-communicable diseases can be prevented and the challenges faced by today’s food systems. You’ll learn about the methods used in nutritional epidemiology—understanding both their strengths and limitations—and gain insight into how researchers design, carry out, and analyse studies that investigate diet and nutritional status. By the end, you’ll have a clearer picture of how evidence is built in this field and how it can be applied to real-world health challenges. Indicative Content - Nutritional and Physical Activity Assessment Methods: You’ll review the different methods used to assess nutrition and physical activity, exploring both their strengths and limitations. This will help you understand how researchers and practitioners measure lifestyle behaviours and apply these findings in real-world contexts. - Nutrition Epidemiology: You’ll learn about the key tools and approaches used in nutritional epidemiology, including study designs, biomarkers, and methods for linking diet to chronic diseases. You’ll also develop skills in measuring dietary exposure and outcomes, and apply biostatistics to interpret findings in this field. - Significance of the Evaluation of Nutrition and Physical Activity in Public Health: You’ll examine how evaluating nutrition and physical activity contributes to shaping public health agendas. This includes considering the risk factors for non-communicable diseases, with a particular focus on the role of diet and physical activity in preventing obesity. - Food System Challenges: You’ll explore how food connects to wider social, economic, and environmental issues. Topics include the environmental impact of food systems, food security, sustainability, reducing food waste, and promoting healthy and sustainable eating patterns. You’ll also consider the future of food and whether shared solutions can address multiple global challenges.

In this module, you’ll gain the essential foundations to carry out an in-depth investigation into a research topic of your choice. You’ll explore both qualitative and quantitative research methods, discover a range of analysis techniques, and develop the project management skills needed to plan and deliver your work successfully. It’s your opportunity to combine theory with practice and take real ownership of your research journey. Indicative Content - Introduction to Research: You’ll explore the nature and purpose of research, looking at different approaches such as quantitative, qualitative, mixed methods, developmental, and practice-based research. You’ll also see how these fit within wider philosophical perspectives like positivism, interpretivism, and pragmatism, and consider the strengths and weaknesses of each. - Dealing with Practical Issues: You’ll learn how to take a research idea from concept to completion. This includes identifying a topic, setting clear objectives, and developing a research strategy. You’ll also explore what makes a strong project, address ethical issues, and identify the most suitable research methods for your chosen study. - Appraisal of Current Subject-Specific Knowledge: You’ll develop the skills to carry out a literature review, from searching and evaluating sources to organising and synthesising information. You’ll practise writing a review, managing bibliographic records, and creating strong research questions for both quantitative and qualitative projects. - Data Collection and Analysis: You’ll explore different approaches to collecting and analysing data, including quantitative, qualitative, mixed-methods, and iterative designs. You’ll also learn about questionnaire design, sampling methods, and data modelling, giving you the tools to handle data effectively and draw meaningful conclusions. - Writing Your Research Proposal: You’ll learn how to identify a research problem, define its purpose, and frame your main research question(s). You’ll then choose appropriate strategies and methods to design your proposal. You’ll also practise discussing findings, drawing conclusions, making recommendations, and reporting your work, preparing you for planning, writing, and submitting a dissertation. - Ethics and Risk Assessment: You’ll engage with Abertay University’s ethics and risk assessment processes, developing a clear understanding of how to conduct research responsibly and safely.

In this module, you’ll explore the role of physical activity in supporting the health and wellbeing of special populations. You’ll look at how taking part in physical activity can boost physical, social, and mental health across different groups, while also examining the challenges of encouraging participation. By the end, you’ll have a clearer understanding of how to make physical activity more accessible and impactful for everyone. Indicative Content - Guidelines: You’ll learn about population-level physical activity guidelines and how they’re used to promote health and wellbeing across different groups. - Benefits: You’ll explore the wide-ranging benefits of physical activity, including its positive impact on physical health, mental wellbeing, and social connections. - Needs and Challenges: You’ll identify the specific needs of different groups and examine the challenges they may face when engaging in physical activity, helping you understand how to make participation more inclusive. - Participation: You’ll investigate participation trends across different populations, gaining insight into who is most and least active, and why these patterns exist. - Exploration of Attitudes, Beliefs and Values: You’ll explore how different populations view physical activity, considering the attitudes, beliefs, and values that shape their choices and behaviours.

In this module, you’ll explore how nutrition plays a vital role in both preventing and managing a wide range of diseases. You’ll discover how what we eat can influence health outcomes, and gain insights into how nutrition is used to support wellbeing and tackle real-world health challenges. Indicative Content - Risk Factors for Major Causes of Illness : You’ll explore the main risk factors linked to major causes of illness, using both epidemiological and intervention studies to understand how these factors contribute to morbidity and mortality. - Principles of the Management of Diseases: You’ll examine the principles behind managing a range of diseases, such as cancer, anaemia, type 2 diabetes, gastrointestinal disorders, and metabolic conditions, gaining insight into how nutrition plays a role in treatment and care. - Role of Nutrition in the Prevention of Diseases: You’ll investigate how nutrition can help prevent disease, focusing on the evidence that links diet to long-term health and wellbeing. - Dietary Intervention Strategies: You’ll learn about different dietary intervention strategies and how they can be applied to improve health outcomes and support disease prevention or management. - Nutrition Support: You’ll study specialist nutrition support methods, including enteral and parenteral nutrition, and consider how these approaches are used in clinical practice to support patients with specific needs.

In this module, you’ll take charge of your own research journey. You’ll develop your thinking skills and strengthen the way you communicate, all while working towards research goals that you’ve defined yourself. It’s an opportunity to grow as an independent learner, express your ideas with confidence, and take ownership of your academic development. Indicative Content - Project Work: You’ll carry out a focused project on a specific aspect of your discipline, working under the guidance of an academic supervisor or team. This is your opportunity to apply your knowledge, explore your own ideas, and develop as an independent researcher. - Project Log / Lab Book: You’ll keep clear and accurate records of your work in a suitable format, helping you stay organised and track your progress. This will also give you valuable experience in maintaining professional research documentation. - Communication of Findings: You’ll produce a final project report that follows discipline-specific guidelines, showcasing your ability to write in a professional academic style. You’ll also present your research outcomes through a poster presentation, building confidence in sharing your work with others.