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PHTY41080

Academic Year 2026/2027

Prevention and Management of Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs) (PHTY41080)

Subject:
Physiotherapy
College:
Health & Agricultural Sciences
School:
Public Hlth, Phys & Sports Sci
Level:
4 (Masters)
Credits:
7.5
Module Coordinator:
Assoc Professor Gráinne O'Donoghue
Trimester:
Autumn
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including obesity, type 2 diabetes, mental illness and conditions associated with ageing, are among the leading causes of ill health and premature mortality worldwide. They arise through a complex interaction of genetic, physiological, environmental and behavioural factors. At the same time, populations are ageing: by 2030, one in six people worldwide will be aged 60 years or older. These demographic and health trends require effective and sustainable approaches to health promotion, disease prevention and clinical management across the lifespan.

In the physiotherapy-specific component of this module, physiotherapy students will develop their knowledge, understanding and skills in clinical exercise prescription for the prevention and management of NCDs and age-related health conditions. Students will consider the safe/effective prescription and adaptation of exercise for people with obesity and type 2 diabetes, poor bone health, serious mental illness, and age-related health conditions. They will explore how health status, functional capacity, individual and psychosocial factors influence clinical exercise prescription across different populations across the life course.

In the interdisciplinary component, physiotherapy and dietetics students will work collaboratively to develop health-promotion initiatives for the UCD community. This component addresses key principles of health promotion, creativity and innovation, and the relationship between population health and environmental sustainability. Students will consider how healthy eating and active living initiatives can promote health while supporting environmentally responsible practices, including responsible resource use, waste reduction and the longer-term sustainability of interventions. They will integrate their respective disciplinary knowledge, methods and perspectives while developing an understanding of the complementary contributions of physiotherapy and dietetics to sustainable health promotion.

During Weeks 1–6, the interdisciplinary student groups will work through the empathy, define, ideate and prototype phases of a structured design process. The resulting initiatives will be presented during the UCD Healthy Eating and Active Living Showcase in Week 7.

Mapped to CORU SoP: 2.1, 2.2, 2.4, 2.6, 2.12-2.15, 3.2-3.8, 3.10, 3.12, 4.3-4.5, 5.1-5.8, 5.11, 5.12, 5.14, 5.16, 5.18-5.20, 5.23, 5.24, 5.26, 5.27, 5.29

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

1. Critically examine the concepts and principles underpinning health promotion and their application to the prevention of non-communicable diseases.
2. Apply health-promotion principles to the needs of different populations and contexts, incorporating equity and environmental sustainability considerations.
3. Critically evaluate the complementary contributions of physiotherapy and dietetics to healthy lifestyles and the prevention of non-communicable diseases.
4. Collaborate effectively with dietetics students to design, deliver and evaluate an interdisciplinary, evidence-informed, inclusive and environmentally sustainable health-promotion initiative for the UCD community.
5. Analyse the principal physiological and functional effects of ageing and their implications for physiotherapy practice.
Integrate common age-related conditions, including sarcopenia, frailty, cognitive impairment, osteoporosis and osteoarthritis, into the development of exercise programmes for older adults.
6. Develop safe, appropriate, individualised and prioritised evidence-informed clinical exercise programmes for the management of the non-communicable diseases addressed in the module, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, poor bone health and serious mental illness.
7. Critically examine the effects of weight bias and stigma on health, engagement with healthcare and participation in exercise.

Indicative Module Content:

- Principles of health promotion and prevention of non-communicable diseases
- Population health, health inequalities and inclusive health promotion
- Environmental sustainability in healthy eating, active living and health-promotion practice
- Interdisciplinary design, delivery and evaluation of campus-based health-promotion initiatives
- Complementary contributions of physiotherapy and dietetics to healthy lifestyles
- Physiological and functional effects of ageing
- Sarcopenia, frailty, cognitive impairment, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis and multi morbidity
- Evidence-informed clinical exercise prescription for obesity, type 2 diabetes, poor bone health and serious mental illness
- Individualisation, prioritisation, safety and progression of exercise programmes
- Weight bias and stigma and their effects on health, healthcare engagement and exercise participation

UNESCO highlights a set of key competencies that support individuals in their development and support society in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UCD has adapted these competencies and is combining them with others to form a general framework of learning competencies. This module will help you develop the competencies below to the levels specified. 
Learning Competency Additional Information Level

Collaboration

 The ability to learn from others; to understand and respect the needs, perspectives and actions of others (empathy); to understand, relate to and be sensitive to others (empathic leadership); to deal with conflicts in a group; and to facilitate collaborative and participatory problem solving. Competent

Critical Thinking

 The ability to question norms, practices and opinions; to reflect on one’s own values, perceptions and actions. Competent

Systems Thinking

 The ability to recognize and understand relationships; to analyse complex systems; to think of how systems are embedded within different domains and different scales; and to deal with uncertainty. Advanced Beginner

Strategic

 The ability to collectively develop and implement innovative actions that further sustainability at the local level and further afield. Advanced Beginner

Integrated Problem Solving

 The overarching ability to apply different problem-solving frameworks to complex sustainability problems and develop viable, inclusive and equitable solution options that promote sustainable development, integrating the competencies in this list. Advanced Beginner

Self-awareness

 The ability to reflect on one’s own role in the local community and (global) society; to continually evaluate and further motivate one’s actions; and to deal with one’s feelings and desires. Advanced Beginner

Digital Literacy and Judgement

 The ability to access, evaluate, create and communicate information in digital environments; to engage critically, ethically and responsibly with digital technologies and digital information; to understand their opportunities, limitations, risks and impact on individual’s digital identities; and to exercise informed judgement in digital participation and decision-making. Advanced Beginner

Wellbeing

 Wellbeing is having the resources and skills to meet life's challenges, including attributes such as personal development skills, resilience, stress management, strengths, lifestyle skills, nutrition, physical activity, sleep, alcohol/substance use, academic skills, time management, goal setting, interpersonal skills, group work, communication. Competent

The United Nations identified seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as core to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and UCD contributes in general to SDG 4 Quality Education. Further SDGs explored within this module if relevant are listed below. A scale of 1 - 5 indicates the extent to which the SDG is covered.


Goal Name Description Coverage

Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages 5

Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns 5
 

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Autonomous Student Learning

120
Lectures

12
Small Group

24
Placement/Work Experience

44
Total

200

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
This module employs multiple approaches to teaching and learning including experiential interdisciplinary learning, lectures, group work, tutorials, workshops, presentations delivery of health promotion initiatives

AI/Academic Integrity:
Staff may utilise Artificial Intelligence (AI) during the programme to support teaching and learning and it will be clearly indicated if and when AI is used. Students are prohibited from representing work as their own that they did not write, code or create. Submission of AI-generated content to this module by a student without explicit permission and attribution is not allowed and it may reflect unacceptable professional behaviour. This may result in the initiation of a student disciplinary procedure in accordance with the “University Student Code of Conduct and Academic Integrity Policy.

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade Component repeat (in-module) Offered
Quizzes/Short Exercises: In-course written examination (1 hour): MCQ and short-answer questions - apply evidence-based principles of clinical exercise prescription and physiotherapy management to NCDs and healthy ageing Week 10 Alternative linear conversion grade scale 40% No
70
 No
Group Work Assignment: Working in interdisciplinary groups, students will design, deliver and evaluate an on-campus health promotion initiative addressing healthy eating and/or active living Week 12 Graded Yes
30
 Yes
Participation in Learning Activities: Fieldwork: UCD HEAL Showcase (week 7)
Pre-preparation / preparation / design / delivery of interdisciplinary health promotion initiative on campus		 Week 7 Pass/Fail Grade Scale No
0
 No

As part of UCD's student support, under the Additional Consideration policy, extensions may be available for the following assessments in the module: Assignment (including essay/poster), Portfolio, Reflective Assignment, Report(s), and Individual Project.


Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 

Remediation Type Remediation Timing
In-Module Resit Prior to relevant Programme Exam Board
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Group/class feedback, post-assessment
• Peer review activities
• Self-assessment activities

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Feedback will be given on the group work throughout the 10 weeks on a weekly basis and post assessment submission Feedback will be provided on the individual written assignments at draft stage (week 8), and on request, post submission

ACSM’s Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription. Wolters Kluwer | 2025 | 12th edition / senior editor, Cemal Ozemek
ACSM’s Clinical Exercise Physiology. Wolters Kluwer | 2024 | 2nd edition / editor, Walter R. Thompson

Name Role
Dr Julie Broderick Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Dr Eimear Cronin Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Assoc Professor Caitriona Cunningham Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Ms Nicola Dervan Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Ms Eilis Fitzgerald Lecturer / Co-Lecturer

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
Autumn Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 2, 4 Fri 09:00 - 12:50
Autumn Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 3, 5, 6 Fri 09:00 - 12:50
Autumn Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 7 Fri 10:00 - 12:50
Autumn Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 1 Mon 10:00 - 12:50
Autumn Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 3 Mon 14:00 - 15:50
Autumn Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 4 Mon 14:00 - 15:50
Autumn Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 1 Mon 14:00 - 16:50
Autumn Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 5 Thurs 09:00 - 10:50
Autumn Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 1 Thurs 10:00 - 12:50
Autumn Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 5 Thurs 12:00 - 13:50
Autumn Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 1 Thurs 13:00 - 15:50
Autumn Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 1 Tues 10:00 - 12:50
Autumn External & School Exams Offering 1 Week(s) - 10 Tues 11:00 - 12:50
Autumn Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 3 Tues 11:00 - 12:50
Autumn Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 6 Tues 11:00 - 12:50
Autumn Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 1 Tues 13:00 - 16:50
Autumn Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 2 Tues 14:00 - 15:50
Autumn Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 2 Wed 09:00 - 10:50
Autumn Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 1 Wed 10:00 - 12:50
Autumn Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 1 Wed 13:00 - 15:50
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