Skin cancer is an important health issue in Australia and is connected to the National Health Priority Area Cancer Control
You have been asked to prepare a research report for the Minister for Health on an important health issue in Australia. For this report, you must select ONE specific health issue that is connected to one of the
National Health Priority Areas (NHPA)Your report should justify with evidence why your selected health issue is one of the NHPAs, i.e. why is it important for us to focus on addressing it? It is expected you
will use appropriate references throughout this report. The report should follow the structure and formatting recommended in the Guide to Assignment Presentation (GAP). It should include a Table of Contents
which includes at a minimum the headings outlined below. Note that the 1500 total word count does NOT include the title page, table of contents, reference page and any tables or graphs that you might
include.
1.0 Introduction (5%)
In this section you should introduce your topic, describe what your report is about, and define any necessary terms. In addition, you should refer to the National Health Priority Areas AND a specific target
group within Australia. At the end of the introduction, include a clear statement of purpose. You will need one to two paragraphs (~150 words).
2.0 Overview of health issue (15%)
In this section you should clearly outline the details of your chosen health issue and what causes it (~250 words).
3.0 Rationale for health issue as a NHPA (30%)
In this section you should describe who the health issue affects, how many it affects and how badly it affects them. Justify reasons for selecting this health issue with factual data, making sure you avoid overly
emotive language. You should include statistics (where appropriate) such as:
trends of the health issue over at least 81 0 years (Is this issue increasing or decreasing in severity?)
data with other countries (How does this data compare with Australia?)
gender and/or age differences.
Consider whether a table, graph or image would be useful. Ensure that tables or graphs are properly labeled and the source identified, as indicated in the Guide to Assignment Presentation. Sources may
include journal articles, publications from government and semi-government bodies, and research statistics. Consider your chosen health issue in the context of definitions of health, public health and health
promotion as well as the social determinants of health (~750 words).
4.0 Intervention (20%)
In this section you should describe ONE health promotion intervention that is used to prevent this health issue and detail how it relates to the Ottawa Charter Action Areas. Take the interventions target group
into consideration and think about their needs carefully (~250 words).
5.0 Conclusion (5%)
In this section you should remind the reader (ie the Principal Policy Officer) of the overall content and purpose of the report. Reiterate why your health issue is part of the NHPAs. Include information regarding
who is most at risk and who the intervention should be aimed at in the future (e.g. whole population or a particular target group). Dont include any new information in the Conclusion.
6.0 References (5%)
You should use a minimum of five peer-reviewed journals (published later than the year 2005). Also consider authoritative sites on the Internet such as the Australian Institute for Health and Welfare, Australian
Indigenous HealthInfoNet and the Australian Bureau of Statistics. However, these should not make up more than 20% of your references. Peer-reviewed journal articles should be your main source of
information.
Paraphrasing, citing and referencing (5%)
Paraphrases well and references well. No errors with citing and referencing.
Organisation (5%)
Demonstrates the ability to structure an argument very effectively: Sections flow on from each other, and paragraphs within sections flow. Links the content throughout the different sections in the report very
well.
Writing style: grammar, spelling and use of language (5%)
Uses a wide range of grammar and vocabulary naturally and with accuracy; rare minor errors.
Formatting (5%)
Title page, table of contents, page numbers and headings all included and neatly formatted with no errors. Only one Word document for the entire assessment is submitted.
