PHE 321 Final Project Guidelines and Rubric
Overview
In 2013, West Africa saw the beginning of one of the largest and longest lasting Ebola breakouts in history, which lasted for over two years. In 2014, the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that heart disease, killing some 614,348 individuals that year, was the leading cause of death in the United
States. These examples show two different types of disease—one infectious, the other chronic—that have become focal points of public health. How do public
health professionals work to solve such issues? The key is a thorough understanding of the etiology, behavior, and transmission of diseases.
The final project for this course is a disease brief, which will require you to select a chronic or infectious disease from the provided list and write a brief analysis
of that disease to inform your health professional peers. You will cover the etiology of the disease, research the incidence and prevalence of the disease, explore
treatment and prevention, and consider how the ecological model impacts this public health issue.
This project is divided into two milestones, which will be submitted at various points throughout the course to scaffold learning and ensure quality final
submissions. These milestones will be submitted in Modules Three and Five. The final product will be submitted in Module Seven.
In this assignment, you will demonstrate your mastery of the following course outcomes:
Analyze the etiology of infectious or chronic diseases to determine risk factors and modes of transmission
Discern the role of individual, community, and governmental levels of the ecological model in addressing public health issues and in impacting an
individual’s health
Determine incidence and prevalence of disease among affected populations by analyzing public health data and statistics
Distinguish prevention and treatment options for chronic or infectious diseases that can inform strategies meant to improve public health
Prompt
Select one of the chronic or infectious diseases from the list provided to be the focus of your research. You will write a disease brief on your selected disease.
Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed:
I. Overview: In this section, you will introduce the disease you selected, including an overview of its current impact on public health.
A. Level of Public Health Issue: Describe the disease selected and the impact it has on public health. In other words, is this a current public health
issue, one that may become a major issue, or one that was a public health issue in the past?
1
II. Etiology: In this section, you will research the selected disease and analyze its etiology. Remember to use APA formatting for your citations.
A. Disease Progression: Based on your research, describe how the disease develops in the human body. Consider how the disease starts as well as
the process the disease goes through as it progresses.
B. Risk Factors: Explain the major risk factors for contracting or developing this disease, using your research as support.
C. Transmission: Discuss whether the disease is chronic or infectious and how it is transmitted from individual to individual.
III. Incidence and Prevalence: In this section, you will analyze what the data reveals about the disease. Review the CDC website to interpret the available
data for the chosen disease.
A. Incidence: Interpret what the available data reveals about the number of incidences of this disease, including how often individuals contract or
develop this disease in the United States.
B. Prevalence: Determine how prevalent the disease is in the United States, including the most affected populations. Support your determination
with available data.
C. Correlation With Risk Factors: Based on your interpretation of the available data and your research on risk factors, explain whether the
incidence and prevalence of the disease correlates with the major risk factors you identified.
IV. Treatment and Prevention: In this section, you will research and discuss prevention and treatment options available for the selected disease.
A. Prevention Strategies: Describe the common primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention strategies practiced regarding the selected disease.
Support your description with specific examples.
B. Treatment: Describe common treatments used on individuals as the disease progresses and determine which may be appropriate for informing
public health strategies.
C. Public Health Applications: Illustrate how the identified prevention and treatment options might be able to inform future strategies aimed at
improving public health. Support your discussion with specific examples.
V. The Ecological Model and Public Health: In this section, you will review the roles that individuals, communities, and governmental levels have in
addressing public health issues in general and how these can ultimately affect the health of an individual.
A. Individuals and Communities: What role do individuals and communities play in impacting public health issues? Provide examples to support
your discussion.
B. Governmental Levels: What role do governmental levels play in addressing health issues in the public arena? Provide examples from the state
and federal level to support your claims.
C. Individual’s Health: What effect do these levels have, ultimately, on the health of individuals suffering from the selected disease?
2
Milestones
Milestone One
In Module Three, you will select a disease for your final project from the provided list. Once you have selected your disease you will provide a brief overview, as
well as identify resources for your chosen disease. This milestone will be graded with the Milestone One Rubric.
Milestone Two: Etiology and Incidence and Prevalence
In Module Five, you will write a short paper based upon the disease you chose for your final project. You will begin by identifying the risk factors for the disease.
In addition to that, you will discuss modes of transmission, incidence, and prevalence for the chosen disease. This milestone will be graded with the Milestone
Two Rubric.
Final Submission: Disease Brief
In Module Seven, you will submit your final project. It should be a complete, polished artifact containing all of the critical elements of the final project. It should
reflect the incorporation of feedback gained throughout the course. This submission will be graded with the Final Project Rubric.
Final Project Rubric
Guidelines for Submission: Your disease brief must be 8 to 10 pages in length (plus a cover page and references), and must adhere to APA formatting for
formatting and citations. Use double spacing, 12-point Times New Roman font, and one-inch margins.
Critical Elements Exemplary (100%) Proficient (85%) Needs Improvement (55%) Not Evident (0%) Value
Overview: Level of
Public Health Issue
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
level of detail used in the
description demonstrates a
nuanced understanding of the
disease and its impact on public
health
Describes the disease selected
and the impact it has on public
health
Describes the disease selected
and the impact it has on public
health, but description is
cursory or contains inaccuracies
Does not describe the disease
selected
6
Etiology: Disease
Progression
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
level of detail used in the
description demonstrates a
sophisticated understanding of
how the disease develops in the
human body
Describes how the disease
develops in the human body
Describes how the disease
develops in the human body,
but description is cursory or
contains inaccuracies
Does not describe how the
disease develops in the human
body
7.9
3
Etiology: Risk Factors Meets “Proficient” criteria and
support provided from the
research demonstrates a
thorough understanding of the
major risk factors for
contracting or developing the
disease
Explains the major risk factors
for contracting or developing
the disease, with support from
research
Explains the risk factors for
contracting or developing the
disease, but explanation is
cursory, contains inaccuracies,
does not include all the major
risk factors, or does not use
research as support
Does not explain any risk
factors for contracting or
developing the disease
7.9
Etiology:
Transmission
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
level of detail provided in the
discussion demonstrates a
sophisticated understanding of
the transmission of the disease
Discusses whether the disease
is chronic or infectious and how
it is transmitted from individual
to individual
Discusses whether the disease
is chronic or infectious and how
it is transmitted from individual
to individual, but discussion is
cursory or contains inaccuracies
Does not discuss whether the
disease is chronic or infectious
or how it is transmitted from
individual to individual
7.9
Incidence and
Prevalence:
Incidence
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
demonstrates a sophisticated
ability to interpret what the
available data reveals about the
number of incidences of this
disease
Interprets what the available
data reveals about the number
of incidences of this disease,
including how often individuals
contract or develop the disease
in the United States
Interprets what the available
data reveals about the number
of incidences of this disease,
including how often individuals
contract or develop the disease
in the United States, but
explanation is cursory or
illogical or contains inaccuracies
Does not interpret what the
available data reveals about the
number of incidences of this
disease
7.9
Incidence and
Prevalence:
Prevalence
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
makes cogent connections
between the available data and
how prevalent the disease is in
the United States among
specific populations
Determines how prevalent the
disease is in the United States,
including the most affected
populations, based on the
available data
Determines how prevalent the
disease is in the United States,
including the most affected
populations, but determination
contains inaccuracies or is not
logical based on the available
data
Does not determine how
prevalent the disease is in the
United States
7.9
Incidence and
Prevalence:
Correlation With
Risk Factors
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
makes cogent connections
between the incidence and
prevalence of the disease and
the major risk factors identified
Explains whether the incidence
and prevalence of the disease
correlates with the major risk
factors identified
Explains whether the incidence
and prevalence of the disease
correlates with the major risk
factors identified, but
explanation is cursory or
illogical or contains inaccuracies
Does not explain whether the
incidence and prevalence of the
disease correlates with the
major risk factors identified
7.9
4
Treatment and
Prevention:
Prevention
Strategies
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
level of detail provided in the
examples demonstrates a
thorough understanding of the
common primary, secondary,
and tertiary prevention
strategies practiced regarding
the selected disease
Describes the common primary,
secondary, and tertiary
prevention strategies practiced
regarding the selected disease
with support from specific
examples
Describes the common primary,
secondary, and tertiary
prevention strategies practiced
regarding the selected disease,
but description is cursory or
contains inaccuracies or is not
supported with specific
examples
Does not describe the common
primary, secondary, and
tertiary prevention strategies
practiced regarding the
selected disease
6
Treatment and
Prevention:
Treatment
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
level of analysis in the
determination demonstrates a
thorough understanding of
common treatments used on
individuals as the disease
progresses
Illustrates how the identified
prevention and treatment
options might be able to inform
future strategies aimed at
improving public health with
support from specific relevant
examples
Illustrates how the identified
prevention and treatment
options might be able to inform
future strategies aimed at
improving public health, but
discussion is cursory or illogical
or is not supported with
specific examples relevant to
the discussion
Does not illustrate how the
identified prevention and
treatment options might be
able to inform future strategies
aimed at improving public
health
6
Treatment and
Prevention: Public
Health Applications
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
examples provided illustrate a
sophisticated awareness of how
at-risk populations can be
informed of prevention and
treatment options to improve
public health
Illustrates how the identified
prevention and treatment
options might be able to inform
future strategies aimed at
improving public health with
support from specific relevant
examples
Illustrates how the identified
prevention and treatment
options might be able to inform
future strategies aimed at
improving public health, but
discussion is cursory or illogical
or is not supported with
specific examples relevant to
the discussion
Does not illustrate how the
identified prevention and
treatment options might be
able to inform future strategies
aimed at improving public
health
6
The Ecological Model
and Public Health:
Individuals and
Communities
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
examples provided illustrate
cogent connections between
the role of individuals and
communities and public health
issues
Discusses the role individuals
and communities play in
impacting public health issues,
with specific examples
Discusses the role individuals
and communities play in
impacting public health issues,
with specific examples, but
discussion is cursory or illogical,
or examples provided are not
relevant or applicable
Does not discuss the role
individuals and communities
play in impacting public health
issues
7.9
5
The Ecological Model
and Public Health:
Governmental Levels
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
examples provided illustrate
cogent connections between
the role of state and federal
governmental levels and public
health issues
Discusses the role
governmental levels play in
addressing health issues in the
public arena, with specific
examples
Discusses the role
governmental levels play in
addressing health issues in the
public arena, but discussion is
cursory or illogical, or examples
provided are not relevant or
applicable
Does not discuss the role
governmental levels play in
addressing health issues in the
public arena
7.9
The Ecological Model
and Public Health:
Individual’s Health
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
makes cogent connections
between individual,
community, and governmental
levels and the health of
individuals suffering from the
selected disease
Discusses the effects these
levels have on the health of
individuals suffering from the
selected disease
Discusses the effects these
levels have on the health of
individuals suffering from the
selected disease, but discussion
is cursory or illogical
Does not discuss the effects
these levels have on the health
of individuals suffering from the
selected disease
7.9
Articulation of
Response
Submission is free of errors
related to citations, grammar,
spelling, syntax, and
organization and is presented in
a professional and easy to read
format
Submission has no major errors
related to citations, grammar,
spelling, syntax, or organization
Submission has major errors
related to citations, grammar,
spelling, syntax, or organization
that negatively impact
readability and articulation of
main ideas
Submission has critical errors
related to citations, grammar,
spelling, syntax, or organization
that prevent understanding of
ideas
4.9
Total 100%
6
