* * *
This course introduces students to key concepts and theoretical frameworks for understanding population health and health inequalities, with particular attention to their links to broader social phenomena and current societal challenges. Students will examine how health outcomes differ between population groups and over time, and explore the individual, social, and structural factors that shape these differences. Väestötiede, Demography.
Through a series of lectures, the course addresses topics such as population aging, mental health, child mortality, social stratification, intersectionality, migration, and the impacts of COVID-19. Emphasis is placed on the social determinants of health and the structural processes that produce and sustain health inequalities.
The course is suitable for all students interested in understanding patterns of health and illness, their underlying causes, and how these relate to demographic structures, social change, and population dynamics more broadly.
Learning outcomes
Upon completing the course, students will:
- Be able to describe health inequalities between population groups using appropriate indicators and data
- Understand the individual, societal, and structural factors underlying health inequalities, as well as their interconnections
- Be able to apply key concepts and theoretical perspectives to explain and interpret health inequalities
- Be able to critically use scientific articles in the examination of health inequalities.
Teaching and course format
The course consists of 12 on-site lectures. Attendance is required for at least 9 sessions. In addition to lectures, the course includes independent work and peer group activities.
The course is conducted in English. Lecturers will provide reading materials and additional resources throughout the course.
Assignments and assessment
Students are required to complete two essays and participate in peer feedback.
- Essay #1 submitted for peer feedback: Monday 27 October 2025
- Peer feedback given: Friday 31 October 2025
- Essay #1 final submission: Friday 7 November 2025
- Essay #2 submission: Friday 12 December 2025
Essays are assessed by the course instructor using a 0–5 grading scale.
Lecture schedule:
Mon 8 Sept at 10:15-11:45 Kaarina Korhonen: Introduction
Mon 15 Sept at 10:15-11:45 Moritz Oberndorfer: The socioeconomic gradient in health
Mon 22 Sept at 10:15-11:45 Luca Dei Bardi: Global inequalities in health
Mon 29 Sept at 10:15-11:45 Lauren Bishop: Life course epidemiology
Mon 6 Oct at 10:15-11:45 Olivia McEvoy: Determinants of health
Mon 13 Oct at 10:15-11:45 Eugenio Paglino: Environmental determinants of health
Mon 27 Oct at 14:15-15:45 Joan Damiens: Infant, maternal and reproductive health
Mon 3 Nov at 14:15-15:45 Shubhankar Sharma: Consequences of population aging on population health
Mon 10 Nov at 14:15-15:45 Lauren Bishop: Intersectional approaches to health inequality
Mon 17 Nov at 14:15-15:45 Eugenio Paglino: Migration and health
Mon 24 Nov at 14:15-15:45 Joan Damiens: Mental health
Mon 1 Dec at 14:15-15:45 Luca Dei Bardi: Covid-19 and health inequalities
Mon 8 Dec at 14:15-15:45 Kaarina Korhonen: Guidance on essays (optional)
* * *
