Lifestyle Medicine Avondale University

Overview

Evidence is showing that a healthy lifestyle is effective for preventing disease, managing, and in some instances, treating established conditions. This has led to the emergence of the "Lifestyle Medicine" field, which is defined by the American College of Lifestyle Medicine as "the use of lifestyle interventions in the treatment and management of disease".

Lifestyle Medicine seeks to treat the causes of chronic disease, which include poor nutrition, physical inactivity, substance abuse, stress, environmental factors, and even issues relating to identity and meaning.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the Lifestyle Medicine course from Avondale University, graduates will be able to:

• explain and critique the diverse elements of Lifestyle Medicine informed by an integrated understanding of the contemporary body of knowledge;

• articulate, apply and evaluate a whole-of-health perspective encompassing freedom from disease through to positive wellbeing;

• advocate for the implementation of Lifestyle Medicine informed by an integrated knowledge of the relationship between lifestyle and disease, and the underlying causation of chronic diseases;

• utilise a research-led methodological approach to develop and present the concepts of Lifestyle Medicine within the context of public health and clinical practice;

• communicate the principles of Lifestyle Medicine to a diverse range of recipients with regard to culture, age and gender using multiple forms of communication;

• design and apply Lifestyle Medicine interventions in a variety of cultural settings and employ appropriate evaluation processes to monitor and modify the effectiveness of these interventions;

• argue for the role of identity, meaning and spirituality in the effectiveness of Lifestyle Medicine interventions and be able to recognise, design, apply and appraise these elements in Lifestyle Medicine interventions.

Career Opportunities

Obtaining a qualification in postgraduate Lifestyle Medicine is beneficial for:

• Nurses facilitating Lifestyle Medicine specialised care in general/family practice settings,

• Allied Health Professionals (e.g nurses, dietitians, exercise physiologists, psychologists) who wish to offer a more comprehensive service to their patients and clients, and

• Health Educators in corporate, community and other settings providing specialised advice for lifestyle-based treatments.