Health Studies focuses on the health issues of concern to youth that include one’s relating to sexuality, interpersonal skills, stress management, health care systems, lifestyle and communicable diseases, violence, first aid and also drug education.

View Syllabus on School Curriculum and Standards Authority Website

Year 11

Unit 1 – Personal health and wellbeing

This unit provides a general introduction to personal health and wellbeing and what it means to be healthy. Students explore factors which influence their health in positive and negative ways, and devise action plans which focus on achieving identified goals designed to improve health. Key consumer health skills and concepts are introduced, including the role and features of components of the Australian healthcare system. The relationship between beliefs, attitudes, values and health behaviour, and the impact of social and cultural norms is examined. Key self-management and interpersonal skills required to positively influence health and build effective relationships are explored. Health inquiry skills are developed and applied to investigate and report on health issues.

Unit 2 – Personal health and wellbeing: Prevention

This unit continues to build students’ knowledge and understandings about personal health and introduces the multiple determinants which influence health. These influences are explored in terms of how they interact and contribute to personal and community health status. The notion of prevention is central to this unit, and students explore personal actions and skills to cope with health influences and devise strategies for communities to promote and improve health. In addition to health determinants, the influence of cognitive dissonance on behaviour and the role of communities in shaping social and cultural norms are explored.

Self-management and cooperative skills essential to improve personal communication are examined. Students continue to develop health inquiry skills, including applying the steps in the inquiry process to explore relevant health issues.

Year 12

Unit 3 – Health determinants

This unit builds students’ knowledge and understandings of health determinants and their interaction and contribution to personal and community health. Students define and consolidate their understandings of health promotion, and are introduced to a personal behaviour change model and a framework for health promotion action. Health literacy skills, which support positive health consumer practices, and a range of factors influencing the use of health products and services, are examined. Students expand on their understanding of the impact of beliefs on health behaviour by exploring the elements of the health belief model. Personal skills and strategies which support the development of self‐management and interpersonal skills are also a focus. Students consolidate and continue to develop inquiry skills, including the ability to identify trends and patterns in data and apply this information to support conclusions.

Unit 4 – Impact of health determinants on personal and community health

This unit builds students’ knowledge and understandings of the impact of health determinants on personal and community health. The concept of community development and the importance of participation and empowerment in strengthening communities is introduced. Students learn about Australia’s National Health Priority Areas (NHPAs) and a range of preventive strategies to reduce risk and contribute to better health. The use of social marketing to promote positive health messages and products is explored. In a personal sense, students are introduced to emotional intelligence as a mechanism for perceiving, controlling and evaluating emotions. Students continue to refine inquiry skills as they address relevant issues and produce insightful and well‐researched reports.