Minor 'Dynamics of a Healthy Society' to start next academic year

Why are health issues like loneliness and obesity so persistent? What causes them to occur more frequently in one neighborhood than another? And how can we solve them? This is addressed in the minor 'Co-creating a Healthy Society', stemming from the Healthy Society program of Leiden-Delft-Erasmus Universities and Medical Delta.

Sandra van Dijk is Associate Professor at the Department of Health, Medical, and Neuropsychology at the Institute of Psychology and Scientific Coordinator of Healthy Society at Leiden-Delft-Erasmus universities and Medical Delta.

"No single discipline can solve the major health and well-being challenges on its own. Health problems are always more complex than they initially seem," says psychologist Sandra van Dijk (Leiden University). "Take obesity, for example. Knowledge of healthy nutrition is just one piece of the puzzle in a bigger brain teaser. If someone experiences a lot of financial stress, has mold on the walls, and feels lonely, eating healthily suddenly isn't so simple anymore."

From different disciplines, looking at such problems, can now be done in the new minor Co-creating a Healthy Society. Van Dijk: "In the minor, you work with students from different programs in interdisciplinary teams, conducting fieldwork and collaborating with, for example, the municipality, policymakers, GGD, and citizens themselves. You address real health problems from everyday practice, where you mainly learn by doing."

"For the fieldwork, we collaborate with Leren met de Stad and Impact at the Core, organizations that teach students to make societal impact. Additionally, we combine knowledge from different cities to establish a solid scientific foundation. We look through the lenses of public administration, psychology, sociology/anthropology, and architecture. In this minor, all that expertise comes together."