Epidemiological Research An Introduction

Tailored for multiple purposes including learning about and being equipped to evaluate research studies, conducting thesis/dissertation/capstone projects, and publishing scientific results, Epidemiologic Research Methods in Public Health Practice covers the full breadth of epidemiologic study designs and topics (case, case-control, and cohort studies).

Having last year published “Up from Clinical Epidemiology & EBM” and also “Epidemiological Research: Terms and Concepts,” Miettinen now – this time with collaboration from his junior colleague I. Karp – brings out this further introduction into epidemiological research; and he is now working on an introduction into clinical research, for publication next year. It evidently is Miettinen’s felt time to crystallize the basic understandings he has come to as the culmination of a half-century of concentrated effort to advance the theory of epidemiological and ‘meta-epidemiological clinical’ research. In accord with its title, this book focuses on research to develop the knowledge-base for preventive medicine, which mainly is knowledge about the causal origin –etilogy, etiogenesis – of illness. It first illustrates how wanting this knowledge still is, despite much research; and it then aims to guide the reader to more productive etiogenetic research. This book places much emphasis on the need to assure relevance by principles-guided objects design for the studies, which now remains conspicuously absent from epidemiologists’ concerns. And as for methods design, this book exposes the fallacies in the still-common ‘cohort’ and ‘case-control’ studies, defines the essentials of all etiogenetic studies, and then addresses the true options for design in this framework of shared essentials. A good deal of attention is also given to the still commonly-held, very major, twin fallacies that screening for an illness is a preventive intervention, to be studied by randomized trials, and that research on it can imply rational guidelines or recommendations regarding decisions about the screening. While Miettinen already is regarded as ‘the father of modern epidemiology,’ he now appears to have become the father also of post-modern epidemiology, where ‘epidemiology’ still means epidemiological research.

Concise, fast-paced, intensive introduction to clinical research design for students and clinical research professionals Readers will gain sufficient knowledge to pass the United States Medical Licensing Examination part I section in Epidemiology

This text offers a comprehensive insight into the methods and principles of epidemological study alongside an analysis of the broad context in which epidemiological work is undertaken.

Today, the public worries about emerging diseases and rapid changes of the frequency of well known diseases like autism, diabetes and obesity making the word epidemic part of the general discussion. Epidemiology should therefore be a basic component of medical training, yet often it is undertaught or even neglected. Concise and readable while also rigorous and thorough, An Introduction to Epidemiology for Health Professionals goes beyond standard textbook content to ground the reader in scientific methods most relevant to the current health landscape and the evolution of evidence-based medicine—valuable keys to better understanding of disease process, effective prevention, and targeted treatment.

The new edition of this popular textbook remains a clear and practical introduction to epidemiology for students in all areas of health. By emphasising the role of epidemiology across a broad range of health monitoring and research, it gives students an understanding of the fundamental principles common to all areas of epidemiology. It also integrates the study of infectious and chronic diseases as well as public health and clinical epidemiology. Avoiding complex mathematics, it steps through the methods and potential problems underlying health data and reports, while maintaining a balance of rigour and clarity. The nuts-and-bolts of epidemiology are embedded in the wider international health perspective through recent and classical examples across different areas of health to engage students from a range of backgrounds. Concepts are illustrated with charts and graphs, and end-of-chapter questions test understanding (with answers provided). Online resources include further exercises, slides for teaching and useful weblinks.

The second edition of this bestselling book provides a multi-professional introduction to the key concepts in public health and epidemiology.

The second edition of this essential introduction to epidemiology presents the core concepts in a unified approach that aims to cut through the fog and elucidate the fundamental concepts.

Epidemiology is integral to public health. This book introduces the principles, methods and application of epidemiology for improving health and survival. It is designed for self-directed learning by students and all who work in public health and health-related areas, including health economists, health policy analysts, and health services managers. Using this book will help you to practice the application of basic epidemiological methods to measure health outcomes, identify risk factors for a negative outcome, and evaluate health interventions and health services. The book helps to distinguish between strong and poor epidemiological evidence, an ability that is fundamental to promoting evidence-based health care. This 3rd edition has been revised to include: • A new section on the historical development of epidemiology • New infographics and figures to help visualise concepts • Contemporary health issues explored through examples and exercises • More activities for self-testing • A new final integrating chapter with real-life examples, such as the Zika outbreak, linking research to implementation Introduction to Epidemiology 3rd edition is an essential resource on a fascinating area that is crucial to an understanding of public health. Series Editors: Rosalind Plowman and Nicki Thorogood.

Highly praised for its broad, practical coverage, the second edition of this popular text incorporated the major statistical models and issues relevant to epidemiological studies. Epidemiology: Study Design and Data Analysis, Third Edition continues to focus on the quantitative aspects of epidemiological research. Updated and expanded, this edition shows students how statistical principles and techniques can help solve epidemiological problems. New to the Third Edition New chapter on risk scores and clinical decision rules New chapter on computer-intensive methods, including the bootstrap, permutation tests, and missing value imputation New sections on binomial regression models, competing risk, information criteria, propensity scoring, and splines Many more exercises and examples using both Stata and SAS More than 60 new figures After introducing study design and reviewing all the standard methods, this self-contained book takes students through analytical methods for both general and specific epidemiological study designs, including cohort, case-control, and intervention studies. In addition to classical methods, it now covers modern methods that exploit the enormous power of contemporary computers. The book also addresses the problem of determining the appropriate size for a study, discusses statistical modeling in epidemiology, covers methods for comparing and summarizing the evidence from several studies, and explains how to use statistical models in risk forecasting and assessing new biomarkers. The author illustrates the techniques with numerous real-world examples and interprets results in a practical way. He also includes an extensive list of references for further reading along with exercises to reinforce understanding. Web Resource A wealth of supporting material can be downloaded from the book’s CRC Press web page, including: Real-life data sets used in the text SAS and Stata programs used for examples in the text SAS and Stata programs for special techniques covered Sample size spreadsheet