Epidemiology By Design

A (LONG OVERDUE) CAUSAL APPROACH TO INTRODUCTORY EPIDEMIOLOGY Epidemiology is recognized as the science of public health, evidence-based medicine, and comparative effectiveness research. Causal inference is the theoretical foundation underlying all of the above. No introduction to epidemiology is complete without extensive discussion of causal inference; what's missing is a textbook that takes such an approach. Epidemiology by Design takes a causal approach to the foundations of traditional introductory epidemiology. Through an organizing principle of study designs, it teaches epidemiology through modern causal inference approaches, including potential outcomes, counterfactuals, and causal identification conditions. Coverage in this textbook includes: · Introduction to measures of prevalence and incidence (survival curves, risks, rates, odds) and measures of contrast (differences, ratios); the fundamentals of causal inference; and principles of diagnostic testing, screening, and surveillance · Description of three key study designs through the lens of causal inference: randomized trials, prospective observational cohort studies, and case-control studies · Discussion of internal validity (within a sample), external validity, and population impact: the foundations of an epidemiologic approach to implementation science For first-year graduate students and advanced undergraduates in epidemiology and public health fields more broadly, Epidemiology by Design offers a rigorous foundation in epidemiologic methods and an introduction to methods and thinking in causal inference. This new textbook will serve as a foundation not just for further study of the field, but as a head start on where the field is going.

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

In examining the relationship between nutritional exposure and disease aetiology, the importance of a carefully considered experimental design cannot be overstated. A sound experimental design involves the formulation of a clear research hypothesis and the identification of appropriate measures of exposure and outcome. It is essential that these variables can be measured with a minimum of error, whilst taking into account the effects of chance and bias, and being aware of the risk of confounding variables. The first edition of Design Concepts in Nutritional Epidemiology presented a throrough guide to research methods in nutritional epidemiology. Since publication of the 1st edition, we now have a much better understanding of the characteristics of nutritional exposure that need to be measured in order to answer questions about diet-disease relationships. The 2nd edition has been extensively revised to include the most up-to-date methods of researching this relationship. Included are new chapters on qualitative and sociological measures, anthropometric measures, gene-nutrient interactions, and cross-sectional studies. Design Concepts in Nutritional Epidemiology will be an essential text for nutritionists and epidemiologists, helping them in their quest to improve the quality of information upon which important public health decisions are made.

Foundations of Epidemiology is an open access, introductory epidemiology text intended for students and practitioners in public or allied health fields. It covers epidemiologic thinking, causality, incidence and prevalence, public health surveillance, epidemiologic study designs and why we care about which one is used, measures of association, random error and bias, confounding and effect modification, and screening. Concepts are illustrated with numerous examples drawn from contemporary and historical public health issues.

A (LONG OVERDUE) CAUSAL APPROACH TO INTRODUCTORY EPIDEMIOLOGY Epidemiology is recognized as the science of public health, evidence-based medicine, and comparative effectiveness research. Causal inference is the theoretical foundation underlying all of the above. No introduction to epidemiology is complete without extensive discussion of causal inference; what's missing is a textbook that takes such an approach. Epidemiology by Design takes a causal approach to the foundations of traditional introductory epidemiology. Through an organizing principle of study designs, it teaches epidemiology through modern causal inference approaches, including potential outcomes, counterfactuals, and causal identification conditions. Coverage in this textbook includes: · Introduction to measures of prevalence and incidence (survival curves, risks, rates, odds) and measures of contrast (differences, ratios); the fundamentals of causal inference; and principles of diagnostic testing, screening, and surveillance · Description of three key study designs through the lens of causal inference: randomized trials, prospective observational cohort studies, and case-control studies · Discussion of internal validity (within a sample), external validity, and population impact: the foundations of an epidemiologic approach to implementation science For first-year graduate students and advanced undergraduates in epidemiology and public health fields more broadly, Epidemiology by Design offers a rigorous foundation in epidemiologic methods and an introduction to methods and thinking in causal inference. This new textbook will serve as a foundation not just for further study of the field, but as a head start on where the field is going.

While much progress has been made on the biomedical front in treatments for HIV infection, prevention still relies on behaviour change. This book documents and explains the remarkable breakthroughs in behavioural research design that have emerged to confront this challenge.

This User’s Guide is a resource for investigators and stakeholders who develop and review observational comparative effectiveness research protocols. It explains how to (1) identify key considerations and best practices for research design; (2) build a protocol based on these standards and best practices; and (3) judge the adequacy and completeness of a protocol. Eleven chapters cover all aspects of research design, including: developing study objectives, defining and refining study questions, addressing the heterogeneity of treatment effect, characterizing exposure, selecting a comparator, defining and measuring outcomes, and identifying optimal data sources. Checklists of guidance and key considerations for protocols are provided at the end of each chapter. The User’s Guide was created by researchers affiliated with AHRQ’s Effective Health Care Program, particularly those who participated in AHRQ’s DEcIDE (Developing Evidence to Inform Decisions About Effectiveness) program. Chapters were subject to multiple internal and external independent reviews. More more information, please consult the Agency website: www.effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov)

The classic, definitive guide to the design, conduct, and analysis of randomized clinical trials.