Introduction To Epidemiologic Research Methods In Public Health Practice

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).

Providing a comprehensive foundation for planning, executing, and monitoring public health research of all types, this book goes beyond traditional epidemiologic research designs to cover technology-based approaches emerging in the new public health landscape.

Epidemiology for Public Health Practice is a best-selling text offering comprehensive coverage of all the major topics in introductory epidemiology and alignement to the core competencies in epidemiology for graduate and undergraduate courses. With extensive treatment of the heart of epidemiology—from study designs to descriptive epidemiology to quantitative measures—this reader-friendly text is accessible and interesting to a wide range of beginning students in all health-related disciplines. A unique focus is given to real-world applications of epidemiology and the development of skills that students can apply in subsequent course work and in the field.

Over the past decades, epidemiology has made a relevant contribution to public health by identifying health problems and analysing their determinants. Recent developments call for new and applied methods to support the planning, implementation and evaluation of public health policies and programmes. This book presents an integrated overview of such epidemiological methods, to be used within the joined working process of several public health disciplines. It provides relevant theories, concepts and tools, illustrated with practical examples in order to empower epidemiologists in public health.The first part of this book describes epidemiological history in a nutshell and explains the relationship with the public health domain. It closes with the presentation of a joint work cycle for policy, practice and research: the public health cycle.Part two presents seven steps epidemiologists should follow to strengthen their contribution to the public health cycle: conduct a needs assessment, support priority setting, formulate aims and objectives, construct a logic model, develop an evaluation plan, perform quality control, and analyse processes and outcomes.Part three illustrates the institutional architecture of public health and describes the professional fields of policy and health promotion as knowledge of these major fields facilitates interdisciplinary collaboration in each stage of the public health cycle.This book is intended for students and epidemiologists in public health practice. It was written by 20 Dutch authors with either longstanding experience or fresh enthusiasm. The editors are all affiliated with Academic Collaborative Centres for Public Health in the Netherlands, which aim to bridge the gap between policy, practice and research.

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Note to Readers: Publisher does not guarantee quality or access to any included digital components if book is purchased through a third-party seller. Research Methods for Public Health provides foundational knowledge and practical guidance for all steps in the research process using public health examples and real-world applications to reinforce all concepts. It covers everything students need to have a firm basis on how to design public health research, how to collect and manage data using a variety of study designs and methods, and how to share research results. Foundational topics such as searching the literature, finding gaps, formulating research questions, operationalization and measurement, sampling, budgeting for research studies, summarizing and visualizing data, disseminating results and more are explained in clear and accessible prose. The textbook emphasizes skills including question development, survey design and implementation, qualitative methodology, mixed methods research, how to record and analyze quantitative and qualitative data, and how to use secondary data. Regardless of whether you are starting your scientific research career path, or are on track to become a public health practitioner, or plan on becoming a health policymaker, this textbook provides an authoritative introduction to research and its importance on improving public health practice for everyone entering the field. Richly illustrated and with an abundance of helpful tables, boxes, and practical public health case studies and examples, this textbook contains the core principles, concepts, and knowledge of how to design, plan, evaluate, and disseminate public health research. Research Methods for Public Health comes with a full Instructor package including PowerPoints, test banks, and an Instructor’s Manual with detailed classroom activities, CEPH competency mapping, and more. Key Features: Provides the principles and best practices of general research methods texts combined with specific public health relevance Applicable to students who want to conduct research as part of their career as well as those who need the skills to understand how public health evidence is developed through research Includes chapters on Developing Budgets and Timelines for Research Studies and Disseminating Research Results, topics often overlooked in other textbooks Aligns content with program competencies and skills essential for those entering the public health field Contains numerous illustrations, tables, boxes, and case studies which provide important context to key concepts

A practical introduction to epidemiology, biostatistics, and research methodology for the whole health care community This comprehensive text, which has been extensively revised with new material and additional topics, utilizes a practical slant to introduce health professionals and students to epidemiology, biostatistics, and research methodology. It draws examples from a wide range of topics, covering all of the main contemporary health research methods, including survival analysis, Cox regression, and systematic reviews and meta-analysis—the explanation of which go beyond introductory concepts. This second edition of Quantitative Methods for Health Research: A Practical Interactive Guide to Epidemiology and Statistics also helps develop critical skills that will prepare students to move on to more advanced and specialized methods. A clear distinction is made between knowledge and concepts that all students should ensure they understand, and those that can be pursued further by those who wish to do so. Self-assessment exercises throughout the text help students explore and reflect on their understanding. A program of practical exercises in SPSS (using a prepared data set) helps to consolidate the theory and develop skills and confidence in data handling, analysis, and interpretation. Highlights of the book include: Combining epidemiology and bio-statistics to demonstrate the relevance and strength of statistical methods Emphasis on the interpretation of statistics using examples from a variety of public health and health care situations to stress relevance and application Use of concepts related to examples of published research to show the application of methods and balance between ideals and the realities of research in practice Integration of practical data analysis exercises to develop skills and confidence Supplementation by a student companion website which provides guidance on data handling in SPSS and study data sets as referred to in the text Quantitative Methods for Health Research, Second Edition is a practical learning resource for students, practitioners and researchers in public health, health care and related disciplines, providing both a course book and a useful introductory reference.

“Methods of Clinical Epidemiology” serves as a text on methods useful to clinical researchers. It provides a clear introduction to the common research methodology specific to clinical research for both students and researchers. This book sets out to fill the gap left by texts that concentrate on public health epidemiology and focuses on what is not covered well in such texts. The four sections cover methods that have not previously been brought together in one text and serves as a second level textbook of clinical epidemiology methodology. This book will be of use to postgraduate students in clinical epidemiology as well as clinical researchers at the start of their careers.