Table Of ContentJan Van den Broeck · Jonathan R. Brestoff
Editors
Epidemiology:
Principles
and Practical
Guidelines
Epidemiology: Principles
and Practical Guidelines
J an Van den Broeck (cid:129) Jonathan R. Brestoff
Editors
Epidemiology: Principles
and Practical Guidelines
Editors
Jan Van den Broeck Jonathan R. Brestoff
Centre for International Health Perelman School of Medicine
University of Bergen University of Pennsylvania
Bergen , Norway Philadelphia , PA , USA
ISBN 978-94-007-5988-6 ISBN 978-94-007-5989-3 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-94-007-5989-3
Springer Dordrecht Heidelberg New York London
Library of Congress Control Number: 2013936791
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To Yacine and Allison
Foreword
In theory, there should be no difference between theory
and practice, but in practice, there is.
–William T. Harbaugh
The essence of the discipline of epidemiology is the application of relatively subtle
and abstract concepts to the practical challenges we face in the conception, design,
conduct and reporting of research on human health and disease. As a teacher of
epidemiology to undergraduate and post-graduate students in public health, medicine,
dentistry and an expanding range of other disciplines in the health and social
sciences, I have grappled for over two decades with the challenge of helping
students link core epidemiological concepts such as bias and confounding with the
practical challenges of completing a research project to the standard required for
publication. Indeed, the major challenge in research supervision is to bring students
to the level where they move seamlessly between theoretical and practical issues in
formulating and re fin ing their research questions.
I am not aware of any textbook in epidemiology that bridges this chasm between
theoretical and practical issues as effectively and comprehensively as E pidemiology:
Principles and Practical Guidelines . The authors, Jan Van den Broeck, Jonathan
Brestoff and colleagues, take the reader on an excursion over 31 chapters from the
conception of research questions to the reporting of study fi ndings, including
en route core issues in contemporary practice and topics, such as data cleaning,
that are neglected in virtually all textbooks and poorly covered in the literature.
This is a book for both students and experienced practitioners.
The world is not currently under-supplied with epidemiology textbooks. Vision
and imagination were required to embark on writing this textbook which so
effectively fi lls an important gap in this crowded market. I salute the lead authors,
Jan Van den Broeck, a former faculty member of our Department, and Jonathan
Brestoff, a recent graduate from our MPH programme, for this achievement.
vii
viii Foreword
In particular, I am honoured to acknowledge Jan Van den Broeck’s dedication
and skill as a teacher and practitioner of epidemiology honed in the class room
and in fi eldwork over two decades and re fl ected in the scholarship displayed in this
outstanding textbook.
Ivan Perry, MD, M.Sc, Ph.D, FRCP, FRCPI, MFPHM, MFPHMI
Professor and Head of the Department of Epidemiology & Public Health
University College Cork – National University of Ireland, Cork
Cork, Ireland
Preface
Toward integrated learning of epidemiology
The fi eld of epidemiology is growing rapidly and in need of effective practical
guides for the development, implementation, and interpretation of research involving
human subjects.
There are many epidemiology textbooks covering a range of approaches, but
almost all leave the reader asking: “How do I actually conduct a research project in
epidemiology?” Our many attempts to address this question in the classroom
inspired us to develop a text that supports research practice, and this book is the end
product of that inspiration. Unlike conventional textbooks in epidemiology, we
break down the research process into discrete stages and steps that help one to
develop, conduct, and report epidemiological research.
In doing so, we have adopted a decidedly operational approach and contextualize
discussions of research practice with theory and ethics, so that students and profes-
sionals from all academic backgrounds may develop a deep appreciation for how to
conduct and interpret epidemiological research. Along the way, readers will develop
skills to:
• Search for and appraise literature critically
• Develop important research questions
• Design, plan, and implement studies to address those questions
• Develop proposals to obtain funding
• Perform and interpret fundamental statistical estimations, tests, and models
• Consider the ethical implications of all stages of research
• Report fi ndings in publications
• Advocate for change in the public health setting
In our treatment of these topics and others, we integrate discussions of scienti fi c,
ethical, and practical aspects of health research. Indeed, at all stages of the research
process, each of these aspects directly in fl uences study validity. Consequently, this
textbook expands concerns about study validity beyond the usual foci on study
design and statistics to include other issues that may also affect the quality and
relevance of published fi ndings, examples of which are quality control activities,
measurement standardization, data management, and data cleaning. As we discuss
ix
