Epidemiological methods
Dr Rachele Buchbinder and Mr Antony Ugoni
6 points
* One 4-hour session per week
* First semester
* Alfred
Hospital
* Prerequisite: basic knowledge of statistics is required (see
Department Social and Preventive Medicine)
Objectives At the completion of this subject students should be able to perform simple statistical analyses of small data sets by hand; identify the appropriate technique for data analysis; obtain p-values from tables; distinguish between clinical and statistical significance; understand the concept of a Type I and Type II error and identify where these may have occurred; calculate and explain the interpretation of simple confidence intervals; explain the purposes of descriptive and analytical epidemiology; explain the strengths and weaknesses of different epidemiological study designs; critically appraise epidemiological papers from the epidemiological literature; solve problems relating to the use of the principal epidemiological concepts, parameters and study designs; and explain the uses of epidemiology in the practice of public health.
Synopsis This subject aims to provide students with basic skills required in public and occupational health. While minimal previous knowledge is assumed, the learning curve is fairly steep. The epidemiology unit covers rates, sources of data, descriptive and analytical epidemiology, epidemiological study designs, critical appraisal of literature, diagnostic tests and screening. The biostatistics unit covers descriptive statistics, probability distributions, estimation and confidence intervals, hypothesis testing, analysis of variance and regression, contingency tables and selection of appropriate statistical tests. Students must have access to a hand calculator equipped with elementary scientific functions (eg Casio FX-100). Access to a personal computer is not required. Students are not permitted to enrol in only one part of this subject (ie as a half-weighted subject).
Assessment Examination: 50%
* Assignment (max 3000 words): 50%
Prescribed texts
Dawson-Saunders B and Trapp R Basic and clinical biostatistics Prentice-Hall, 1990
Hennekens C H and Buring J E Epidemiology in medicine Little Brown, 1987
Last J M (ed.) A dictionary of epidemiology 2nd edn, OUP, 1988
Rowntree D Statistics without tears: A primer for non-mathematicians Penguin, 1981
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