Essentials of Epidemiology in Public Health / Edition 4

by Ann Aschengrau, George R. Seage

Overview

Essentials of Epidemiology in Public Health, Fourth Edition combines theory and practice in presenting traditional and new epidemiologic concepts. Broad in scope, the text opens with five chapters covering the basic epidemiologic concepts and data sources. A major emphasis is placed on study design, with separate chapters devoted to each of the three main analytic designs: experimental, cohort, and case-control studies.Full chapters on bias, confounding, and random error, including the role of statistics in epidemiology, ensure that students are well-equipped with the necessary information to interpret the results of epidemiologic studies. Up-to-date examples from the epidemiologic literature on diseases of public health importance are provided throughout the book.Key Features:• New examples and the latest public health statistics throughout• Coverage of the Ebola outbreak including an in-depth investigation of what happened• New examples that illustrate epidemiological principles including a greater emphasis on social factors that influence health, such as racism• Straightforward descriptions of the latest epidemiologic methods including mediation analysis, agent-based modelling, and the use of directed acyclic graphs (DAGs) to assess confounding.• An expanded glossary and key terms highlighted throughout the text

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781284128352
Publisher:	Jones & Bartlett Learning
Publication date:	09/12/2018
Pages:	528
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Dr. Aschengrau earned her master's and doctoral degrees in epidemiology from Harvard Chan School of Public Health. With over 35 years of teaching and research experience, she has taught courses in introductory epidemiology, as well as reproductive and environmental epidemiology. Her research focuses on environmental pollution and its associated disease risks, including the relationships between drinking water contaminants and adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes, cancer, and neurological and behavioral disorders. Currently, she is a Professor of Epidemiology and co-director of the MPH Certificate in Maternal and Child Health at Boston University School of Public Health.

Table of Contents

Preface     ix
The Approach and Evolution of Epidemiology     1
Measures of Disease Frequency     33
Comparing Disease Frequencies     59
Sources of Public Health Data     77
Descriptive Epidemiology     99
Overview of Epidemiologic Study Designs     139
Experimental Studies     169
Cohort Studies     201
Case-Control Studies     229
Bias     261
Confounding     287
Random Error     307
Effect Measure Modification     343
Critical Review of Epidemiologic Studies     357
The Epidemiologic Approach to Causation     383
Screening in Public Health Practice     411
Ethics in Research Involving Human Participants     441
Answers to Chapter Questions     459
Index     479

Editorial Reviews

Reviewer: Homa Sadeghi, MPH (University of Iowa College of Public Health)
Description: This is the fourth edition of a book on modern and classical concepts of epidemiology with a comprehensive perspective on both theory and method. It updates the 2014 edition.
Purpose: The aim is to introduce the most updated theories and methods of epidemiology with a focus on research design, statistical analysis, and causal inference. The necessity of understanding the epidemiological concepts and various study designs may be underestimated by students who are new to epidemiology. This book addresses this problem by illustrating the concepts with easy-to-grasp language for new or intermediate students.
Audience: The intended audience is public health graduate students (especially master's level) and practitioners who will either consume epidemiology literature or apply their knowledge in practice. This is a practical resource for those who wish to understand the main epidemiology definitions, study designs, and general statistical concepts. The authors have been teaching introductory epidemiology courses at Boston University and Harvard University for about three decades, and this book is the product of their teaching experience.
Features: The book covers basic epidemiological concepts, data sources, study designs, and some of the most applicable statistical concepts. Epidemiological concepts mainly are about disease determinants and frequency measurements. Observational and experimental epidemiological study designs are covered in four chapters. The introduction of public health data sources enables readers to find the best resources to fit their research interests. A separate chapter about critical review of epidemiological studies is a helpful guide for consumers of epidemiological literature. The fourth edition updates the examples and the data and adds some new sections on the process of investigating infectious disease outbreaks and the latest epidemiological terms and methods. Key terms are highlighted in the text and are clearly defined in the expanded glossary. Epidemiological focus areas such as genetic epidemiology could be added as a brief introduction of epidemiology branches.
Assessment: This book covers the most applicable epidemiological concepts concisely and clearly. Key features include the guide to critical appraisal of epidemiological studies, the introduction of confounding and effect modification in analytical studies, and information on major data sources in public health. Compared to other introductory epidemiology books (such as Gordis Epidemiology, 6th edition, Celentano and Szklo (Elsevier, 2019), this one is easier to understand and covers some additional topics such as effect modification. However, some more in-depth topics such as measure of agreement can be supplemented by other books. The remarkable updates justify this fourth edition.

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