Description |
viii, 174 pages : illustrations ; 26 cm |
Contents |
What is epidemiology -- Measuring health and disease -- Types of study -- Basic statistics --Causation in epidemiology -- Epidemiology and prevention --Communicable disease epidemiology --Clinical epidemiology -- Environmental and occupational epidemiology -- Epidemiology, health services and health policy -- Continuing your education in epidemiology |
Summary |
"A textbook providing a basic introduction to the principles, methods, and applications of epidemiology in medicine and public health. Intended for use in a formal training course, the book aims to prepare students for an approach to health care that is increasingly concerned with preventive medicine and the most efficient use of resources. To this end, the authors use numerous examples from the scientific literature to show how the tools of epidemiology can be applied to the prevention of disease, the promotion of health, and the formulation of rational policies. Particular attention is given to the use of epidemiological research to detect associations between modifiable environmental factors and specific diseases. The book has eleven chapters. The first two chapters describe the history and scope of epidemiology, highlight some of its major triumphs, and discuss various approaches to the measurement of disease |
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The third chapter, devoted to the different types of epidemiological study, describes the applications, advantages, and limitations of the major types of observational and experimental studies, emphasizing the many possibilities for errors in epidemiological measurement. Chapter four gives a brief account of some basic statistical concepts and techniques. Chapters five and six describe the epidemiological approach to causation and explain when and how epidemiology can be used in preventive medicine, including the design of screening programmes. A chapter on communicable disease epidemiology describes the detailed and systematic epidemiological work needed to investigate an epidemic, identify its cause, and determine the best means to control it |
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Other chapters explain the application of epidemiological principles and methods to the practice of clinical medicine, and discuss the special features of environmental and occupational epidemiology, including techniques for risk assessment and risk management, and methods for determining dose-effect and dose-response relationships. Of particular practical value is a chapter on health services and health policy, which shows how epidemiology can be used to support policy choices based on a reasonable knowledge of the likely outcomes and costs. The concluding chapter offers advice on how to read the medical and health literature critically, so as to be able to make independent judgements of the reliability of epidemiological data." -- Publisher's website |
Notes |
Co-authors Robert Beaglehole and Ruth Bonita are lecturers in community health and medicine respectively at the University of Auckland |
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Originally published in 1993 |
Bibliography |
Includes bibliographical references (pages 153-158) and index |
Notes |
Also available via the World Wide Web |
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Originally published 1993 |
Subject |
Epidemiology -- Statistical methods.
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Epidemiology -- Methodology.
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Epidemiology.
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Data Interpretation, Statistical.
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Epidemiologic Methods.
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Epidemiology.
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Epidemiology.
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Epidemiologic Methods.
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Author |
Bonita, R.
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Kjellström, Tord.
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World Health Organization.
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ISBN |
9241544465 |
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