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EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUDY METHODS OKETADE SOA. OUTLINE INTRODUCTION DEFINITIONS CLASSIFICATION STUDY DESIGNS VARIOUS DESIGNS CONCLUSION. INTRODUCTION
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EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUDY METHODS OKETADE SOA
OUTLINE • INTRODUCTION • DEFINITIONS • CLASSIFICATION • STUDY DESIGNS • VARIOUS DESIGNS • CONCLUSION
INTRODUCTION • The science of epidemiology has matured significantly from the times of Hippocrates and john snow [physician] that the techniques for analysing data vary depending on the type of dxs being monitored but each study will have similarities. environmental factors can influence the occurrence of the diseases. epidemiology study of what is upon the people Derived from the greek terms epi=upon,among. demos=people, district. Logos study, word.
DEFINITION OF EPIDEMIOLOGY • Epidemiology is the study of distribution and determinant of health related state or event in a specified human population and the application of this study to the control of health problem.
EPIDEMIOLOGY [DEFINITION OF KEY TERMS] • Distribution : Frequency (including rates & risks) & pattern of health events(person, place, time) • Determinants : factors or events that are capable of bringing about a change in health • Human population : Epidemiology examines health events among population groups rather than individuals.
EPIDEMIOLOGY [DEFINITION OF KEY TERMS] • Health related states: infections, chronic diseases & physiological events &various states of health such as disability, injury, mortality • Health related events : immunization, hospital attendance, bed occupancy • Application : basis for directing interventions
CLASSIFICATION(CONT.) CORRELATIONAL
OBSERVATIONAL VS EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES • Observational studies Allow nature to take its cause; the investigator measures but does not intervene • Descriptive study: focuses on the description of the occurrence of a disease in a population • Analytical study analyses relationships between health status and other variables
OBSERVATIONAL VS EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES • Experimental or interventional studies: involve an active attempt to change a disease determinant(e.g an exposure or a behaviour) or the progress of a disaese (through treatment) • The studies are based on a grp which has had the experience compared with control grp which has not had the experience.
PURPOSE OF DESCRIPTIVE EPIDEMIOLOGY • To generate hypothesis • To permit evaluation of trends in health & disease and comparisons among countries and subgroups within countries. • To provide a basis for planning, provision and evaluation of health services • To identify problems to be studied by analytical methods and to suggest areas that may be fruitful for investigation
CASE STUDIES(CASE SERIES) • Case reports:documents unusual medical occurrence and can represent the first clues to the formulation of hypothesis, generally report a new or unique findings and previous undescribed disease. • Case series: collection of individual case reports which may occur within a fairly short time,and experience of a group of patients with similar diagnosis.
Case Series • Advantages • Useful for hypothesis generation • Informative for very rare disease with few established risk factors • Usually of short duration. • Disadvantages • Cannot study cause and effect relationships • Cannot assess disease frequency
CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY • It is also called epidemiologic study or prevalence study • It analyses (describes)data collected on a group of subjects at one point in time rather than over a period of time. i.e they survey exposure and disease at a single point in time. • Both exposure and outcome variables are been evaluated at the same point in time(without any inbuilt directionality) • Most sophisticated descriptive study • It answers the question “WHAT IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW?”
o onset time end Question: “what is happening?”no direction of inquiry
CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY ADV • Best for determining the status quo(prevalence) • Quick • Relatively inexpensive DISADV • Only a snapshot at a time leading to a misinformation • Response rate may be low ,with result not representative of the population
Cross-sectional studies • Disadvantages • Weakest observational design, (it measures prevalence, not incidence of disease). Prevalent cases are survivors • The temporal sequence of exposure and effect may be difficult or impossible to determine • Usually don’t know when disease occurred • Rare events a problem. Quickly emerging diseases a problem
CORRELATIONAL STUDY DESIGN • A study comparing incidence/prevalence of one event against another on a global scale • Measures that represent characteristics of entire populations are used to describe the disease in relation to some factor of interest (such as age, calendar time, food consumption, drug use and utilization of health services)
CORRELATIONAL STUDY DESIGN DISADV Doesn’t compare individuals, so it might lead to overgeneralization. ADV • Compares events among nations
ANALYTICAL STUDIES • Two basic designs: • Case – control or retrospective study • Cohort or prospective • NOTE • There must be a comparison group • No control No conclusion(NCNC)
CASE CONTROL OR CASE HISTORY STUDY • A group of affected people is compared to unaffected people(the control) • It’s a LONGITUDNAL STUDY (like cohort study) because it’s a study over a period of time. • Subjects are selected based on a particular outcome and a study backwards in time to try to detect the causes or risk factors that may have earlier been reported in a descriptive study • Subjects are then matched and assigned into the two groups. Subject selected on the basis of disease[e.g lung cancer]. • Sometimes called a retrospective study because of the direction of study
Advantages of case control • It is relatively easy to carry out bcos we go back to existing records in the hospital • It is also rapid and inexpensive • It requires comparatively few subjects • It can assist one in studying different etiological factors • One does not need an ethical clearance • There is no risk to the subject
Disadvantages of case control • It introduces bias • To select an appropriate control could be difficult • It may be difficult to distinguish between the cause of a disease and an associated factor
COHORT STUDY • A cohort is a grp of people who have something in common and remain part of a group over an extended time • A group of people exposed to a suspected etiological agent are compared with a matched control who have not been similarly exposed. Subject selected on the basis of exposure [aetiological factor; cigarette smoking] • Follow-up over a period to compare the outcome • Also a longitudinal study or prospective study
ADVANTAGES OF COHORT • There is no bias • The risk can be calculated bcos the incidence can be calculated • It is effective for studying rare exposures • It allows the study of the natural history of the disease • It assists in determining the temporal relationship between the etiological factor & the disease
Disadv of cohort study • It takes a long time • It is expensive • Large no of subjects are needed • There could be changes in the standard methods or diagnostic criteria
EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES • Studies in which 1 grp is deliberately subjected to an experience compared with a control group with no similar experience • The gold standard in medicine bcos it proves causality • Can be controlled or uncontrolled
UNCONTROLLED EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES • Intervention is not compared with a control • The aim is to confirm that the Intervention made a difference
CONTROLLED EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES • In this study, a drug or procedure is compared to: • Another drug • Procedure • Placebo • Previously accepted tx • The aim is to proove the difference due to tx
CONTROLLED EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES • Blind trial-single or double • Control could be: • METHODOLOGY • Concurrent or parallel: randomized or non- randomized(quasi) • Sequential control: self controlled or cross over • External control
B. STUDY POPULATION • Clinical trials • Field trials • Community trials
EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES ADV DISADV Greatest expense Long duration Unproven facts adopted by community can hinder study acceptance • Best study type • Greatest proove of causality • Gold standard for other design • Least bias • Proves best tx or procedure efficacy
CONCLUSION “What you cant measure you cant control!”epidemiological study methods are used to study your health and my health and its determinants, as we join hands to ensure a healthier us.
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