OEH:6520/EPID:6510 Injury Epidemiology
Spring 2015
Instructor: Marizen Ramirez, MPH, PhD, marizen-ramirez@uiowa.edu, S318 CPHB, 5-4425
Co-Instructor: Carri Casteel, MPH, PhD, carri-casteel@uiowa.edu, S314 CPHB, 4-4388
Occupational and Environmental Health Head: Peter S. Thorne, PhD, S341A CPHB, 5-4216
Mon & Wed 11am-1220pm, C410
Course Description
Injury is the leading cause of death for persons 1-44 years of age. The epidemiology of injuries
is the study of the distribution of fatal and nonfatal injuries in human populations. For this
course, students will learn to apply and critically review epidemiologic methods in injury
research. Topics include research design, injury theory, data sources and surveillance,
Geographic Information Systems, evaluation, sources of bias, and practical statistical
applications.
Aims
 Familiarize students with research methods used in injury epidemiology.
 Improve ability to critically review epidemiologic methods used in injury literature.
 Develop skills in writing a grant proposal, including specific aims and designing a study
and analytic plan.
Competencies
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Describe the direct human and safety effects of a major occupational agent (injury)
Comprehend use of statistical analyses to associate hazards with a health
outcome (injury)
Identify key sources of data for injury epidemiology
Apply basic terminology and definitions of epidemiology to the field of injury control
Calculate basic epidemiology measures
Comprehend the epidemiological principals to determine health outcomes associated
with exposure to injury hazards
Write a research proposal
Orally defend a research proposal
Course Grading
Homework/in-class assignments
Class presentation
Final paper
Class participation/professionalism
4X15%=60%
15%
25%
10%
Required Readings
Readings will be available on the internet course site on ICON.
Office Hours
Appointments can be made as needed.
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Expectations of student performance
1. Regular class attendance is required. Attendance is required and will be taken during each
class period. Class attendance and professionalism are worth 10% of your grade. Missing
more than one class session will result in a 10% deduction from your final grade; please
communicate with the instructor to discuss necessary absences and make-up assignments.
Students are responsible for assuring their attendance is properly recorded. Students are also
required to turn cell phones off during class.
2. Completion of readings and class participation. The readings and subsequent class discussion
are essential to achieve the objectives of this course. Students are expected to complete all
readings before class and actively participate in class discussions. Readings are posted on the
Blackboard course site, and all students are expected to access and read all assigned readings
prior to class.
3. Assignments must be turned in on time at the beginning of the class, unless otherwise
negotiated with the course instructor.
4. Email communications. Class communication will be handled through the Blackboard course
site. Students are expected to regularly check the site for updates, schedule changes, and
announcements. If you use an e-mail address other than that listed through Blackboard
registration, you need to provide that to me.
Expectations of Course Assignments
All assignments will be evaluated using the following criteria:
1. The extent to which the stated requirements of the assignment are met; students will receive
an outline for each assignment that articulates the required components of the assignment;
2. Clarity of organization and writing; papers should be proofread for typographical, spelling, or
grammatical errors, and quality of organization; and please see assignment for paging and
margin requirements.
3. Appropriate application, analysis, and synthesis of course content.
4. All written work must include citations, in APA 4th or 5th edition, where appropriate, to avoid
plagiarism. If you are not sure how to properly cite material, please consult with the course
instructor.
Administrative Home
This course is given by the College of Public Health. This means that class policies on matters
such as requirements, grading, and sanctions for academic dishonesty are governed by the
College of Public Health. Students wishing to add or drop this course after the official deadline
must receive the approval of the Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs in the
College of Public Health. Details of the University policy of cross enrollments may be found at:
http://www.uiowa.edu/~provost/deos/crossenroll.doc
Electronic Communication
University policy specifies that students are responsible for all official correspondences sent to
their standard University of Iowa e-mail address (@uiowa.edu). Students should check this
account frequently.
Disability
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Students with special needs are encouraged to make an appointment with the instructor if they
need course adaptations or accommodations, if they have any emergency medical information of
which the instructor should be aware, or if they need special arrangements in the event the
building must be evacuated.
Academic Misconduct
Plagiarism and any other activities when students present work that is not their own are academic
fraud. Academic fraud is a serious matter and is reported to the departmental DEO and to the
Associate Dean for Education and Student Affairs. Instructors and DEOs decide on appropriate
consequences at the departmental level while the Associate Dean enforces additional
consequences at the collegiate level.
Academic Misconduct includes but is not limited to the following:
 presentation of ideas of others without credit to the source;
 use of direct quotations without quotation marks and without credit to the source;
 paraphrasing without credit to the source;
 participation in a group project which presents plagiarized materials;
 failure to provide adequate citation for material obtained through electronic research;
 downloading and submitting work from electronic databases without citation;
 submitting material created/written by someone else as one’s own, including
purchased term/research papers;
 copying from someone else’s exam, homework, or laboratory work
 allowing someone to copy or submit one’s work as his/her own;
 accepting credit for a group project without doing one’s share;
 submitting the same paper in more than one course without the knowledge and
approval of the instructors involved;
 using notes or other materials during a test or exam without authorization;
 not following the guidelines specified by instructor for a “take-home” test or exam.
Concerns about Faculty Actions
Students who have a concern about a faculty action should first address the issue with the
instructor, then the course supervisor (if there is one), and then the departmental DEO. Students
may also contact the Associate Dean for Education and Student Affairs in the College of Public
Health. Another resource for students is the Office of the University Ombudsperson. If a
complain cannot be resolved at the departmental and/or collegiate level, students may file a
formal complaint utilizing the procedure specified in the Operations Manual (II-29.7)
Understanding Sexual Harassment
Sexual harassment subverts the mission of the University and threatens the well-being of
students, faculty, and staff. All members of the UI community have a responsibility to uphold
this mission and to contribute to a safe environment that enhances learning. Incidents of sexual
harassment should be reported immediately. See the UI Comprehensive Guide on Sexual
Harassment (Operations Manualhttp://www.uiowa.edu/~our/opmanual/ii/04.htm) for assistance,
definitions, and the full University policy.
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Reacting Safely to Severe Weather
In severe weather, class members should seek appropriate shelter immediately, leaving the
classroom if necessary. The class will continue if possible when the event is over. For more
information on Hawk Alert and the siren warning system, visit http://hawkalert.uiowa.edu
or http://police.uiowa.edu.
Date
Session Topic
Introduction: What is injury
1/20/2015
1 Epidemiology?
Populations and Sampling
Instructor
Marizen Ramirez
1/26/2015
Scientific Writing:
2 What are specific aims?
Carri Casteel
1/28/2015
3 Injury Coding
Corinne Peek-Asa
2/2/2015
4 Quasi Experiments and RCTs
Marizen Ramirez
2/4/2015
5 Injury Cohort Studies
Marizen Ramirez
2/9/2015
6 Peer Review of specific aims
Carri Casteel
2/11/2015
7 Epidemiologic Measures
Corinne Peek-Asa
2/16/2015
8 Significance and Innovation
Carri Casteel
2/18/2015
9 Conceptual Frameworks and Theory
Rebecca Bruening
2/23/2015
10 Case Control Studies
Marizen Ramirez
2/25/2015
11 Writing Methods part 2
Carri Casteel
3/2/2015
Cross-Sectional studies & Ecologic
12 Studies
Marizen Ramirez
3/4/2015
13 Confounding
Marizen Ramirez
3/9/2015
Directed Acyclic Graphs and Causal
14 Inference
Shabbar Ranapurwala
15 Peer review of methods
Occupational Environmental Health Guest
Faculty
3/11/2015
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3/16/2020
Spring Break
3/23/2015
16 Effect Modification
Shabbar Ranapurwala
3/25/2015
17 Review of Approach Section
Carri Casteel
3/30/2015
Other sources of bias - selection
18 bias, information bias
Marizen Ramirez
4/1/2015
19 Matching
Marizen Ramirez
4/6/2015
20 Narrative, Summary and Biosketches
Carri Casteel
4/8/2015
Dr.Howard Koh, former US Asst
Secretary for Health
10am-11am
21 N110 Callaghan Auditorium CPHB
Howard Koh
4/13/2015
22 Evaluation
Marizen Ramirez and Rebecca Bruening
4/15/2015
23 How to conduct a peer review
Carri Casteel
4/20/2015
24 GIS introduction
Kari Kozak and Robert Shepard
2001C Seaman Center,
Engineering Library Multi-purpose Room
4/22/2015
25 GIS continued
Kari Kozak and Robert Shepard
2001C Seaman Center,
Engineering Library Multi-purpose Room
4/27/2015
In class writing - polishing, handling
summary statements and peer
26 reviews
Carri Casteel
4/29/2015
27 Special Topic TBD
Marizen Ramirez
5/4/2015
27 Grant review panel
5/6/2015
28 Grant review panel
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Assignments will be focused on writing a grant proposal, building on skills taught in this class.
Due Dates for Assignments
Assignment 1: Specific Aims
February 2, 2015
Assignment 2: Significance and Innovation
February 18, 2015
Assignment 3: Methods
March 2, 2015
Assignment 4: Full proposal draft 1
April 15, 2015
Final: Due revised full proposal
May 4, 2015
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