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SYLLABUS Fall 2012
Epidemiology for Planning, Policy and Health 34:832:520
Principles of Epidemiology PHCO 0502
Instructor
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Professor Dona Schneider
Civic Square, phone 732-932-4010 (X682)
donas@rci.rutgers.edu
Teaching Assistant
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Melissa Vezina
e-mail: smelissalynn@aol.com
Office hours: Wednesday 1:50-2:50 and by appointment
Course Objectives
At the conclusion of the course, students will be able to:
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Identify a number of important public health data sources
Explain the main epidemiological study designs and their major strengths and
weaknesses
Explain the usual steps in the investigation of an infectious disease outbreak
Use critical skills in reading public health journals
Required Materials
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Text: Gordis, Leon. Epidemiology, 4th Edition. WB Saunders, 2009. Available at the
bookstore, or Amazon.com or BN.com or online at StudentConsult.
You will also need a simple calculator.
All other materials are on https://sakai.rutgers.edu/portal.
Grading
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Worksheets
Epi Trivia
Reading Presentation
Quizzes (10 percent each)
Midterm
10 percent
5 percent
5 percent
20 percent
25 percent
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Final Examination
35 percent
The quizzes and exams on Sakai must be taken in a single sitting. You cannot pause, exit and
reenter, or open other windows/tabs while taking the exam, so plan your time accordingly. All
exams are open book/open notes, but you must do them without other consultation. As the
exams are scheduled so you may take them over a period of days, there will be no make-up
examinations. Homework is expected to be turned in to the TA in person, either before or during
the class period. Homework will not be accepted by fax or email. Homework received up to
one week after the due date will be given up to half credit. After that it will be given a 0. Course
grades will be curved.
Attendance is required for participation in all class activities. Students are excused from class
ONLY for religious observances or situations which have been authorized in advance by
Professor Schneider.
Academic integrity issues will be submitted to the Dean of the Graduate School or the Dean of
the School of Public Health, as appropriate.
COURSE SCHEDULE
September 5 – LECTURE 1
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Introduction to Epidemiology; Review of Biostatistics
Video: John Snow and the cholera epidemic
Assign in-class work groups
HOMEWORK
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(Optional) Review Lecture 1 slides and/or print out Lecture 1 class notes for later review
(the slides and the class notes can be printed out either in color or B&W. They are found
under the Resources tabat the left)
Print out Lecture 2 class notes (Resources tab) for your use in class next week
Print out and complete Worksheet I (also under the Resources tab) (due 9/12)
Read Gordis Chapter 1
Browse John Snow UCLA website
Browse NJ Historical Public Health Statistics
Browse Healthy People
Browse WHO Factsheet
September 12 - LECTURE 2
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Types of Epidemiologic Data; Outcomes Measures
Assign readings for individual presentations
Video: TED-Hans Rosling lecture
HOMEWORK
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Print out Lecture 3 class notes
Read Gordis Chapter 3, pp 37-42
Read Gordis Chapter 4, pp 59-73
Read Gordis Chapter 6
Reading 1: Genetic influences on health: Does race matter?
Reading 2: Food allergy among children in the United States
Reading 3: Mortality in first generation white immigrants in California
Browse the NCHS website
OPTIONAL: Visit the Census website and look up your hometown
OPTIONAL: Visit the Resources tab and see the answers to the review questions at the
end of the Gordis chapters.
September 19 – LECTURE 3
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Rates & Standardization
Presentations 1, 2, 3
Video: The Obesity Paradox
HOMEWORK
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Print out Lecture 4 class notes
Complete Worksheets II and III (due 9/26)
Read Gordis Chapter 3, pp 73-81
Prepare for Presentation Reading 4: Years of life lost due to obesity (YLL)
AND letters/reply
Prepare for Presentation Reading 5: Pulmonary embolism racial contrasts (AAR, CFR)
Prepare for Presentation Reading 6: Cause-specific mortality in truckers (SMR)
Review for Epi Trivia
September 26 – LECTURE 4
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Theories of Disease Causation; 2x2 Tables & Study Design
Epi Trivia I
Presentations 4, 5, 6
HOMEWORK
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QUIZ 1 (AVAILABLE ONLINE UNDER TESTS AND QUIZZES on 9/26 at 6
pm). The exam must be completed before Sunday at midnight 9/30. You have 1 hr 30
min to take the exam before it shuts down. Answers will be posted Monday at 12:01
am). Be sure to study before you start the exam as time runs out quickly if you try to find
each answer in your notes. You cannot browse other windows while you take the exam
or the exam will shut off. Good luck!
Print out Lecture 5 notes
Print out and complete Worksheet IV (due 10/3)
Read Gordis Chapter 4, pp 230-245
Read Gordis Chapter 11
Read Gordis Chapter 12
Read Gordis Chapter 13
Reading 7: Association of Acetaminophen and Asthma Prevalence (Causation)
Reading 8: Ecological Fallacy
Complete the Epiville Causal Inference Exercise
October 3 – LECTURE 5
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Bias, Confounding, Interaction and Chance
Epiville discussion
Presentations 7, 8
HOMEWORK
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Print out Lecture 6 notes
Read Gordis Chapter 15
Reading 9: The Comorbidity of Migraine with Hypertension (Berkson's Bias)
Reading 10: Upper digestive tract cancer and smoking and alcohol (Interaction)
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Browse the CDC's HTML version of their Principles of Epidemiology course. If you like
it, you can download the pdf version (but be wary as it is a very large file).
Complete the two Epiville Bias and Confounding Exercises (for discussion next class)
October 10 – LECTURE 6
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Descriptive Studies
Epiville discussion
Presentations 9, 10
Video: When Avian Flu kills
HOMEWORK
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Print out Lecture 7, 7A notes
Read Gordis Chapter 14 (Ecologic Studies), pp 228-230
Read Gordis Chapter 7 (Studies without Comparison), p 133
Read Gordis Chapter 10 (Cross-Sectional Studies), pp 195-198
Reading 11: First Case of BT-Related Inhalational Anthrax (Case Report)
Reading 12: Clinical Features and Short-Term Outcomes of 144 Patients with SARS in
the Greater Toronto Area (Case Series)
Reading 13: Spectrum of Eating Disorders in Young Women (Cross-sectional)
Reading 14: International Comparisons of Prostate Cancer Mortality Rates (Ecological)
Complete the Epiville Ecological Studies Exercise (will be covered on the midterm
exam)
October 17 – Review and presentations
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Presentations and Review
Presentations 11, 12, 13, 14
Review
HOMEWORK
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Take the time to review the Gordis Review Questions found under the Resources tab at
the left. Despite the fact that it is open book, open notes, be sure to study BEFORE you
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take the midterm exam. If you do not, you are likely to run out of time.
MIDTERM (Lectures 1-6, inclusive of all readings and videos). The assessment goes
online as of 6 pm today and must be completed within one 3-hour 30-min sitting by
midnight, Sunday October 21. Answers will be posted October 22 at 12:01 am. AGAIN
- You cannot browse other windows while taking the exam.
OPTIONAL: Bored? Review the History of Classification of Diseases
October 24 – LECTURE 7
This is the last day to drop this course.
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Cohort Studies
HOMEWORK
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Print out Lecture 8 notes
Read Gordis Chapter 9
Reading 15: Breastfeeding and Allergic Disorders (Prospective Birth Cohort)
Reading 16: Adverse Health Outcomes in Women Exposed in Utero to
DES (Retrospective Cohort)
Reading 17: Dietary Fiber Intake and Risk of Colorectal Cancer (Pooled Cohort)
Browse the Framingham website
Complete the Epiville Cohort Studies Exercise
October 31 - LECTURE 8
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Case Control Studies
Presentations 15, 16, 17
Epiville discussion
Video: Weathering
HOMEWORK
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Print out Lecture 9 notes
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Read Gordis Chapter 10, pp 177-195
Read Gordis Chapter 13
Reading 18: Bedwetting and Breastfeeding (Case-control Study)
Reading 19: Multiple Sclerosis and Epstein-Barr Virus (Nested Case-control Study)
Reading 20: Peanut Allergy: Is Maternal Transmission a Risk Factor? (Case-control
Study)
Optional Reading: Sojourner syndrome
Complete the Epiville Case-Control Exercise
November 7 – LECTURE 9
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Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Surveillance and Outbreaks
Video: Larry Brilliant on stopping pandemics
Presentations 18, 19, 20
Discuss Class Reading
Epiville discussion
HOMEWORK
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Print out Lecture 10 notes
Read Gordis Chapter 2
Read Gordis Chapter 3 (Surveillance), pp 54-55
Reading 21: Salmonella and Peanut Products (Outbreak)
Reading 22: Listeriosis (Investigating an Epidemic)
Reading 23: Human Prion Diseases in the US (Surveillance)
Browse Emerging Infectious Diseases (online journal)
Browse Healthmap
Browse EpiSpider
Complete the Epiville, SARS 1 Exercise
QUIZ 2 (Must be completed by midnight, Sunday 11/11). The exam is one hour, 30
minutes and answers will be posted at 12:01 am on 11/12.
OPTIONAL: For those with biostatistics backgrounds, you might want to browse a
technical paper on Vaccination and Herd Immunity
November 14 - In Class Exercise
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Presentations 21, 22, 23
Epiville discussion
Video: Disease warriors (war on polio)
HOMEWORK
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Print out Lecture 10 notes
Reading 24 Risk Factors for H1N1 Epidemic
Reading 25 Publication Bias
Begin studying for final by reviewing materials to date
Make a list of questions about data sources and study designs if you have them and bring
them to class next week
November 19 – Monday is Wednesday this week - LECTURE 10
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Intervention Studies, IRB
Presentations 24, 25
Video: Unmasking Pellagra
HOMEWORK
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Print out Lecture 11 notes
Read Gordis Chapters 7, 8, 17, 20
Reading 26: Tuskeegee
Reading 27: Prophylactic Treatment of Migraine (RCT)
Reading 28: Factorial Design
Complete the Epiville Randomized Trials Exercise
November 21 – NO CLASS – THANKSGIVING RECESS
November 28 – Lecture 11
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Screening & Prevention
Presentations 26, 27, 28
Epiville discussion
Video: Riders for Health; Condom King
HOMEWORK
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Complete Worksheet V
Read Gordis Chapter 5
Read Gordis Chapter 18
Reading 29: Colorectal Screening
Reading 30: Mammography Screening Guidelines
Browse Open Epi
Browse Emerging Themes in Epidemiology
Complete the Epiville Screening Exercise
Review for Epi Trivia II
December 5 - Class meeting
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Presentations 29, 30
Epi Trivia II
December 12 - Last Class
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Wrap up and video
HOMEWORK
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FINAL EXAMINATION (Inclusive of entire course) - PREPARE before you set aside
the time to take the exam. The exam opens at 8 am Thursday 12/3 and must be
completed before noon Wednesday 12/19. You have four hours to complete the
exam. Answers to the exam will be posted at 8 am on Thursday 12/20.
ENJOY WINTER BREAK!!
Ver. ds Aug 7, 2012