Epidemiology for Planning, Policy and Health 34:832:520
Principles of Epidemiology PHCO 0502
Fall 2011
Instructor
Professor Dona Schneider
Civic Square, phone 732-932-4010 (X682)
donas@rci.rutgers.edu
Teaching Assistant
Urmila Chandran
e-mail: chandrur@umdnj.edu
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
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
Worksheets
Assignments
Quizzes (10 percent each)
Midterm
Final Examination
10
10
20
25
35
percent
percent
percent
percent
percent
The quizzes and exams must be taken on Sakai 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.
Academic integrity issues will be submitted to the Dean of the Graduate School or
the Dean of the School of Public Health, as appropriate.
Class Schedule
September 7 – LECTURE 1
Introduction to Epidemiology; Review of Biostatistics
HOMEWORK
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Review and print out Lecture 1 notes on Sakai
Print out Lecture 2 notes (6 pp) for your use in class next week
Print out and complete Worksheet I (due 9/14)
Read Gordis Chapter 1
Browse John Snow UCLA website
Browse NJ Historical Public Health Statistics
Browse Healthy People 2010
September 14 - LECTURE 2
Types of Epidemiologic Data; Outcomes Measures
HOMEWORK
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Print out Lecture 3 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: Mortality in first generation white immigrants in California
Browse the NCHS website
September 21 – LECTURE 3
Rates & Standardization
HOMEWORK
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Print out Lecture 4 notes
Complete Worksheets II and III (due 9/28)
Read Gordis Chapter 3, pp 73-81
Reading 3: Global and regional burden of disease and risk factors, 2001
(Incidence, prevalence, DALYs)
Reading 4: Years of life lost due to obesity (YLL)
Reading 5: Pulmonary embolism racial contrasts (AAR, CFR)
Reading 6: Mortality among former love canal residents (SMR)
Watch TED - Hans Rosling lecture (for discussion 9/28)
September 28 – LECTURE 4
Theories of Disease Causation; 2x2 Tables & Study Design
HOMEWORK – QUIZ 1 (AVAILABLE ONLINE Sept 30. Must be completed
before noon on 10/5)
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Print out Lecture 5 notes
Print out and complete Worksheet IV (due 10/5)
Read Gordis Chapter 4, pp 230-245
Read Gordis Chapter 11
Read Gordis Chapter 12
Read Gordis Chapter 13
Reading 7: Causal association in pharmacovigilance and
pharmacoepidemiology: Thoughts on the application of the Austin BradfordHill criteria (Causation)
Complete the Epiville Causal Inference Exercise (10/5)
October 5 – LECTURE 5
Bias, Confounding, Interaction and Chance
HOMEWORK
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Print out Lecture 6, 6A notes
Read Gordis Chapter 15
Reading 8: The Comorbidity of Migraine with Hypertension (Berkson's Bias)
Browse the CDC Self-Study Course
Browse Principles of Epidemiology
Complete the two Epiville Bias and Confounding Exercises (for discussion
next class)
October 12 – LECTURE 6
Descriptive Studies
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 9: First Case of BT-Related Inhalational Anthrax (Case Report)
Reading 10: Clinical Features and Short-Term Outcomes of 144 Patients with
SARS in the Greater Toronto Area (Case Series)
Reading 11: Tuberculosis and Homelessness in the US (Cross-sectional)
Reading 12: Dietary Patterns and the Risk of Breast Cancer (Ecological)
Complete the Epiville Ecological Studies Exercise (will be covered on the
midterm exam)
October 19 – Review, Film and discussion.
HOMEWORK
MIDTERM (Lectures 1-6, inclusive) (Online as of 6 pm. Must be completed in
one 3-hour sitting by 11:59 pm October 23)
October 26 – LECTURE 7 (Last week to drop this course)
Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Surveillance and Outbreaks
HOMEWORK
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Print out Lecture 8 notes
Read Gordis Chapter 2
Read Gordis Chapter 3 (Surveillance), pp 54-55
Reading 13: MMWR Report of Measles among Adults (Outbreak)
Reading 14: Listeriosis (Investigating an Epidemic)
Reading 15: Adverse Events Associated with Smallpox Vaccination
(Surveillance)
Browse Emerging Infectious Diseases (online journal)
Browse Healthmap
Browse EpiSpider
Complete the Epiville, SARS 1 Exercise (for discussion next class)
November 2
In Class Group Exercise
HOMEWORK
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Reading 16: Influenza pandemic at Princeton University
Watch Eradicating polio (Rotary)
Watch Larry Brilliant on stopping pandemics
November 9 – LECTURE 8
Cohort Studies
HOMEWORK QUIZ 2 – cumulative (Online as of 6 pm. Must be completed
by noon November 16)
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Print out Lecture 9 notes
Read Gordis Chapter 9
Reading 17: Breastfeeding and Allergic Disorders (Prospective Birth Cohort)
Reading 18: Intracranial Pressure Monitoring (Retrospective Cohort)
Reading 19: Dietary Fiber Intake and Risk of Colorectal Cancer (Pooled
Cohort)
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Prepare Written Critique 1 (see Helpful Materials for guidelines) of ONE of he
readings assigned for homework. Go to the Assignment tab and submit it
(due next class). Critiques should be written in narrative, NOT in bullets! Use
Times Roman 12-pt, double spaced text, with one inch margins throughout.
The critique should NOT reiterate the abstract, but should focus on your
response to the piece. Limit: Two pages.
Browse the Framingham website
Complete the Epiville Cohort Studies Exercise (for discussion next class)
November 16 – LECTURE 9
Case-Control Studies
HOMEWORK
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Print out Lecture 10 notes
Read Gordis Chapter 10, pp 177-195
Read Gordis Chapter 13
Reading 20: Bedwetting and Breastfeeding (Case-control Study)
Reading 21: Multiple Sclerosis and Epstein-Barr Virus (Nested Case-control
Study)
Prepare Written Critique 2 (see Helpful Materials for guidelines) (due next
class)
Complete the Epiville Case-Control Exercise (for discussion next class)
Visit Resources, Webcasts, Unnatural Causes and watch two or more
segments (for discussion next class)
November 21 – Monday is Wednesday this week - LECTURE 10
Intervention Studies, IRB
HOMEWORK
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Print out Lecture 11 notes
Read Gordis Chapters 7, 8, 17, 20
Reading 22: Prophylactic Treatment of Migraine with an Angiotensin II
Receptor Blocker - A Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT)
Complete the Epiville Randomized Trials Exercise (for discussion next class)
November 23 – NO CLASS – THANKSGIVING RECESS
November 30 – Lecture 11
Screening & Prevention; Publication Bias
HOMEWORK
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Complete Worksheet V (due next class)
Read Gordis Chapter 5
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Read Gordis Chapter 18
Reading 23: Publication Bias
Browse Open Epi
Browse Emerging Themes in Epidemiology
Complete the Epiville Screening Exercise.
Be prepared for discussion questions on the Final Examination.
December 7
In Class Group Exercise
HOMEWORK
FINAL EXAMINATION (Inclusive of entire course) (Online as of 6 pm. Must
be completed in one 4-hour sitting by 3 pm December 15.
December 14 – FINAL EXAMINATION DUE Dec 16 BY 11:59 PM