Hygiene and epidemiology
Epidemiology is considered to be the essential science of public health. Epidemiology is a
quantitative basic science built on a working knowledge of medical statistics and a method of casual
reasoning based on developing and testing hypotheses pertaining to occurrence and prevention of
morbidity and mortality. Epidemiology is also a well known tool for public health action to promote
and protect the public's health based on science casual reasoning, and dose of practical common
sense. Applied epidemiology areas are the monitoring of reports of communicable diseases in the
community in all known aspects.
Teachers
dr hab. n. med. Jacek J. Klawe, prof. UMK
dr n. med. Paweł Zalewski
dr n. med. Małgorzata Andrzejewska
dr n. med. Małgorzata Szady-Grad
lek. med. Roman Graczykowski
Contact: dr n. med. Paweł Zalewski e-mail: p.zalewski@cm.umk.pl
Syllabus
I.
Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology.
II.
Head of the Department: Dr hab. n. med. Jacek J. Klawe, prof. UMK.
III.
Faculty of Medicine, year: fourth.
IV.
Programme Tutor: dr hab. n. med. Jacek J. Klawe, prof. UMK.
V.
Lectures and tutorials.
VI.
Assessment: written reports and final written test, 2 ECTS points.
VII.
Subject hours: Lectures 20h, tutorials 40h.
VIII.
Aims of the Course:
Lectures:
1.
The aim of the hygiene and epidemiology course is to provide the students with an overview
of the principles and concepts of hygiene and epidemiology with a brief introduction into the clinical
epidemiology.
Tutorials:
1.
Measuring disease frequency.
2.
Describing patterns of disease occurrence.
3.
Investigating outbreaks of disease.
4.
Assessing the utility of diagnostic tests.
5.
Identifying the causes of diseases.
6.
Predicting the outcome of illness.
7.
Summarizing evidence on clinical questions.
IX.
Topics of lectures / tutorials:
Lectures:
1.
Introduction to hygiene and epidemiology.
2.
Fundamentals of medical epidemiology. Condition of health status.
3.
Polish and European Sanitary and Epidemiology Inspector bodies and organs.
4.
Water and food sanitation – EEA and international regulations.
5.
Air as an element of natural human environment.
6.
Hygiene and sanitary control.
7.
Principle and practise of health promotion
8.
Communicable disease control.
9.
Nutrition and epidemiology. GMO, food policy and applied nutrition
10.
Introduction to public health. Social determinants of health.
11.
Basics of health management. Globalisation and health
12.
Epidemiological situation in Poland, Europe and in the World.
13.
Epidemiology of infectious and non-infectious diseases. Hospital infections.
Tutorials:
1.
Working environment: ionizing radiation, electromagnetic radiation, noise and pollution.
Measuring of disturbance factors in working environment.
2.
Drinking water standards. Meaning of water in human household. Hygienic estimation of
water, estimation norms. Water pollution.
3.
Soil parameters measuring. Main role of soil distribution of disease. Hygiene of food and
nutrition. Food distribution in sanitary aspects. Characteristics of products group and their nutritional
property. Lack of nutrition. Main role of food distribution in disease control.
4.
Physical, chemical and biological factors and their influence on children and adults. School
environment hygiene and epidemiology. Health risks among children.
5.
Epidemiological research methods. Demography and sociology in epidemiological aspects.
6.
Medical statistics. Statistical method in epidemiology. Evidence Based Medicine. Medical and
epidemiological data bases. Medical documentation.
7.
Written report on a selected topic.
X.
Self-study topics: Studying professional literature.
XI.
Literature:
Basic:
1. Essential Epidemiology: An introduction for Students and Health Professions (Essential Medical
Texts for Students and Trainees) by Penny Webb and Chris Bain
2. Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Preventive Medicine: With STUDENT CONSULT Online Access, 3 e
by James F. Jekel MD MPH, David L. Katz MD MPH, Dorothea Wild MPH Dr Med and Joann G.
Elmore MD MP.
3. Bonita R, Beaglehole R, Kjellstrom T. Basic epidemiology. WHO 2006, 2nd edition.
4. Grrnberg RS, Daniels SR, Flanders WD. Medical epidemiology. New York: McGraw-Hill Companies,
Inc; 2001.
5. Mayhall CG. Hospital epidemiology and infection control. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams &
Wilkins; 2004.
6. Rothman KJ, Grrenland S. Modern epidemiology. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2008.
Additional:
7. Bailey L, Vardulaki K, Langhman J. Introduction to Epidemiology (Understanding Public Health.
London: Open University Press, 2005.
8. Bruce N, Pope D. Quantitative Methods for Health Research: A Practical Interactive Guide to
Epidemiology and Statistics. London: Willey-Blakwell; 2008.
XII.
List of practical skills of completing:
1.
Describe the main uses of epidemiology.
2.
Develop a research question from a health-related problem.
3.
Write an outline protocol for a given study question.
4.
Explain the basic statistical measures and concepts underlying the analyses of
epidemiological data.
5.
Iidentifying factors that suggest a disease has an infectious cause.
6.
Understanding practical applications of epidemiological methods through the study of
research papers on specific diseases.
7.
Understanding key epidemiological concepts in the study of three infectious diseases of
global health importance: HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.
8.
Understanding the rationale for a life-course approach to the etiology of non-communicable
diseases.
Rules and regulations
Information about the course:
The coursework of Hygiene and Epidemiology includes 20 hours lectures and 40 hours of exercises
conducted during one semester. It is ended with the Final Exam (test). The final test will be timed in
the schedule of session.
Obligatory textbooks:
Bonita R, Beaglehole R, Kjellstrom T. Basic epidemiology. WHO 2006, 2nd edition.
Grrnberg RS, Daniels SR, Flanders WD. Medical epidemiology. New York: McGraw-Hill Companies,
Inc; 2001.
Mayhall CG. Hospital epidemiology and infection control. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams
& Wilkins; 2004.
Rothman KJ, Grrenland S. Modern epidemiology. Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2008.
Additional textbooks:
Bailey L, Vardulaki K, Langhman J. Introduction to Epidemiology (Understanding Public Health.
London: Open University Press, 2005.
Bruce N, Pope D. Quantitative Methods for Health Research: A Practical Interactive Guide to
Epidemiology and Statistics. London: Willey-Blakwell; 2008.
Requirements:
1. Students are obliged to prepare the part of material for each exercises from the topic.
2. The exercises and lectures are obligatory. In the case of the illness a sick leave has to be delivered.
Other absences due to important reason must be documented.
3. Two unjustified and undocumented absences make it impossible to pass the semester and take
the Final test.
4. Each Student is obliged to come for the exercises and lectures on time. Delayed Students can
enter the class only if the time of delaying does not exceed 15 minutes from the moment a exercises
has been started.
5. In the case of absence or delay (more than 15 minutes) the Student is obliged to pass the material
which was covered during the exercises within 2 weeks.
6. Eating, drinking and using mobile phones during the exercises are prohibited.
Final Exam:
1. Students can take the Final Exam on condition that they pass the exercises (tutorials).
2. The Final Exam consists of open-answer writing test.
3. Students who failed the Final Exam are obliged to retake the test.
4. The final scores of the Final Exam are not changeable.
5. An excuse for absence should be submitted to the examiner the next day, or in justified
circumstances, within three days after the Final Exam.
6. The Final Exam will be assessed according to given marks:
(Fail)- less than 60%
(3,0)- 60%
(3,5)- 65%
(4,0)- 70%
(4,5)- 80%
(5,0)- 90%