Apply these measures in defining population dynamics
4.
Describe the validity and reliability of a study design: Internal and external validity and its measure.
Hawthorne effect etc. Reliability and its measures.
5.
Investigate association in terms of strength of association and causality Make 2x2 tables. Calculate
Relative risk, Attributable risk, population attributable risk percent and population attributable risk
fraction. Interpret these measures.
6.
Identify Risk and risk factors: definition and characteristics. Define Causality and judge cause-effect
relationship:
Examine the epidemiological evidence
Examine the statistical evidence
Examine Biological plausibility
7.
Drawing Inference from study results (alternative explanations):
Define confounding, its characteristics and effects on the results and how to control for it.
Define Bias, its characteristics and effects on results and how to control for it.
Define Chance, its characteristics and effects on results and how to control for it.
8.
Apply screening in disease control:
Define Screening, uses, screening tests, their validity and yield discussing the bias associated
with Screening.
Contents:
The following are the contents of the course:
1.
Definition of Epidemiology
2.
Importance of Epidemiology
3.
Types of study designs: their importance, uses and limitations.
4.
Outcome measures for each study design e.g. Relative risk, Odds ratios etc.
5.
Causality and association
6.
Inferential Epidemiology
7.
Validity and Reliability
8.
Measuring the Disease burden: Rates, Ratios, Incidence, Prevalence
9.
Role of Chance, Confounding and Bias in interpretations.
10.
Screening in disease control.
Basic Biostatistics
Learning Objectives:
The following are the objectives of the course:
1.
Define and give the Rationale for Statistics in Medicine
2.
Define variables and their types:
