Product Description

Epidemiologic speculations and research findings increasingly blaze across media headlines and heighten anxiety among the public. Understanding the foundations of such news can be daunting. Now in its third edition, Epidemiology for Public Health Practice has become a favorite textbook for undergraduate and graduate students new to epidemiology by providing a comprehensive look at all major topics, from study designs and descriptive epidemiology, to quantitative measures and terminology. Distinguishing itself from other texts with its accessible writing style and immediacy of information presented, the Third Edition has been extensively revised, with updated data and statistics essential to understanding the importance of epidemiology to public health.

authors

Robert H. Friis, PhD - Professor, Chair, Department of Health Science - California State University, Long Beach


Robert H. Friis, PhD, earned his doctorate from Columbia University and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in social epidemiology at the Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from the University of California at Berkeley.
He has had more than three decades of teaching and research experience in epidemiology. Formerly, he was Assistant Professor of Epidemiology at the Columbia University School of Public Health, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Community Health at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and Assistant Professor of Health Science at Brooklyn College of the City University of New York.
Subsequently, he was Director of the Field Epidemiology Unit at the Orange County (California) Public Health Department. Later he became a faculty member in the Department of Medicine, Department of Neurology, and the School of Social Ecology at the University of California, Irvine. Currently, he is Professor and Chair of the Health Science Department at California State University, Long Beach, where he has taught introductory epidemiology and biostatistics.
He has been involved in numerous epidemiologic research projects and has published more than 50 professional and scientific articles. He is a member of the Society for Epidemiologic Research and the epidemiology section of the American Public Health Association. He is also Clinical Professor of Community and Environmental Medicine at the University of California, Irvine.

Thomas Sellers, PhD, MPH - Associate Center Director, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, University of South Florida, Florida


Thomas A. Sellers, PhD, MPH, earned his doctorate in epidemiology from Tulane University and has postdoctoral training in genetic epidemiology. He received his Bachelors of Science degree in Community Nutrition from University of California at Davis. For nine years he was on the faculty at the University of Minnesota, where he taught the Introduction to Epidemiology course for non-majors. He is currently Associate Center Director, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, University of South Florida. Dr. Sellers has published more than 150 articles, letters, and book chapters with a primary focus on the etiology of common cancers. He has maintained continuous funding for his research from the National Cancer Institute for almost 15 years. The range and diversity of his experience is evident in many of the study examples presented in the text.

New to this edition:

Information on new disease outbreaks:
E. coli in spinach
Avian influenza
XDR TB
Expanded coverage of the history of epidemiology
New coverage of the natural history of disease
Updated coverage of morbidity and mortality data throughout the text
Method for rate adjustment updated to the 2000 standard population
New information on health disparities, including the Hispanic mortality paradox
Updated information on data sources including notifiable diseases
Additional statistical measures provided, e.g., measures of life expectancy
New coverage of models of causality
New chapter on professional issues in epidemiology
Exciting new figures, tables, and exhibits provided throughout
Additional exercises and study questions

Contents



Chapter 1 The History and Scope of Epidemiology

Epidemiology Defined
Foundations of Epidemiology
Historical Antecedents of Epidemiology
Recent Applications of Epidemiology


Chapter 2 Practical Applications of Epidemiology

Applications for the Assessment of the Health Status of Populations and Delivery of Health Services
Applications Relevant to Disease Etiology
Appendix 2: Data for Study Question 5


Chapter 3 Measures of Morbidity and Mortality Used in Epidemiology

Definitions of Count, Ratio, Proportion, and Rate
Risk Versus Rate
Interrelationship Between Prevalence and Incidence
Applications of Incidence Data
Crude Rates
Specific Rates
Adjusted Rates
Appendix 3: Data for Study Questions 2 Through 4


Chapter 4 Descriptive Epidemiology: Person, Place, Time

Characteristics of Persons
Characteristics of Place
Characteristics of Time
Appendix 4: Project: Descriptive Epidemiology of a Selected Health Problem


Chapter 5 Sources of Data for Use in Epidemiology

Criteria for the Quality and Utility of Epidemiologic Data
Computerized Bibliographic Databases
Confidentiality, Sharing of Data, and Record Linkage
Statistics Derived from the Vital Registration System
Reportable Disease Statistics
Screening Surveys
Disease Registries
Morbidity Surveys of the General Population
Insurance Data
Hospital Data
Diseases Treated in Special Clinics and Hospitals
Data from Physicians’ Practices
Absenteeism Data
School Health Programs
Morbidity in the Armed Forces: Data on Active Personnel and Veterans
Other Sources of Data Relevant to Epidemiologic Studies


Chapter 6 Ecologic, Cross-Sectional, Case-Control Study Designs

Observational Versus Experimental Approaches in Epidemiology
Overview of Study Designs Used in Epidemiology
Ecologic Studies
Cross-Sectional Studies
Case-Control Studies


Chapter 7 Cohort Study Designs

Cohort Studies Defined
Sampling and Cohort Formation Options
Temporal Differences in Cohort Designs
Practical Considerations
Measures of Interpretation and Examples
Nested Case-Control Studies
Comparisons of Observational Designs


Chapter 8 Experimental Study Designs

Hierarchy of Study Designs
Intervention Studies
Clinical Trials
Community Trials


Chapter 9 Measures of Effect

Absolute Effects
Relative Effects
Statistical Measures of Effect
Evaluating Epidemiologic Associations
Models of Causal Relationships
Appendix 9: Cohort Study Data for Coffee Use and Anxiety


Chapter 10 Data Interpretation Issues

Validity of Study Designs
Sources of Error in Epidemiologic Research
Techniques to Reduce Bias
Methods To Control Confounding
Bias in Analysis and Publication


Chapter 11 Screening for Disease in the Community

Screening for Disease
Appropriate Situations for Screening Tests and Programs
Characteristics of a Good Screening Test
Evaluation of Screening Tests
Sources of Unreliability and Invalidity
Measures of the Validity of Screening Tests
Effects of Prevalence of Disease on Screening
Test Results
Relationship Between Sensitivity and Specificity
Evaluation of Screening Programs
Issues in the Classification of Morbidity and Mortality
Appendix 11: Data for Problem 6


Chapter 12 Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases

Agents of Infectious Disease
Characteristics of Infectious Disease Agents
Host
The Environment
Means of Transmission-Directly or Indirectly from Reservoir
Measures of Disease Outbreaks
Procedures Used in the Investigation of Infectious Disease Outbreaks
Epidemiologically Significant Infectious Diseases in the Community
Appendix 12: Data from a Foodborne Illness Outbreak in a College Cafeteria


Chapter 13 Epidemiologic Aspects of Work and the Environment

Health Effects Associated with Environmental Hazards
Study Designs used in Environmental Epidemiology
Toxicologic Concepts Related to Environmental Epidemiology
Types of Agents
Environmental Hazards Found in the Work Setting
Noteworthy Community Environmental Health Hazards


Chapter 14 Molecular and Genetic Epidemiology

Definitions and Distinctions: Molecular Versus Genetic Epidemiology
Epidemiologic Evidence for Genetic Factors
Causes of Familial Aggregation
Shared Family Environment and Familial Aggregation
Gene Mapping: Segregation and Linkage Analysis
Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS)
Linkage Disequilibrium Revisited: Haplotypes
Application of Genes in Epidemiologic Designs
Genetics and Public Health


Chapter 15 Psychologic, Behavioral, and Social Epidemiology

Research Designs Used in Psychologic, Behavioral, and Social Epidemiology
Independent Variables
Moderating Factors in the Stress-Illness Relationship
Outcome Variables: Physical Health, Mental Health, Affective States


Chapter 16 Epidemiology as a Profession

Specializations within Epidemiology
Career Roles for Epidemiologists
Epidemiology Associations and Journals
Competencies Required of Epidemiologists
Resources for Education and Employment
Professional Ethics in Epidemiology


Glossary

Appendix A—Guide to the Critical Appraisal of an Epidemiologic/Public Health Research Article

Appendix B—Answers to Selected Study Questions

Index