Essentials of epidemiology in public health

" Successfully tested in the authors' courses at Boston University and Harvard University, Essentials of Epidemiology in Public Health, Fourth Edition combines theory and practice in presenting traditional and new epidemiologic concepts. Broad in scope, the text opens with five chapters covering the basic epidemiologic concepts and data sources. A major emphasis is placed on study design, with separate chapters devoted to each of the three main analytic designs: experimental, cohort, and case-control studies. Full chapters on bias, confounding, and random error, including the role of statistics in epidemiology, ensure that students are well-equipped with the necessary information to interpret the results of epidemiologic studies. An entire chapter is also devoted to the concept of effect measure modification, an often-neglected topic in introductory textbooks. Up-to-date examples from the epidemiologic literature on diseases of public health importance are provided throughout the book. The Fourth Edition retains its familiar 17-chapter structure but adds some important updates: Updated statistics and data throughout. Descriptions of recent infectious disease outbreaks such as Ebola and Zika in the chapter on Descriptive Epidemiology. More information on investigating infectious disease outbreaks. Examples used to illustrate epidemiological principles have been updated and add greater emphasis on social factors that influence health. Straightforward descriptions of the latest epidemiologic methods including mediation analysis, agent-based modelling, and the use of directed acyclic graphs (DAGs) to assess confounding. New figures and graphs to llustrate epidemiologic principles. More information and links to on-line resources in the chapter on Sources of Public Health Data. More subheadings and improved readability. Five to ten new questions in each set of chapter questions, many of which involve critical thinking and/or calculations to help students achieve a greater