GCU PUB540 2020 November All Weeks Discussions Latest

PUB540 Principle of Epidemiology

Week 1 Discussion

DQ1 Define endemic, epidemic, and pandemic, and provide an example of each. Describe a current epidemic. Describe one example of each of the prevention types (primary, secondary, and tertiary) that could be applied to control the epidemic.

DQ2 Discuss the role the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) plays in conveying public health information and recommendations. Describe the type of data and information provided by the MMWR. Choose a report posted within the last 2 years from the "Publications - Weekly Report" tab. Provide a brief summary of the disease report, including the natural history and mode of transmission, and whether the report is an example of descriptive epidemiology or analytical epidemiology.

 

PUB540 Principle of Epidemiology

Week 2 Discussion

DQ1 Disease surveillance is a necessary public health role. Passive surveillance relies on individuals and local authorities "pushing" information to national agencies who then compile, analyze, and disseminate the information. Unfortunately, significant gaps occur in reporting.

Review your textbook, and the CDC's National Notifiable Disease Surveillance System (NNDSS). Discuss the strengths of the current surveillance systems, the gaps you identified, and why these gaps occur. Discuss the global challenges of coordinating surveillance between multiple countries and provide an example highlighting the challenges. What could other governments and agencies, such as the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, do to strengthen global disease surveillance systems?

DQ2 Explain the importance of validity and reliability in diagnostic testing or research. Describe how validity relates to sensitivity and specificity in diagnostic testing. Identify a health screen specific to a diagnostic test that is currently being debated regarding its use, recommended ages, or frequency, and discuss how validity and reliability play into this debate. What other factors should you consider when you assess the recommendations for a diagnostic test or screen?

 

PUB540 Principle of Epidemiology

Week 3 Discussion

DQ1 Differentiate between bias and confounding. Discuss the criteria necessary to establish a factor as a confounder and provide an example applying these criteria. What is one way to adjust for a confounding relationship in the study design or the analysis?

DQ2 Explain the two major types of bias. Identify a peer-reviewed epidemiology article that discusses potential issues with bias as a limitation and discuss what could have been done to minimize the bias (exclude articles that combine multiple studies such as meta-analysis and systemic review articles). What are the implications of making inferences based on data with bias? Include a link to the article in your reference.

 

PUB540 Principle of Epidemiology

Week 4 Discussion

DQ1 Based on the "Multicausality: Confounding - Assignment," by Schoenbach, discuss two significant insights you learned about confounding. Use specific examples from the assignment to support your answer.

DQ2 Describe the characteristics and design of a cohort study. Based on a disease or health condition identified from the "2020 LHI Topics" on the Healthy People 2020 website, or an article from the GCU library, discuss a real example of a cohort study (include the link to the article in your post to the forum). Include the participants, exposures or treatment groups, timeframe, and outcomes that were measured. Why is a cohort study described as an "observational" study rather than an "experimental" study design?

 

PUB540 Principle of Epidemiology

Week 5 Discussion

DQ1 Describe the common characteristics and design of a case-control study. Discuss the three important features when it comes to selecting cases and controls, and identify a situation when one of these might be violated. Discuss the limitations of using questionnaires for determining exposure status and provide examples of alternative strategies for collecting this information in a case-control study.

DQ2 Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of cross-sectional studies and examples of how they can be "descriptive" or "analytic" study designs. Discuss an example of a disease where survival could influence the association between a possible exposure and the disease when measured with a cross-sectional study. Do not discuss examples used in the textbook.

 

PUB540 Principle of Epidemiology

Week 6 Discussion

DQ1 Differentiate between association and causation using the causal guidelines. Discuss which of the guidelines you think is the most difficult to establish. Discuss the four types of causal relationships and use an example not listed in the textbook to describe each relationship.

DQ2 Explain the difference between relative risk, attributable risk, and population attributable risk. Provide an example (not from the textbook) of how each type of risk is used in epidemiology. How would you propose using population attributable risk to advocate for a health policy or intervention relative to your health interest?

 

PUB540 Principle of Epidemiology

Week 7 Discussion

DQ1 Epidemiological methods are used in a variety of public health areas (including infectious disease, chronic disease, and social health) and settings (including the community, schools, and the workplace). Epidemiological methods are used to assess, describe, analyze, and make comparisons of populations to inform evidence-based practices, policies, and interventions. Propose a study based on the methods you have learned thus far designed to investigate an association within one of the public health areas listed (infectious disease, chronic disease, or social health) and the methods you would apply. Discuss and define the risk factor or exposure that is being assessed, the method of comparison that is used, and the setting or situation (community, school, workplace, etc.) your study would look to address. Consider the concepts of causal inference, measures of association, and study design.

DQ2 Race is often used as a descriptor of disease burden and helps us to determine where health disparities exist in order to address them, which is important. It is helpful to differentiate between race as a descriptor and race as a risk factor. Think about institutional racism and its influence on health. Consider the factors related to race and ethnicity that might be influencing disease status more than the genetics of race when answering this discussion question.

Consider the following statement: "Race is not a risk factor and should not be used in public health data collection." Discuss the ethical and public health implications of this statement. When might collecting data on race perpetuate institutional racism leading to health disparities and when is it necessary to improve public health? Provide support and examples for your answer. Consider ethical issues related to respect for persons, beneficence, and justice as described in "The Belmont Report."

 

PUB540 Principle of Epidemiology

Week 8 Discussion

DQ1 One method to investigate gene-environment interactions is to study monozygotic twins. Identify an example of a twin study not listed in the textbook used to examine the gene-environment interaction of a specific disease or condition. Briefly summarize the gene-environment interaction investigated, the methods, and the results. What are other possible methods for studying gene-environment interactions as they relate to improving population health?

DQ2 Using the CDC Wonder website, set the query criteria for pancreatic cancer for the United States as illustrated below. Compare the rates by race for Wisconsin and Colorado. Discuss possible biological, genetic, and environmental reasons for differences. What are potential social determinants that contribute to the disparity presented between the two states?

Use this query upon entering the CDC Wonder website:

Select “Cancer Statistics” under the Wonder Systems tab

Select “Cancer Incidence 1999 – 2013” and click “Data Request”

Organize table layout:

Group results by 1. States and 2. Race (leave the rest of the group options as “None”)

Measures – click “Count” (default) and “Age Adjusted Rates”

Select location – select “States” and “The United States”

Select year and demographics

Year – 2014

Sex – All genders

Age groups – All ages

Ethnicity – All ethnicities

Race – All races

Select cancers of interest - select “Pancreas”

Other options – keep default settings