Epidemiology: An Introduction

by Kenneth J. Rothman

Overview

Across the last fifty years, epidemiology has developed into a vibrant scientific discipline that brings together the social and biological sciences, incorporating everything from statistics to the philosophy of science in its aim to study and track the distribution and determinants of health events. A now-classic text, the third edition of this essential introductory textbook gives an overview of the core concepts that form the underpinnings of epidemiology and epidemiologic research. Rather than focusing on statistics or formulas, Epidemiology presents the underlying epidemiologic principles and concepts in a coherent and straightforward exposition. This core content is supplemented with historical notes, a discussion of scientific inference, details about infectious disease epidemiology, and some advanced topics—including how to deal with missing data, the use of causal diagrams, and quantitative bias analysis techniques—that serve as an on-ramp into further study for those who elect to pursue it. By emphasizing a unifying set of ideas, students will develop a strong foundation for understanding the principles of epidemiologic research.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780199766338
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	02/07/2002
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	6 MB

About the Author

Kenneth J. Rothman, DrPH, is Professor of Epidemiology at the Boston University School of Public Health. He is also Distinguished Fellow Emeritus at the Research Triangle Institute, an independent nonprofit research institute dedicated to improving the human condition. His research interests in epidemiology have spanned a range of health problems that includes cancer, cardiovascular disease, neurologic disease, birth defects, injuries, environmental exposures, and drug epidemiology. His main career focus, however, has been the development and teaching of the concepts and methods of epidemiologic research.

Krista F. Huybrechts, PhD, is Associate Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology at Harvard Medical School and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, where she teaches graduate-level courses in epidemiology. Her research centers on generating evidence regarding the safety and effectiveness of medication use during pregnancy to inform the unique benefit-risk trade-off faced by women of reproductive age and pregnant women. She is particularly interested in the proper use of large databases derived from health data collected in the context of routine medical care to address causal questions in perinatal epidemiology. She is a Fellow of the International Society for Pharmacoepidemiology.

Eleanor J. Murray, ScD, is Assistant Professor of Epidemiology at the Boston University School of Public Health. Her research is on translational methodology for improving the quality of epidemiologic research, with particular focus on causal inference methods. She has developed and applied novel methods across a wide variety of public health issues including infectious disease, cardiovascular disease, dementia, alcohol and drug use disorders, occupational health issues, reproductive and perinatal health, and pharmacoepidemiology.

Table of Contents

Preface
Chapter 1: Introduction to Epidemiologic Thinking
Chapter 2: Pioneers in Epidemiology and Public Health
Chapter 3: What Is Causation?
Chapter 4: Measures of Disease Occurrence, Association, and Causal Effects
Chapter 5: Types of Epidemiologic Studies
Chapter 6: Dealing with Biases
Chapter 7: Random Error and the Role of Statistics
Chapter 8: Analyzing Simple Epidemiologic Data
Chapter 9: Stratified Analysis
Chapter 10: Using Regression Models in Epidemiologic Analysis
Chapter 11: Measuring Interactions
Chapter 12: Epidemiology in Clinical Settings
Chapter 13: Infectious Disease Epidemiology
Chapter 14: Field Epidemiology
An Introduction to Some Advanced Topics
Index

Editorial Reviews

Reviewer: James C. Torner, PhD, MS (University of Iowa College of Public Health)
Description: This is thought-provoking introductory book that can provide a foundation for epidemiology students and academicians. More than a reiteration of epidemiology design and methods, it is a commentary on epidemiological concepts and how the methods are applied. The first edition was published in 2002. New to this edition are chapters on historical aspects of epidemiology and infectious disease epidemiology and an expansion of measurement errors and biases.
Purpose: The goal is to add understanding and critical thinking to the foundations of epidemiology. Because the methodology of epidemiology has implications, the author describes the context of design and analytical issues in causation, analytical conclusions, and applications.
Audience: It appears to me that the author strives to educate readers beyond the basic concepts and methods. Hence, although not stated, students who want more than just how to do epidemiology, instead striving to understand what epidemiology does, will enjoy this book. It is designed to stimulate. The author is a recognized scholar in epidemiology and wants to provide ideas as a forum for discussion, which he continues to do with this edition.
Features: The book lays a foundation in the first few chapters with key epidemiology concepts, the supporting historical developments, and understanding of causation. The next section focuses on measurement and design in epidemiological studies. A chapter on infectious disease epidemiology describes the methods and modeling of infectious diseases. The next section focuses on bias identification and then bias control. The subsequent chapters focus on interpreting interactions and regression modeling. The book finishes with an application to clinical epidemiology. The flow between chapters is traditional, yet unique to thought development. The book does not go into depth on analytical methods, but other books might be supportive.
Assessment: Students and scholars who pursue epidemiology as a career should find this book a useful addition to their library. It does not present different basic concepts and methods than other introductory books do, but it does provide insights into how they developed and should be interpreted. This is a worthwhile new edition.

Doody's Review Service

"This text is ideal for beginners in epidemiological statistics to learn the terminology and understand how and when to use statistical tools. The text focuses on concepts, not on mathematics, and discusses statistical techniques in the context of the real problems they can solve. This text bridges the gap between what is taught in an introductory statistics text and what you need to be an effective researcher and analyst." — STATA

"In summary, this book is a brilliant introductory book to learn concepts of epidemiology. In contrast to the many available introductory books (several of them written in a naive way), this book does not trivialize these concepts. It perfectly prepares the reader for the reference book of epidemiologic methods entitled "Modern Epidemiology" by Rothman et al... I am not aware of any other introductory book of epidemiology that presents these many epidemiologic concepts. It is a perfect—although demanding—reader for an introductory course of epidemiology in master programs of epidemiology, public health, and at medical schools." — European Journal of Epidemiology

"Students and scholars who pursue epidemiology as a career should find this book a useful addition to their library. It does not present different basic concepts and methods than other introductory books do, but it does provide insights into how they developed and should be interpreted. This is a worthwhile new edition." — Doody's

From the Publisher