What This Document Is
This document is a review guide prepared for Exam Two in Drexel University’s PBHL 301: Epidemiology in Public Health course, created by Theresa Sweet. It summarizes key concepts and study designs covered in the course, focusing on the principles of epidemiological investigation and the interpretation of research findings.
Why This Document Matters
This review is essential for students preparing for their second exam in Epidemiology. It’s designed to help you quickly recall and organize the core principles of different study types, measures of association, and potential biases. It’s most useful when used *in conjunction with* course lectures, readings, and assignments – it’s not a substitute for that foundational work.
Common Limitations or Challenges
This review guide provides a condensed overview. It does not offer in-depth explanations or practice problems beyond identifying study types and potential issues. It won’t teach you the material if you haven’t already engaged with it in class. It also doesn’t include all possible exam questions or cover every nuance of each topic.
What This Document Provides
The full review includes: a breakdown of various study designs (case study, case series, ecological, cross-sectional, cohort, and case-control) with their strengths and weaknesses; explanations of measures of association like odds ratios and relative risk, including when to apply each; a discussion of potential biases (selection and informational); guidelines for assessing causality; an overview of ethical considerations in clinical trials (Nuremburg Code, Declaration of Helsinki, IRB, Belmont Report, informed consent, Data Safety Monitoring Board); and the importance of randomization.
This preview does *not* include calculations, detailed examples, or practice questions. It does not provide solutions or step-by-step instructions for analyzing epidemiological data.