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Basic epidemiology R. Beaglehole R. Bonita Department of Community Health and Department of Medicine University of Auckland Auckland New Zealand T. Kjellstrém Division of Environmental Health World Health Organization Geneva Switzerland z vi Ni World Health Organization Geneva 4993 WHO Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data Boagleholo, Basic epidemiology / R. Beaglehole, A. Bonita & T. Kellstrém 1.Epidemiology Bonita, R. IKjellstrém, T. Ml. Tile ISBN 92 4 154446 5 (NLM Classification: WA 105) ‘The World Health Organization welcomes requests for permission to reproduce or translate its publications, in part or in full. Applications and enquiries should be addressed to the Otfice of Publications, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzor- land, which will be glad to provide the latest information on any changes made to the text, plans for new editions, and reprints and translations already available, © World Health Organization 1993 Reprinted 1994 (twice), 1986, 1997, 1998 (twice); 2000 (updated), 2002 Publications of the World Health Organization enjoy copyright protection in accor dance with the provisions of Protocol 2 of the Universal Copyright Convention. All rights reserved, The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the World Health Organization conceming the legal status of any country, territory, ity oF area or ofits authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or bound. ares. Where the designation “country or area’ appears in the headings of tables, it covers countries, territories, cities or areas, The mention of specific companies or of certain manufacturers’ products does not imply that they are endorsed or recommended by the World Health Organization in preference to others of a similar nature that are not mentioned. Errors and omissions excepted, the names of proprietary products are distinguished by inital capital letters. ‘The authors alone are responsible for the views expressed in this publication, Contents Preface Introduction Chapter 1. What Is epidemiology? The historical context Definition and scope of epidemiology ‘Achievernents in epidemiology Study questions Chapter 2. Measuring health and disease Definitions of health end disease Measures of disease frequency Use of available information Comparing disease occurrence Study questions Chapter 3. Types of study Observations and experiments Observational epidemiology Experimental epidemiology Potential errors in apidemialogicat studies Ethical issues Study questions Chapter 4, Basic statistics Distributions and summary measures Estimation Statistical inference Relationship between two variables Study questions: Chapter 5. Causation in epidemiology The concept of cause Establishing the cause of a disease Study questions Chapter 6. Epidemiology and prevention The scope af prevention Levels of prevention Screening Study questions nm n 74 at 83 83 85

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