Fundamentals of Epidemiology (EPID 610) – Fall 2018

Name: _________________________

HOMEWORK 1
Due Sunday, Sept. 23 at 11:30pm

Please type your name below or on the line above:

Name: ______________________

Grade:

Part 1: ___ out of 8

Part 2: ___ out of 10

Part 3: ___ out of 6

Part 4: ___ out of 6

Part 5: ___ out of 20

+ extra credit: ___ out of 3

Total: ___ out of 50

PART 1: MATCHING STUDY DESIGNS – Identify ONE correct study design for
each of the following descriptions and write the corresponding letter on each line provided.
(8 points)

a. Case series
b. Cross-sectional study
c. Case report
d. Cohort Study

1. _______ A summary of a patient's atypical presentation of a disease is presented

to a group of physicians.

2. _______ A summary of details regarding 200 teenagers, all diagnosed with a staph
infection, is reviewed by a team of epidemiologists.

3. ______ On one winter afternoon, you conduct a survey on a local ice hockey team
to ask each team member about their recent junk food intake and the presence of back
pain.

4. ______ A study investigator enrolls participants into a study as long as they do not
have the disease of interest at baseline. All participants are then followed over time to
investigate risk of disease among the exposed.

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 Fundamentals of Epidemiology (EPID 610) – Fall 2018

PART 2: MULTIPLE CHOICE - Select the ONE best answer unless otherwise
stated (10 points total)

5. The percentage of new cases of malaria was 5% in 2015. The percentage mentioned here is
an example of:

A. incidence proportion
B. odds ratio
C. prevalence proportion
D. none of the above

6. If a successful vaccine were developed, that prevented measles in individuals, which

factor would primarily be affected?

a. The prevalence of the disease

b. The duration of the disease
c. The incidence of the disease

7. A study was conducted over two years to explore the association between an
exposure and a disease. 25 new cases of the disease per 120 person months of
observation at risk were identified. You, therefore, estimate:

a. the incidence rate is 2.1 percent

b. the incidence rate is 2.1 cases per person-month of observation
c. the incidence rate is 2.1 cases per 100 person-months of observation
d. the incidence rate is 208 cases per 1000 person-months of observation

8. An MD at NYU found, in his case series study, that 95% of the elderly patients who
were taking a new dietary supplement also had osteoporosis. Would you campaign to
stop the production of this new dietary supplement?

a. Yes. 95% is a very high proportion. It seems likely that the new dietary supplement
is causing osteoporosis.
b. No. You cannot conclude anything as there is no comparison (control) group of
patients who do not have osteoporosis.

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 Fundamentals of Epidemiology (EPID 610) – Fall 2018

9. Which of the following describe(s) the purpose of epidemiology?

A. identifying causes of diseases
B. measuring the frequency and distribution of diseases
C. using research findings to prevent and control diseases
D. all of the above

PART 3: CALCULATIONS – Show all calculations and answer all questions in

complete sentences. (6 points total)

10a&b. An investigation on the association between intravenous drug users and hepatitis
C infection Study subjects include 1022 participants who were intravenous drug users and
1588 participants who were not intravenous drug users. The outcome of interest is
Hepatitis C infection. After conducting a survey on the participants, researchers learned
that 400 people who were intravenous drug users had hepatitis C, and 22 people who
were not intravenous drug users gad hepatitis C.

a. Draw a 2x2 table depicting the data described above. (2 points)

Hepatitis C Did not have Total

Hepatitis C
Drug users

Not drug users

Total

b. Calculate the prevalence ratio for hepatitis C by drug use. Be sure to show all work
including any computations, formulas, etc. used to calculate your answer.

Please note: You are NOT being asked to interpret the result here. Just do as the
question asks. If you do extra and the answer is wrong, we will have to deduct. (2
points)

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 Fundamentals of Epidemiology (EPID 610) – Fall 2018

11. An investigator is conducting a study of the incidence of second myocardial infarction

(MI). He follows 5 subjects from baseline (first MI) for up to 10 weeks. The results are
graphically displayed as follows.

Calculate the person-time contributed to this study and report it in a sentence. Only do
what the question asks and nothing more. Read carefully. (2 points).

PART 4: TRUE /FALSE - Select either True of False for each answer. (6 points total)
12.  In a case series, everyone is disease-free at the beginning of the study.

True

False

13. Cohort studies are not good for determining temporal order.

True

False

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 Fundamentals of Epidemiology (EPID 610) – Fall 2018

14. A case report summarizes atypical symptoms of several people with the same
disease.

True

False

PART 5: SPSS - Use SPSS to answer the following questions. You will need to use
the SPSS database called “hw1data.sav” posted on Bb to answer these questions. (4
points each; 20 points total)

To obtain full credit on this SPSS section, be sure to do as follows:

1. Paste the appropriate SPSS output table into your response under
each question. Do not submit SPSS output as a separate file.
2. Express your responses in complete sentences. Don’t just write
the value of your answer under question.

3. Highlight, bold, or underline the actual values on the SPSS output

to indicate your answers under each question.

4. Do not just cut and paste output under each question. You must
also write your answers under each question as described above
and highlight answers on the output.

Background
You conduct a cross-sectional study to determine whether ischemic vascular disease (IVD) in
elders is associated with dementia. In other words, are those who have a history of IVD more
likely to have dementia? You enroll 239 individuals over age 65 into your study. Recent hospital
records are abstracted to identify individuals with a history of IVD, further confirmed by a positive
result on a neuroimaging examination. You also administer a Folstein Test to screen for cognitive
impairment. Anyone with a Folstein Test score of 25 or above is considered to be non-demented
while individuals with scores below 25 are classified as demented. Use SPSS to answer the
following questions:

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 Fundamentals of Epidemiology (EPID 610) – Fall 2018

15. What is the prevalence of IVD in your study overall?

16. What is the prevalence of dementia in your study overall?

17. What is the prevalence of dementia among those with IVD?

18. What is the prevalence of dementia among those without IVD?

19. By hand, calculate the prevalence ratio. What is the prevalence ratio for dementia by IVD
status?

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 Fundamentals of Epidemiology (EPID 610) – Fall 2018

Part 6: Optional Extra Credit (3 points)

In 2016, you conduct a survey on the health status of nurses who work in a rural hospital.
At the time you conduct your survey in 2016, you find that 15 out of 150 nurses reported
having anemia. You then learn, among these same 150 nurses, an additional 9 nurses
develop anemia in 2017. What is the incidence proportion of anemia in 2017?