Applied Epidemiology and Biostatistics

This applied quantitative course aims to introduce a broad range of relevant methods that can be used in quantitative research to address the questions of when, where, who and why in the context of studying the distributions and determinants of health and disease. For public health workers at different levels, the skill to answer the question when, where, who and why is important. For example, in research on infectious disease epidemiology, health authorities and researchers react to the disease outbreak (an epidemic) by mapping the epidemic curve (when), areas most or least affected (where), populations in vulnerable contexts impacted by the outbreak (who), and the reasons behind a specific time and place distribution and population affected (why). The same logical framework could be applied to understand other health problems, such as the obesity epidemic, the increase in mental health issues and suicides, the persistence of underweight and stunting in certain countries, teenage pregnancies, the re-emergence of dengue fever, the impacts of conflicts or disasters on population health, etc Students will learn the basic concept of each method, its utility, and its application in quantitative research. At the same time, students will practice applying the methods at an introductory level in computer sessions and discuss how to critique and interpret the analysis and results and their relevance to policies and interventions. The course covers a wide range of epidemiological and biostatistical methods, giving students a good opportunity to further deepen their knowledge and skills in the future.