Advanced Epidemiology

To enable the students to design epidemiological studies.
To enable the students to analyze epidemiological studies.
To enable the students to perform a complete meta-analysis, from the bibliographic search to the interpretation of the results.

1: Basic concepts "ma non troppo": rate, proportion, odds, ratio, and misinterpretations.
2: Incidence and prevalence: use, misuse and abuse. Relationship between both measures
3: Measures of effect or association and their errors of interpretation
4: Classification of epidemiological designs: myths, mistakes and proposals
5: The experimental study as a paradigm of epidemiologic studies
6: The cohort study and its equivalent the case-control study
7: Other designs in epidemiology
8: Systematic reviews
9: Meta-analysis: Theory and practice

Ahlbom A, Alfredsson L, Alfvén T, Bennet A. Fundamentos de epidemiología. Siglo XXI Editores, 2010.

Rothman KJ. Modern Epidemiology. Ed Little, Brown and Co. 1986. Reference book in epidemiology where the different epidemiological designs are explained in detail. This first edition is recommended. More recent editions are also available.

Gordis L. Epidemiology. Elsevier, 2019.

General competences:
o Design and analyze epidemiological studies

Specific competences:
o To know the different designs of epidemiological studies
o To know how to detect biases in epidemiological studies
o To know how to propose a meta-analysis project in an epidemiological context

In the first session the instructor will advise on the most relevant. The instructor will mention the objectives that the student will have to reach and will present the topics encouraging the participation of the students
Prior to seminar sessions, the instructor will communicate the objectives of the seminar, provide the basic bibliography, guide the search for complementary bibliography, and organize the work in different groups to enhance team work. Students must have previously worked on the subject.

Students with more than 10% of absences will not be able to take the exam.
The students must do all the obligatory assignments.
The exam will count up to 100% of the grade. The weight of the exam may be lowered if the additional assignments are given to the students. The weight of these activities may be up to 30% of the final grade.

For cases of fraudulent conduct in exercises or exams, the USC "Normativa de avaliación do rendemento académico dos estudantes e de revisión de cualificacións" will apply to USC students.

The assignments that are presented in the seminars must be carried out outside the classroom. Students will have to expand on their own the contents of the theoretical classes, using the bibliographic references provided.

Attend all classes, consult all doubts and actively participate in seminars and group work.