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Introduction to Epidemiology, Fifth Edition

Author(s): Ray M. Merrill, PhD, MPH, Brigham Young University, Utah
Details:
  • ISBN-13: 9780763766221
  • Paperback    418 pages      © 2010
Price: International Sales $101.95 US List
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Overview

Instructor Resources: PowerPoints, TestBank, Answer Key, Case Studies
Student Resources: Companion Website with Interactive Glossary, Flashcards

Introduction to Epidemiology, Fifth Edition is a reader-friendly exploration of the basic principles of epidemiology and their application in solving current public health issues. Readers will learn how to identify and describe problems, formulate research hypotheses, select appropriate research study designs, manage and analyze epidemiologic data, interpret study results, and apply the results to prevent and control disease and health-related events.

The Fifth Edition is a thorough revision that gives greater attention to real-world, contemporary public health problems involving both infectious and chronic diseases and conditions, making it an ideal introductory text for the epidemiology student with minimal training in the biomedical sciences and statistics.

Key New Features of the Fifth Edition:

  • Updated tables, figures, and examples throughout.
  • Greater detail and explanation of descriptive and analytic study designs used in epidemiology.
  • A new chapter on Clinical Epidemiology offers greater distinction between the clinician’s focus on treating and caring for patients compared with the epidemiologist’s focus on identifying sources, populations, and potential spread of public health problems.
  • Expanded section on the history of epidemiology and the role of causal inference in epidemiology.
  • A new section on cluster analysis and a completely revised chapter on chronic disease epidemiology.

Upgrade Your Course Materials to the New Edition! 
Click here to access our easy transition guide. 

Instructor Supplements:

  • PowerPoint Lecture Slides
  • Instructor’s Manual
  • Test Bank

ShowTable of Contents

Chapter  1  Foundations of Epidemiology
Chapter  2  Historic Developments in Epidemiology
Chapter  3  Practical Disease Concepts in Epidemiology
Chapter  4  Design Strategies and Statistical Methods in Descriptive Epidemiology
Chapter  5  Descriptive Epidemiology According to Person, Place, and Time
Chapter  6  General Health and Population Indicators
Chapter  7  Design Strategies and Statistical Methods in Analytic Epidemiology
Chapter  8  Experimental Studies in Epidemiology
Chapter  9  Causal Inference
Chapter  10  Field Epidemiology
Chapter  11  Chronic Disease Epidemiology
Chapter  12  Clinical Epidemiology
Appendix  I  Case Studies
Appendix  II  Health Indicators in Reproductive Epidemiology
Appendix  III  Classifications and Specialty Journals in Epidemiology
Appendix  IV  Epidemiologic Associations and Societies
Appendix  V  Selected Answers to Chapter Questions
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ShowAbout the Author(s)

Ray M. Merrill, PhD, MPH-Brigham Young University, Utah

Ray M. Merrill, Ph.D., M.P.H. has been actively involved in epidemiology since his professional career began in 1995. As a Cancer Prevention Fellow at the National Cancer Institute, he worked with leading researchers in the area of cancer epidemiology. In 1998 he joined the faculty in the Department of Health Science at Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, where he continued his research in epidemiology. Since 1999 he has also held an adjunct faculty position in the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine at the University of Utah. In 2001, he spent a sabbatical working in the Unit of Epidemiology for Cancer Prevention at the International Agency for Research on Cancer Administration, Lyon, France. He has won various awards for his research in cancer epidemiology.

Dr. Merrill currently teaches introductory and advanced level classes in epidemiology and biostatistics. He has over 100 professional publications in epidemiology and public health journals. He is currently a full professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at Brigham Young University.

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ShowReviews

  • "This is an excellent introduction to epidemiology. It provides a more complete overview than the book currently used in my introductory level epidemiology course, Epidemiology, 4th edition (Elsevier, 2008). With the fifth edition, the author has added many sections that enrich the book and provide a more in-depth coverage of the field.The chapters on design strategies and statistical methods for descriptive and analytic epidemiology provide excellent introductions to the common study designs and methods of statistical analysis. The formulas are easy to follow and appropriate diagrams help in understanding the difficult concepts (like direct and indirect standardization). The tables with the strengths and weaknesses of the various study designs will be particularly helpful to students. An interesting set of case studies in the appendix provide a more in-depth study of six different epidemiologic situations."

    —Michelle Reynolds, BA, BS, MPH, University of Iowa College of Public Health (For Doody's Book Review Service; Doody's Score: 98 - 4 Stars!)
     

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