Jeffrey Martin, MD, MPH
Phone: 415-597-9219
email: martin@psg.ucsf.edu

Kimberly Shafer, PhD, MPH
Phone: 415-597-4954
email: shafer@psg.ucsf.edu

Study Design
Designs where the unit of observation is a group of individuals vs. the individual; main types of studies based on the individual as the unit of observation; the study base as a unifying concept linking cohort and case-control designs; designs based on prevalent vs. incident disease

• Lecture Notes (PowerPoint file; 638 KB)
• Problem Set (Excel file; 26KB)
• Problem Set Answers (Excel file; 22KB)

Reading:

1. S & N: Ch. 1, p. 3-4, 17-40
2. 2. Wachholder S. Selection of controls in case-control studies Am J Epidemiol 1992; 135:1019-1028. Focus on "Study Base Principle" p. 1021- 1024. ( PDF, 2,368KB)

Homework: Problem set from lecture 1

Measures of Disease Occurrence I
The three components in measuring disease occurrence; incidence versus prevalence; incidence measures based on individuals at risk vs. person-time; uses of different incidence measures

• Lecture Notes (PowerPoint file; 495KB)
• Problem Set (Word file; 21KB) & Dataset (4KB)
• Problem Set Answers (Word file; 70 KB)

Reading:

1. S & N: Ch. 2
2. OPTIONAL: Tapia Granados, JA. On the terminology and dimensions of incidence. J Clin Epidemiol 1997;50:891-897.
   (PDF, 1,283KB)

Homework: Problem set from lecture 2

Measures of Disease Occurrence II
Censoring; estimating cumulative incidence using Kaplan-Meier and life-table estimation; prevalence measures; odds versus probability

• Lecture Notes (PowerPoint file; 1,260 KB)
• Problem Set (Word file; 24KB) & Dataset (16KB)
• Problem Set Answers (Word file; 30 KB)

Reading: S & N: Ch. 2

Homework: Problem set from lecture 3

Measures of Disease Association I
Fundamental differences between ratio and difference measures; forming ratio and difference measures in cohort studies; confidence interval and hypothesis testing in cohort studies

• Lecture Notes (PowerPoint file; 245 KB)
• Problem Set (Word file; 21KB)
• Problem Set Answers (Word file; 21 KB)

Reading:

1. S & N: Ch. 3: p. 91- 98, p. 105 -117, p. 118 - 120 (i.e., skip sections on attributable risk); Appendix A3
2. Schulman, et al. The Effect of Race and Sex on Physician's Recommendations for Cardiac Catheterization, NEJM 1999: 618-626. (PDF, 214KB)
3. Schartz, et al. Misunderstandings About the Effects of Race and Sex on Physicians' Referrals for Cardiac Catheterization. NEJM 1999,341:279-283. (PDF, 853KB)

Homework: Problem set from lecture 4

Measures of Disease Association II
Forming measures in cross-sectional and case-control studies; relationship between incidence ratio and prevalence ratio; confidence interval and hypothesis testing in cross-sectional and case-control studies

• Lecture Notes (PowerPoint file; 230 KB)
• Problem Set (Word file; 29KB)
• Problem Set Answers (Word file, 72KB)

Reading: S & N: Ch. 3: p. 91- 99, p. 105 -117, p. 118 - 120 (i.e., skip sections on attributable risk); Ch. 4: p. 155-161; Appendix A4

Homework: Problem set from lecture 5

Bias in Epidemiologic Studies: Selection Bias & Measurement Bias
Definition and classification of bias; distinguishing from random error; spotting and avoiding selection bias; influence (magnitude and direction of bias) of differential vs. non-differential misclassification of exposure, outcome, and confounding variables

• Lecture Notes (PowerPoint file; 160 KB)
• Problem Set (Word file; 38KB)
• Problem Set Answers (Word file, 41KB)

Reading:

1. S & N: Ch. 4: p. 125-155

Homework: Problem set from lecture 6

Confounding and Interaction I: General Principles
Properties of confounding variables; types and magnitude of confounding; importance of defining the research question and the biological system in deciding whether confounding is present; strategies to minimize confounding

• Lecture Notes (PowerPoint file; 2,430 KB)
• Problem Set (Word file; 37KB)
• Problem Set Answers (Word file, 131KB)

Reading: S & N: Ch. 5 and Ch. 1: p. 40 - 48 (section on Matching)

Homework: Problem set from lecture 7

Confounding and Interaction II: Assessment of Interaction
Interaction vs. confounding; assessing for interaction; tests of homogeneity; computer implementation

• Lecture Notes (PowerPoint file; 559 KB)
• Problem Set (Word file; 146KB)
• Problem Set Answers (Word file, 717 KB)

Reading: S & N: Ch. 6, p. 211 - 223, p. 233 - 251

Homework: Problem set from lecture 8

Confounding and Interaction III: Stratified Analysis
Use of stratification to form adjusted measures; concept of weighted averages; interpreting presence or absence of confounding; limitations of stratification

• Lecture Notes (PowerPoint file; 508 KB)
• Problem Set (Word file; 25KB) & Dataset (17KB)
• Problem Set Answers (Word file, 52 KB)

Reading: S & N: Ch. 7: p. 257 - 264; p. 273 - 280

Homework: Problem set from lecture 9

Conceptual Approach to Multivariable Analysis I
When to use multivariable analysis; choosing the best type of multivariable analysis for your data; assumptions underlying multivariable models; assessing the impact of individual variables on outcome

Reading: Katz: Ch. 1 - 3

Homework: Problem set from lecture 10

Conceptual Approach to Multivariable Analysis II
Handling common situations in multivariable analysis: missing data; losses to follow-up; including the right variables in the model; assessing the reliability of models

Reading: Katz: Ch. 4 , 7 and 8

Homework: None

Final Examination Distributed. Due 12/18/01 by 5 pm.
Deliver to Olivia DeLeon in Millberry Union 427W.

Final Exam (Word file, 384 KB)
Data Set (.dta, 5KB)