UNC Department of Epidemiology
EPID 160 - Principles of Epidemiology for Public Health
Course schedule, Fall 2004

Date Day Activity

I. 

Orientation and introduction
 
8/23
 Mon Reading: Aschengrau and Seage, chap. 1 – The Approach and Evolution of Epidemiology
 
Recorded lecture
      Case study - The epidemiologic tradition
 
8/25-8/31
 Wed-Tue Discussion Forum dates
 
8/30
 Mon Case study due
 
9/1
 Wed Discussion Forum Summary Due to TA (send by email)
 

II. 

Study populations
 
8/30
 Mon Reading: Aschengrau and Seage, chap. 4– Sources of Public Health Data; chap. 5 – Descriptive Epidemiology
 
Recorded lecture
      Case study - Population perspective
 
9/1-9/7
 Wed-Tue Discussion Forum dates
 
9/6
 Mon Case study due
 
9/8
 Wed Discussion Forum Summary Due to TA (send by email)
 
III. 

Measuring disease; incidence and prevalence

 
9/6
 Mon Reading: Aschengrau and Seage, chap. 2 – Measures of Disease Frequency, chap. 3 – Comparing Disease Frequencies
 
Recorded lecture
 
Case study - incidence and prevalence
 
9/8-9/14
 Wed-Tue Discussion Forum dates
 
9/13
 Mon Case study due
 
9/15
 Wed Discussion Forum Summary Due to TA (send by email)
IV. 

Natural history of disease; population screening
9/13
 Mon Reading: Aschengrau and Seage, chap. 16 – Screening in Public Health Practice
Recorded lecture
 
Case study - population screening
 
9/15-9/21
 Wed-Tue Discussion Forum dates
 
9/20
 Mon Case study due
 
9/22
 Wed Discussion Forum Summary Due to TA (send by email)
9/22
 Wed 1st examination posted on course web site
9/22
 Wed 1st peer evaluation due (via webform)
9/22
 Wed 1st student evaluation of TA due (via webform)
V. 

Study designs: intervention studies
9/20
 Mon Reading: Aschengrau and Seage, chap. 6 – Overview of Epidemiologic Study Designs; chap. 7 – Experimental Studies
Recorded lecture
Case study - Intervention trials
 
9/22-9/28
 Wed-Tue Discussion Forum dates
9/27
 Mon Case study due
 
9/29
 Wed Discussion Forum Summary Due to TA (send by email)
VI. 

Study designs: cohort studies
9/27
 Mon Reading: Aschengrau and Seage, chap. 8 – Cohort Studies
Recorded lecture
Case study - Cohort studies
 
9/29-10/5
 Wed-Tue Discussion Forum dates
10/4
 Mon Case study due
 
10/6
 Wed Discussion Forum Summary Due to TA (send by email)
10/7
 Thu 1st examination due
VII. 

Study designs: case-control studies
10/4
 Mon Reading: Aschengrau and Seage, chap. 9 – Case-control Studies
Recorded lecture
Case study - Case-control studies
 
10/6-10/12
 Wed-Tue Discussion Forum dates
10/11
 Mon Case study due
 
10/13
 Wed Discussion Forum Summary Due to TA (send by email)
10/11
 Mon Suggestion: begin writing final paper
VIII. 

Study designs: cross-sectional and ecologic studies
10/11
 Mon Reading: Aschengrau and Seage, chap. 12 – Random Error
Recorded lecture
Case study - Cross-sectional studies
 
10/13-10/19
 Wed-Tue Discussion Forum dates
10/18
 Mon Case study due
 
10/20
 Wed Discussion Forum Summary Due to TA (send by email)
10/20
 Wed 2nd examination posted on course web site
IX. 

Error: selection bias
10/18
 Mon Reading: Aschengrau and Seage, chap. 10 – Bias
Recorded lecture
Case study - Selection bias
 
10/19-10/25
 Wed-Tue Discussion Forum dates
10/25
 Mon Case study due
 
10/27
 Wed Discussion Forum Summary Due to TA (send by email)
X. 

Error: information bias
10/25
 Mon Reading: Aschengrau and Seage, chap. 14 – Guide to the Critical Review of Epidemiologic Studies
Recorded lecture
Case study - Information bias
 
10/25-11/2
 Wed-Tue Discussion Forum dates
11/1
 Mon Case study due
 
11/3
 Wed Discussion Forum Summary Due to TA (send by email)
11/4
 Thu 2nd examination due
XI. 

Multicausality: confounding
11/1
 Mon Reading: Aschengrau and Seage, chap. 11 – Confounding
Recorded lecture
 
  Case study - Confounding
11/3-11/9
 Wed-Tue Discussion Forum dates
11/8
 Mon Case study due
 
11/10
 Wed Discussion Forum Summary Due to TA (send by email)
XII. 

Data analysis and interpretation; causal inference
11/8
 Mon Reading: Aschengrau and Seage, chap. 13 – Effect Measure Modification; chap. 15 – The Epidemiologic Approach to Causation
Recorded lecture
Case study - Causal inference
 
11/10-11/16
 Wed-Tue Discussion Forum dates
11/15
 Mon Case study due
 
11/17
 Wed Discussion Forum Summary Due to TA (send by email)
(no new topic – work on final paper)
11/22
 Mon Finish up final paper and do 2nd peer evaluation
11/23
 Tue Final paper due (submit via webform)
XIII. 

Role of epidemiology in public health
11/29
 Mon Recorded lecture
 
12/1-12/7
 Wed-Tue Discussion Forum dates
12/6
 Mon Exercise - outbreak investigation (on-line)
 
12/7
 Wed Discussion Forum Summary Due to TA (send by email)
12/9
 Fri 2nd peer evaluation due (from students via webform)

rev. 8/22/2004 vs