Download or read book Applications of Causal Inference to Problems of Occupational Epidemiology written by Daniel Martin Brown and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 101 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This dissertation concerns the application of the techniques of causal inference to problems of occupational health. The abstracts of the three works which comprise the primary substance of this disseration are reproduced below. The healthy worker survivor effect (HWSE) is a feature of occupational cohort studies which can lead to biased estimates of the etiologic effects of exposures if the estimation procedure does not account for its sources. The HWSE arises from underlying temporal processes characteristic of working populations in which time-varying health status is a criteria for entry into follow-up as well as both a predictor and a consequence of exposure. We distinguish two sources of HWSE: left-truncation in the presence of heterogeneous susceptibility as well as time-varying confounding on the causal pathway. We apply longitudinal minimum-loss-based estimation to simulated data in order to illustrate the effect of each process on estimates of exposure response, and clarify the extent to which methodological solutions can properly adjust for the bias. We consider the problem of the estimation of parameters of the full-data distribution from data structures in which some confounding variables are unmeasured in a portion of the population. Our focus is on evaluating approaches to implementation of an augmented inverse probability of censoring weighted targeted minimum-loss based estmator (A-IPCW TMLE) first proposed by Rose and Van der Laan. This is an inverse probability weighted estimator in which estimation proceeds using a reweighted set of fully observed data points. The weights used are the inverses the estimated probability of being fully observed which is then augmented by an estimate of the expectation of the full data influence function, given the always observed variables. The estimator's performance is compared to standard weighting approaches and multiple imputation in both a simulation study and an applied data example. We investigate the effect of cumulative exposure to particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter

Download or read book Basic Principles and Practical Applications in Epidemiological Research written by Jung-Der Wang and published by World Scientific. This book was released on 2002 with total page 384 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Based on the concept of ?conjecture and refutation? from the Popperian philosophy of science, i.e. looking for alternative causes, this book simplifies the design and inferences of human observational studies into two types: descriptive and causal. It clarifies how and why causal inference should be considered from the search for alternative explanations or causes, and descriptive inference from the sample at hand to the source population. Furthermore, it links the health policy and epidemiological concept with decisional questions, for which the basic measurement can be quality-adjusted survival time or quality-adjusted life year.

Download or read book Hunter s Diseases of Occupations written by Peter Baxter and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2010-10-29 with total page 1318 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Winner of the 2011 BMA book awards: medicine categoryIn the five decades since its first publication, Hunter's Diseases of Occupations has remained the pre-eminent text on diseases caused by work, universally recognized as the most authoritative source of information in the field. It is an important guide for doctors in all disciplines who may

Download or read book Causal inference written by K. J. Rothman and published by Kenneth Rothman. This book was released on 1988 with total page 220 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Causation in Population Health Informatics and Data Science written by Olaf Dammann and published by Springer. This book was released on 2018-10-29 with total page 139 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Marketing text: This book covers the overlap between informatics, computer science, philosophy of causation, and causal inference in epidemiology and population health research. Key concepts covered include how data are generated and interpreted, and how and why concepts in health informatics and the philosophy of science should be integrated in a systems-thinking approach. Furthermore, a formal epistemology for the health sciences and public health is suggested. Causation in Population Health Informatics and Data Science provides a detailed guide of the latest thinking on causal inference in population health informatics. It is therefore a critical resource for all informaticians and epidemiologists interested in the potential benefits of utilising a systems-based approach to causal inference in health informatics.

Download or read book Opening the Black Box Estimation of Targeted Effects in Causal Mediation Analysis With Applications to Global Health and Occupational Epidemiology written by Aolin Wang and published by . This book was released on 2016 with total page 174 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Recent work has considerably advanced the definition, identification and estimation of different types of effects in causal mediation analysis. It extended the traditional approaches for mediation analysis by using the counterfactual or potential-outcome framework to allow for nonlinearities and exposure-mediator interaction. Despite the various estimation methods and statistical routines being developed, a unified approach is lacking, which incorporates recently introduced causal decompositions. Also, relatively few studies explored scenarios with more than one mediator. In this work, we used causal diagrams and potential-outcome framework to contribute to the literature on causal mediation analysis. We first provided a unified framework for estimating targeted effect(s) from the most recent 4-way decomposition in the single-mediator setting. We demonstrated that g-computation, implemented via Monte Carlo simulations in standard statistical software, can offer such unification and is flexible in accommodating different types of exposure, mediator and outcome variables. We also extended some of the existing estimation techniques to more complicated mediation settings that involve contextual exposure, intermediate confounding, multiple causally ordered mediators, time-varying mediators, and time-to-event outcomes. We applied regression-based techniques, g-computation, and inverse-probability-weighted (IPW) fitting of marginal structural model (MSM) to investigate mechanisms underlying the effects of human development on individual health, the health disparity in education, and the effect of different physical activity domains on acute myocardial infarction. The flexibility of g-computation comes at a large cost: it becomes computationally intensive as the number of variables and sample size grow. Alternatively, mediator and outcome regression-based methods and IPW fitting of MSM can be applied in general linear systems and survival context respectively. The use of causal inference techniques did not preclude the possibility of model misspecification and the presence of uncontrolled confounding, which may bias our results. Future work should explore the properties of different estimation techniques and their use in estimating targeted quantities, and incorporate sensitivity analysis for uncontrolled confounding in causal mediation analysis.

Download or read book Concepts of Epidemiology written by Raj S. Bhopal and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2016 with total page 481 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: First edition published in 2002. Second edition published in 2008.

Download or read book Causal Inference and Scientific Paradigms in Epidemiology written by Steven S. Coughlin and published by . This book was released on 2010-07-29 with total page 76 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This anthology of articles on causal inference and scientific paradigms in epidemiology covers several important topics including the search for causal explanations, the strengths and limitations of causal criteria, quantitative approaches for assessing causal relationships that are relevant to epidemiology and emerging paradigms in epidemiologic research. In order to provide historical context, an overview of philosophical and historical developments relevant to causal inference in epidemiology and public health is also provided. Several theoretical and applied aspects of causal inference are dealt with. The aim of this book is not only to summarize important developments in causal inference in epidemiology but also to identify possible ways to enhance the search for causal explanations for diseases and injuries. Examples are provided from such fields as chronic disease epidemiology, Veterans health, and environmental epidemiology. A particular goal of the book is to provide ideas for strengthening causal inference in epidemiology in the context of refined research paradigms. These topics are important because the results of epidemiologic studies contribute to generalizable knowledge by clarifying the causes of diseases, by combining epidemiologic data with information from other disciplines (for example, psychology and industrial hygiene), by evaluating the consistency of epidemiologic data with etiological hypotheses about causation, and by providing the basis for evaluating procedures for health promotion and prevention and public health practices.

Download or read book Critical Appraisal of Epidemiological Studies and Clinical Trials written by Mark Elwood and published by OUP Oxford. This book was released on 2007-02-22 with total page 615 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book presents a logical system of critical appraisal, to allow readers to evaluate studies and to carry out their own studies more effectively. This system emphasizes the central importance of cause and effect relationships. Its great strength is that it is applicable to a wide range of issues, and both to intervention trials and observational studies. This system unifies the often different approaches used in epidemiology, health services research, clinical trials, and evidence-based medicine, starting from a logical consideration of cause and effect. The author's approach to the issues of study design, selection of subjects, bias, confounding, and the place of statistical methods has been praised for its clarity and interest. Systematic reviews, meta-analysis, and the applications of this logic to evidence-based medicine, knowledge-based health care, and health practice and policy are discussed. Current and often controversial examples are used, including screening for prostate cancer, publication bias in psychiatry, public health issues in developing countries, and conflicts between observational studies and randomized trials. Statistical issues are explained clearly without complex mathematics, and the most useful methods are summarized in the appendix. The final chapters give six applications of the critical appraisal of major studies: randomized trials of medical treatment and prevention, a prospective and a retrospective cohort study, a small matched case-control study, and a large case-control study. In these chapters, sections of the original papers are reproduced and the original studies placed in context by a summary of current developments.

Download or read book Musculoskeletal Disorders and the Workplace written by Institute of Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2001-05-24 with total page 510 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Every year workers' low-back, hand, and arm problems lead to time away from jobs and reduce the nation's economic productivity. The connection of these problems to workplace activities-from carrying boxes to lifting patients to pounding computer keyboards-is the subject of major disagreements among workers, employers, advocacy groups, and researchers. Musculoskeletal Disorders and the Workplace examines the scientific basis for connecting musculoskeletal disorders with the workplace, considering people, job tasks, and work environments. A multidisciplinary panel draws conclusions about the likelihood of causal links and the effectiveness of various intervention strategies. The panel also offers recommendations for what actions can be considered on the basis of current information and for closing information gaps. This book presents the latest information on the prevalence, incidence, and costs of musculoskeletal disorders and identifies factors that influence injury reporting. It reviews the broad scope of evidence: epidemiological studies of physical and psychosocial variables, basic biology, biomechanics, and physical and behavioral responses to stress. Given the magnitude of the problem-approximately 1 million people miss some work each year-and the current trends in workplace practices, this volume will be a must for advocates for workplace health, policy makers, employers, employees, medical professionals, engineers, lawyers, and labor officials.

Download or read book Methods in Social Epidemiology written by J. Michael Oakes and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2006-05-11 with total page 507 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Social epidemiology is the study of how social interactions—social norms, laws, institutions, conventia, social conditions and behavior—affect the health of populations. This practical, comprehensive introduction to methods in social epidemiology is written by experts in the field. It is perfectly timed for the growth in interest among those in public health, community health, preventive medicine, sociology, political science, social work, and other areas of social research. Topics covered are: Introduction: Advancing Methods in Social Epidemiology The History of Methods of Social Epidemilogy to 1965 Indicators of Socioeconomic Position Measuring and Analyzing 'Race' Racism and Racial Discrimination Measuring Poverty Measuring Health Inequalities A Conceptual Framework for Measuring Segregation and its Association with Population Outcomes Measures of Residential Community Contexts Using Census Data to Approximate Neighborhood Effects Community-based Participatory Research: Rationale and Relevance for Social Epidemiology Network Methods in Social Epidemiology Identifying Social Interactions: A Review, Multilevel Studies Experimental Social Epidemiology: Controlled Community Trials Propensity Score Matching Methods for Social Epidemiology Natural Experiments and Instrumental Variable Analyses in Social Epidemiology and Using Causal Diagrams to Understand Common Problems in Social Epidemiology. "Publication of this highly informative textbook clearly reflects the coming of age of many social epidemiology methods, the importance of which rests on their potential contribution to significantly improving the effectiveness of the population-based approach to prevention. This book should be of great interest not only to more advanced epidemiology students but also to epidemiologists in general, particularly those concerned with health policy and the translation of epidemiologic findings into public health practice. The cause of achieving a ‘more complete’ epidemiology envisaged by the editors has been significantly advanced by this excellent textbook." —Moyses Szklo, professor of epidemiology and editor-in-chief, American Journal of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins University "Social epidemiology is a comparatively new field of inquiry that seeks to describe and explain the social and geographic distribution of health and of the determinants of health. This book considers the major methodological challenges facing this important field. Its chapters, written by experts in a variety of disciplines, are most often authoritative, typically provocative, and often debatable, but always worth reading." —Stephen W. Raudenbush, Lewis-Sebring Distinguished Service Professor, Department of Sociology, University of Chicago "The roadmap for a new generation of social epidemiologists. The publication of this treatise is a significant event in the history of the discipline." —Ichiro Kawachi, professor of social epidemiology, Department of Society, Human Development, and Health, Harvard University "Methods in Social Epidemiology not only illuminates the difficult questions that future generations of social epidemiologists must ask, it also identifies the paths they must boldly travel in the pursuit of answers, if this exciting interdisciplinary science is to realize its full potential. This beautifully edited volume appears at just the right moment to exert a profound influence on the field." —Sherman A. James, Susan B. King Professor of Public Policy Studies, professor of Community and Family Medicine, professor of African-American Studies, Duke University

Download or read book Research Methods in Occupational Epidemiology written by Harvey Checkoway and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 1989-05-25 with total page 366 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Occupational epidemiology has emerged as a distinct subdiscipline of epidemiology and occupational medicine, addressing fundamental public health and scientific questions relating to the specification of exposure-response relationships, assessment of the adequacy of occupational exposure guidelines, and extrapolation of hazardous effects to other settings. This book reviews the wide range of principles and methods used in epidemiologic studies of working populations. It describes the historical development of occupational epidemiology, the approaches to characterizing workplace exposures, and the methods for designing and implementing epidemiologic studies. The relative strengths and limitations of different study designs are emphasized. Also included are more advanced discussions of statistical analysis, the estimation of doses to biological targets, and applications of the data derived from occupational epidemiology studies to disease modeling and risk assessment. The volume will serve both as a textbook in epidemiology and occupational medicine courses and as a practical handbook for the design, implementation, and interpretation of research in this field.

Download or read book Environmental Epidemiology Volume 1 written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 1991-01-01 with total page 297 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The amount of hazardous waste in the United States has been estimated at 275 million metric tons in licensed sites alone. Is the health of Americans at risk from exposure to this toxic material? This volume, the first of several on environmental epidemiology, reviews the available evidence and makes recommendations for filling gaps in data and improving health assessments. The book explores: Whether researchers can infer health hazards from available data. The results of substantial state and federal programs on hazardous waste dangers. The book presents the results of studies of hazardous wastes in the air, water, soil, and food and examines the potential of biological markers in health risk assessment. The data and recommendations in this volume will be of immediate use to toxicologists, environmental health professionals, epidemiologists, and other biologists.

Download or read book Epidemiology of Occupational Health written by Martti Juhani Karvonen and published by . This book was released on 1986 with total page 408 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The present manual tries to respond to the specific needs of occupa- tional health epidemiology. Rather than a comprehensive review of the subject, the book presents a series of articles. The first four chap- ters deal with general principles and definitions in occupational epi demioligy and describe the work-related hazards and diseases. Chapter 5,6 and 7 deal with information collection and the use of data in the assessment of health risks and in descriptive epidemiology. General methods for epidemiological studies are discussed. The following chap ters address specific aspects such as the study of combined effects, the statistical analysis of epidemiological data, the validity as- pects of epidemiological studies, including consideration on the pro- blems of 'false positive' and 'false negative' results and the basis for causality judgment or the particular interest of experimental epi demiology in occupational health. Chapters cover two special issues of importance to workers' health, namely occupational stress and the epidemiology of accidents.

Download or read book Oxford Textbook of Global Public Health written by Roger Detels and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2017 with total page 1717 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Sixth edition of the hugely successful, internationally recognised textbook on global public health and epidemiology, with 3 volumes comprehensively covering the scope, methods, and practice of the discipline

Download or read book Analysis of Cancer Risks in Populations Near Nuclear Facilities written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2012-06-29 with total page 424 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the late 1980s, the National Cancer Institute initiated an investigation of cancer risks in populations near 52 commercial nuclear power plants and 10 Department of Energy nuclear facilities (including research and nuclear weapons production facilities and one reprocessing plant) in the United States. The results of the NCI investigation were used a primary resource for communicating with the public about the cancer risks near the nuclear facilities. However, this study is now over 20 years old. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission requested that the National Academy of Sciences provide an updated assessment of cancer risks in populations near USNRC-licensed nuclear facilities that utilize or process uranium for the production of electricity. Analysis of Cancer Risks in Populations near Nuclear Facilities: Phase 1 focuses on identifying scientifically sound approaches for carrying out an assessment of cancer risks associated with living near a nuclear facility, judgments about the strengths and weaknesses of various statistical power, ability to assess potential confounding factors, possible biases, and required effort. The results from this Phase 1 study will be used to inform the design of cancer risk assessment, which will be carried out in Phase 2. This report is beneficial for the general public, communities near nuclear facilities, stakeholders, healthcare providers, policy makers, state and local officials, community leaders, and the media.

Download or read book Epidemiology written by Kenneth J. Rothman and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2012-06-21 with total page 281 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The second edition of this essential introduction to epidemiology presents the core concepts in a unified approach that aims to cut through the fog and elucidate the fundamental concepts.