For this assignment, you must identify a public health issue to tackle or address. You will be required to research the current and relevant data and statistics about your selected public health problem or issue.
Ask yourself what you would like to improve.
The review will be a two-page narrative (definitely no more than 5 pages), work for conciseness. Reference and in paper citations should be formatted in APA style.
You are encouraged to review published journal articles to identify components of a proper literature review/introduction for your public health advocacy plan. This EPI Review serves as an introduction to the health problem that you will address.
Epidemiological Review
Writing your literature review
Dr. Hayes
Learning
Objectives
• Introduction to the Epidemiological Review
• Define important terms
• Discuss the epidemiological assessment
• Discuss other assessments
• Explain statistics and vital statistics
• Identify data and information sources
• Discuss the presentation of assessment
• Establish the importance of your issue.
Epidemiological Review
• Epidemiological review is the process of identifying and understanding
your problem.
• Epidemiology is used to perform public health’s assessments.
• Epidemiology is the study of patterns of disease occurrence in human
populations and the factors that influence the patterns.
• Epidemiology review is important in Public Health Communications
because it consists of the data, statistics and facts that explain what is
happening in the area of interest (i.e. Elderly long‐term care, COVID‐19
testing, Dementia or health insurance).
• Conducting such a review of the health environment is a part of identifying
the broad problem(s) that need to be addressed.
Important
Epidemiological
Terms
• Disease or health outcome = what’s being studied
• Frequency = count of the number of cases; 2 types are
incidence & prevalence
• Incidence = the rate of new cases of a disease in a
defined population over a defined period of time (i.e.
information typically reported to your local state health
department)
• Prevalence = total number of cases existing in a defined
population at a specific time.
• A disease can have high incidence but low
prevalence, if people recover quickly.
• Distribution = comprised of answers to the who, when
and where the disease or health outcome is found
• Population at risk = who are those that are most affected
or face the greatest risk (i.e., lung cancer among lifelong
smokers)
• Rate = number of cases related to the size of the
population; raw numbers
Important
Epidemiological
Terms
• Death rates or mortality rates = incidence of
death due to the condition or outcome; used as
a measure of frequency for fatalities. Generally
expressed as number of deaths per 1,000
individuals.
• Determinants = factors impacting the disease
or outcome; such as one’s diet is increasing the
amount of sugar intake and increasing the risk
of onset diabetes.
• Life expectancy = the average number of years
of life remaining for a person of a particular
age.
• Premature mortality = is years of potential life
lost (YPLL).
• Human populations = the participants, subjects
and volunteers for studies.
Epidemiological Assessment
Importantly, in the writing you will establish what is the health issue?
• Heart disease, HIV, COVID‐19, Diabetes, Obesity or more..
You will need to do this through an assessment that uses the terms presented to
explain the epidemiological environment surrounding your public health issue.
Next, you will want demonstrate your knowledge of the following:
WHO
WHEN
WHERE
WHO?
• Who ? = characterize the affected (disease, exposure,
treatment, service, etc.) individuals by such factors as
age, sex, race and economic status.
• For example, the incidences of cancer and heart disease
are greater in the elderly; Young people have a
mortality rate from measles that is two times higher
than other groups.
WHEN?
• When? = involves the tracking of the disease and infectious outbreak.
• To address the “when”, must look for trends in disease frequency
over time;
• Is the incidence increasing, decreasing or remaining stable?
• An epidemic curve is often created to show the number of cases
appearances over a given span of time.
• The point of most of the exposure at the given time, point of
origination.
• Failing to monitor or identify these trends can lead to a “Pandemic”.
Where?
• Where? = looks at the specific locations, countries, states, counties and other
geographical areas where the disease exists or originated.
• A term that you may have been hearing lately
• HOTSPOTS (areas of the state in which the COVID‐19 disease is increasing).
• i.e., Forrest and Hinds counties
• The most people at a given time in the same location. Origination point.
• Wuhan, China
Statistics
• Vital part of public health assessment
function
• Statistics is used to identify special risk
groups, to detect new health threats, to
plan public health program and evaluate
their success and prepare government
budgets.
• Raw material for research on
epidemiology, environmental health,
social and behavioral health and for the
health care system.
• National Center for Health Statistics,
federal agency responsible
Vital
Statistics
• Vital statistics such as births and deaths are the
most basic, reliable and complete data
collected.
• State and local health departments is
generally responsible for collecting these
reports and transmitting the to the National
Center for Health Statistics
• The Census is data collected through the vital
statistics system and converted for public
health purposes.
• Statistical data can be acquired through
primary (you collect the numbers yourself) or
secondary (analyze data from credible and
trusted sources that are available.
Other Types of Assessments
• Social = a wide variety of cultural traditions, health beliefs, and practices play a vital part
of how important a health issue becomes and how it will be communicated appropriately.
• Behavioral = characteristics and causes of actions and motives. Do actions suggest a
willingness to adhere or support the health issue.
• E.g., examining cults that practice female cutting or individuals that chew tobacco
• Inherent
• Educational = knowledge, attitudes, normative perceptions of an issue as well as the level
of formalized schooling. What type of information has been shared.
• Learned
• Administrative/Policy = examining the current laws and mandates regarding your issue.
Identifying the individuals who champion or fight the issue.
Finding the
Literature
• Reliable data can significantly improve your
assessments and help to validate the
importance of your health issue.
• Should read extensively on the problem area
that you have selected.
• Immerse yourself in the current findings.
• Look at academic journals (research articles).
• Reference credible sources such as the
CDC.gov or the USDHHS.gov, and other
trusted reports.
• Identify source for research, evidence‐based
information on a public health issue, e.g.
Pubmed.gov or Google Scholar
The Purpose of the Public Advocacy Plan
• The purpose of the public advocacy plan is to…
• Increase the number of senior care long‐term facilities reimbursements
under Medicare.
• Increase screening for COVID‐19 among young people in the justice system.
• The purpose needs to be clear about what you plan to accomplish.
• No one health issue or cause is more important than the next; unless, you
make the case for its importance. Do so with your statistics and data and
thorough representation of what the current environment is like pertaining
to your issue.
• This is completed through a brief to comprehensive assessment of the
epidemiological, social, behavioral, and administrative/policy assessments.
Summary
• Epidemiological review is the process of understanding the diverse environment
influence a particular health issue.
• Epidemiology review is important in Public Health Communications because it
consists of the data, statistics and facts that explain what is happening in the area
of interest (i.e. Elderly long‐term care, COVID‐19 testing, Dementia or health
insurance).
• Many terms are important and provide a view of the current disease or health
state.
• The summarization of the facts, data and statistics to address who, when and
where the disease is occurring should establish the importance and significance of
the health issue.
Assignment 2 –
Epidemiological
Literature
Review
Epidemiological Literature Review/Research
(100 pts.)
• For this assignment, you must identify a public
health issue to tackle or address. You will be
required to research the current and relevant data
and statistics about your selected public health
problem or issue.
• Ask yourself what would you like to improve.
• The review will be two pages maximum. Reference
and in paper citations should be formatted in APA
style.
• You are encouraged to review published journal
articles to identify components of a proper literature
review/introduction for your public health advocacy
plan. This EPI Review serves as an introduction to
the health problem that you will address.
References
Edberg, M. and Riegelman, R. (2015). Essentials of Health Behavior, Social
and Behavioral Theory in Public Health. 2nd edition. Jones and Bartlett
Learning. Burlington, MA.
Patten, M.L. (2010). Proposing Empirical Research: A Guide to the
Fundamentals. 4th edition. Pyrczak Publishing. California.
Schneider, M.J. (2014). Introduction to Public Health. 4th edition. Jones &
Barlett Learning. Burlington, MA.
Questions?
Traci.hayes@usm.edu
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