Epidemiology: Beyond the Basics

Epidemiology: Beyond the BasicsAuthors: SZKLO, Moyses, MD, DrPH (Johns Hopkins Univ. ) ; NIETO, F. Javier, MD, PhD (Johns Hopkins Univ. ) Bibliographic Data: (ISBN: 0–8342-0618–8, Aspen Publishers, Inc. , 2000, 55. 00) 495 pages, soft cover Audiences: Epidemiology Students, Epidemiologists Subjects: Epidemiology Other Info: The book contains black-and-white illustrations. DESCRIPTION: This text is a sophisticated treatment of the issues that arise and methods that are employed when epidemiologists seek to measure disease risk and to investigate the complex determinants of risk. PURPOSE: The purpose is to serve as an intermediate text, a bridge between the basics and the specialized texts that focus on specific methods or research designs. The real contribution is that the authors integrate and unify the treatment of these methods and their interpretation from the perspective of experienced epidemiologists, not merely data analysts. They present the full range of issues in this book in a way that is accessible to all, yet they avoid oversimplification. AUDIENCE: The audience for this gap-filling book is diverse, spanning the range from students enrolled in a second course in epidemiology, to practitioners who may use the book as a reference, to teachers of epidemiology. ASSESSMENT: Although this book is likely to be a standard addition to the library of most students and practitioners in the field of epidemiology, its clarity and richness of content make it attractive to any health professional. This book fills a unique niche and therefore has little direct competition. The books that overlap somewhat include Kahn and Sempos’s Statistical Methods in Epidemiology (Monographs in Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Vol. 12), (Oxford Univ. Press 1989) and Selvin’s Statistical Analysis of Epidemiologic Data (Monographs in Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Vol. 25) (Oxford Univ. Press, 1996). However, these are more descriptions of methods and thus lack the rich discussion of the role of these methods and the issues they address in the broader context of epidemiological reasoning. SCORE: Weighted Numerical Score: 91 - ****