PDQ Epidemiology will help to fill the considerable gap between the exact findings of the laboratory and the uncertain world of clinical medicine. By translating the terminology of epidemiology into easy-to-understand language, the underlying scientific methods begin to emerge and make sense. The third edition reflects the maturation of the field, which now encompasses much more than the 'randomized, controlled trial.' New sections explain techniques that have been introduced into the field since the previous edition, the section on RCT has been expanded and updated examples have been incorporated. The section on measurement has also been brought into line with newer thinking on reliability and validity. Featuring unique examples titled Circular Reasoning and Anti-intellectual Pomposity Detectors (CRAP Detectors), the text helps the reader identify studies with basic flaws in design or reasoning.

The third edition of PDQ Statistics provides an overview of all major statistical methods, giving the reader a good understanding of statistics and how they are used in research articles. It covers the major categories – variable and descriptive statistics, parametric statistics, non-parametric statistics, and multivariate statistics. The explanations are clear, succinct, and loaded with practical examples.

Clearly - and often humorously - written, PDQ Public Health defines public health and covers the basic concepts of public health policy, including its history, local to international structure, and role in protecting human health. Concise, yet comprehensive, PDQ Public Health educates the reader in the history and evolution of the concepts and practices of public health on local, national, and international scales. Key concepts, such as communicable diseases, vectors, hosts, and environments, are defined; and how they and other factors interact to influence public health issues is described. The statistical tools that are used to determine risk and describe the interactions contributing to community health are presented. The authors also address the impact of population mobility, economic factors, government (law), and ethics, on the practice of public health. This is all done in an engaging style that aids the reader's comprehension of this complex subject.

Comprehensive in its coverage and suitable for graduate or upper-division undergraduate students in a wide range of health-related disciplines, this latest offering by William A. Oleckno is a full-scale, pedagogically rich introduction to fundamental ideas and procedures in epidemiology. The text covers the major concepts, principles, methods, and applications of both conventional and modern epidemiology using clear language and frequent examples to illustrate important points and facilitate understanding. While Oleckno provides thorough treatment of the more customary aspects of conventional and modern epidemiology, he also introduces several important design and analytical issues that are only rarely approached in fundamental epidemiology textbooks. Concepts as diverse as competing risks, maturation, futility, and the prevalence and bias effects in the context of screening are just a few examples of the broad range of concepts covered in this text. A comprehensive glossary contains detailed definitions of over 700 terms used throughout the 14 chapters comprising the textbook. Aspiring public health professionals will appreciate the solid basis they gain from Epidemiology: Concepts and Methods and will want to keep a copy close by as a valuable reference throughout their careers.

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.

This text is an easy-to-understand, application-oriented guidebook for learning the basic principles of epidemiologic investigation. Numerous opportunities are presented to apply and test learning through problems and application exercises. Answers are provided.

Accompanying small-format CD-ROM includes the entire text of the book and illustrations in searchable PDF format.