POPLHLTH 708 : Epidemiology

Medical and Health Sciences

2020 Semester Two (1205) (15 POINTS)

Course Prescription

Examines epidemiological study design, measures of effect, screening, appropriate statistics for epidemiology, with a focus on public health epidemiology.

Course Overview

The course covers the basic methods of quantitative epidemiological research and application of these epidemiological principles to the practice of public health. The course provides the conceptual basis for designing epidemiological studies and practical experience with analysing epidemiological data. It covers the measures of disease frequency, measures of effect including attributable risk, and the main observational and intervention study designs used in epidemiology. It gives students experience in designing an epidemiological study, including sample size calculation and analysing data with OpenEpi software, and introduces students to the concepts used in meta-analysis and logistic regression. The paper applies this knowledge to public health issues, including infectious disease and genetic epidemiology.

Course Requirements

No pre-requisites or restrictions

Capabilities Developed in this Course

Capability 1: Disciplinary Knowledge and Practice
Capability 2: Critical Thinking
Capability 3: Solution Seeking
Graduate Profile: Master of Public Health

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Apply epidemiological and biostatistical approaches to public health issues and to the measurement and monitoring of health status (Capability 1.3)
  2. Demonstrate the ability to critically apprise and synthesise evidence from epidemiological studies (Capability 2.1)
  3. Apply knowledge of epidemiological research methods to complex public health problems to influence public policy (Capability 3.1)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
Test 10% Individual Test
Test 10% Individual Test
Project 30% Individual Coursework
Final Exam 50% Individual Examination
Assessment Type Learning Outcome Addressed
1 2 3
Test
Test
Project
Final Exam
Policy on late assessments
It is very important to get your assessments in on time.
If you are not able to meet the deadline for submission you must notify the course coordinator/lecturer, BEFORE the due date/time to avoid penalties resulting from not having an approved extension.
If circumstances prevent a student making an application before the assessment due date/time, the Academic Director will consider and may approve an application for late submission.
The School of Population Health policy on late assessments is as follows:
Due dates for assessments are strictly observed.
Extensions will only be given in exceptional and unavoidable circumstances, and if approved by the course coordinator/lecturer BEFORE the assessment due date. Penalties will be imposed for extensions (see below).
Late assessments where an extension has not been given will be penalised as follows:
Up to 2 weeks (including weekend days) late - 5% off the assessment total mark for each day late e.g.
if an assessment is out of 40 and is 1 day late, then 2 marks (5% of 40) will be deducted from the grade achieved
if an assessment is out of 40 and is 5 days late, then 10 marks (25% of 40) will be deducted from the grade achieved
More than 14 days late – the assessment will NOT be graded

Learning Resources

Recommended Text book
  • Friis RH, Sellers TA. Epidemiology for public health practice, 5th edit. Boston: Jones & Bartlett, 2014.
Other books 
  • Szklo M, Nieto FJ. Epidemiology – beyond the basics. Gaithersburg: Aspen
  • Rothman KJ. Epidemiology – an introduction. Oxford: OUP, 2002
  • Hennekens CH, Buring JE. Epidemiology in medicine. Boston: Little Brown, 1987
  • Giesecke J. Modern infectious disease epidemiology. London: Arnold, 2002
  • Weiss KM. Genetic variation and human disease. Cambridge: Cambridge Uni Press, 1999

Course Contacts

Academic director
Professor Robert Scragg
Head, School of Population Health
Building 507  (Level 2)
Grafton Campus, University of Auckland  
Private Bag 92019, Auckland
Tel: (09) 373 7599 ext 86336 DDI: 9236336
Email: r.scragg@auckland.ac.nz
Co-lecturer
Associate Professor Roger Marshall
Epidemiology and Biostatistics
Building 507 (Level 1), Grafton Campus
School of Population Health , University of Auckland 
Ph +64 9 3737599 (x86363)
email: rj.marshall@auckland.ac.nz    
Course administrator
Indra Colambage Dona
Teaching Administration
Building 507 (Level 2), Grafton Campus
School of Population Health , University of Auckland
Tel: (09) 373 7599 ext 86994   DDI: 923 6994 
Email: i.dona@auckland.ac.nz

Workload Expectations

This course is a standard 15 point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in.

For this course, you can expect 24 hours of lectures,  8 hours of tutorial, 60 hours of reading and thinking about the content and 40 hours of work on assignments and/or test preparation.

Digital Resources

Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).

Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against online source material using computerised detection mechanisms.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website at http://disability.auckland.ac.nz

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.

If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page: https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.

This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Student Feedback

At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.

Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.

Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter (https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html).

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.

In this course you may be asked to submit your coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. The final decision on the completion mode for a test or examination, and remote invigilation arrangements where applicable, will be advised to students at least 10 days prior to the scheduled date of the assessment, or in the case of an examination when the examination timetable is published.

Published on 31/07/2020 08:27 a.m.