181767 Study Design: Implications for Interpreting Data

Sunday, October 26, 2008: 3:15 PM

JoLynn P. Montgomery, MPH, PhD , Office of Public Health Practice, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI
Participants will be introduced to the concept of study design and the implications study design has for how data are interpreted. The instructor will introduce the most common types of studies, including experimental, cohort, case-control, cross-sectional, and ecological studies) and lead a discussion incorporating examples, appropriate measures of association, strengths, and weaknesses of each. In small groups, participants will be provided with abstracts from the peer-reviewed literature and asked to describe the type of study used, the reasons this type of design was employed, and how the design might impact the study results.

Learning Objectives:
Discuss strengths and weaknesses of various study designs, including experimental, cohort, case-control, cross-sectional, and ecological studies Describe appropriate measures of association for each type of study design Identify specific study designs used in the health-related literature

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: Dr. Montgomery holds a PhD in epidemiology from the University of Michigan and an MPH in International Health from Tulane University. After nine years working at the Michigan Department of Community Health, she is a research investigator in the department of epidemiology at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. Her primary focus is on applied epidemiology and public health practice with specialization in control of communicable diseases, disease surveillance systems, data security, and public health emergency preparedness and response. She serves as Director for the Michigan Center for Public Health Preparedness, training state and local health department staff in epidemiology and disease surveillance.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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