| Title: |
Evidence for public health responses: Statistical Methods in Epidemiology (SME) |
| Keywords: |
Evidence based medicine
Epidemiology
Statistics
Research
Qualitative methods
|
| Country: |
Netherlands
|
| Institution: |
The Netherlands - Royal Tropical Institute (KIT), Amsterdam
|
| Course coordinator: |
Dr Sandra Alba
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| Date start: |
2025-04-14 |
| Date end: |
2025-05-01 |
| About duration and dates: |
Duration is 2,5 weeks. Application deadline is 2 months before the start date of the course. If space is available and no visa required, students can apply until 4 weeks prior to the first course day. |
| Classification: |
advanced optional
|
| Mode of delivery: |
Face to face
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Course location:
KIT Institute
PO Box 95001, 1090 HA Amsterdam
The Netherlands
Tel: +31-20-5688256
Website: www.kit.nl
tropEd representative: L. Gerstel (l.gerstel@kit.nl) |
|
| ECTS credit points: |
3 ECTS credits
|
SIT:
Student Investment Hours: 84 hours
Contact hours:
Plenary classroom sessions (12*3hrs): 36 hrs
Preparation for class (12*1hrs): 12 hrs
Flipped classroom + group presentation: 4 hrs;
Practicals and tutorials (5*3hrs): 15 hrs
Assignment: 17 hrs |
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| Language: |
English
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Description:
By then end of the module participants will be able to:
1. Formulate research questions for epidemiological field surveys based on stakeholder information needs; critically appraise protocols, data analysis plans, and field manuals to ensure comprehensive planning and execution
2. Calculate appropriate sample sizes and select sampling methods to ensure the statistical precision and representativeness of survey data in public health research
3. Analyze complex survey data using relevant statistical techniques such as clustering and weighting
4. Apply linear and logistic regression techniques in Stata to conduct simple and multiple regression analyses, and construct multivariable models based on epidemiologically sound conceptual frameworks
5. Appraise epidemiological evidence to inform the development or re-design of a public health intervention |
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Assessment Procedures:
Individual self-paced assignment. Students have to answer a set of questions based on analysis and interpretation of a real DHS (openly available datasets available (here) (or MICS dataset) from a country of their choice.
The course co-ordinator will define the research question and identify the primary outcome variable for all student assignments and will propose a conceptual framework.
A tutorial will be organised to guide students in selecting and downloading their data and to ensure that no two students are working on the same dataset.
The assignment will be scored on a scale from 0-10. Six is a pass mark. A resit opportunity is provided within 6 weeks after the results are shared.
An exam feedback meeting (distance based) will be organised in the week after the results are released. |
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Content:
● Fundamentals of good epidemiological practice
● Planning epidemiological field survey
● Research questions, protocol development, data analysis plan, field manual
● Sample size calculations and sampling methods
● Analysis of complex survey data: clustering and weighting
● Linear and logistic regression in Stata and building multivariable models |
|
Methods:
Throughout the course, all sessions will be embedded within a practical case study conducted to advise programme managers or policy-makers on a given public health topic (e.g. mother and child health, infectious disease control, etc). As such sessions will follow chronologically the conduct of an epidemiological survey according to the six steps of the conduct of an epidemiological study: preparation, protocol development, data collection, data management, data analysis, reporting. The course will have a strong focus on the emerging themes of good epidemiological practice within the broader debate of reproducibility crisis in science and issues surrounding research equity/fairness in global health
Sessions will include classroom activities and practicals/tutorials in Week 1 and Week 2 and self-paced assignment in Week 3 (2 days):
● Plenary classroom sessions: covering all content mentioned in Section 14
● Preparation for class: students will be given preparatory reading for each session
● Flipped classroom + group presentation: Content on fundamentals of good epidemiological practice will be presented by groups of students to the other students.
● Practicals (4*3hrs): Students will practice the application of analytical methods during guided practicals. This will consist of session where students are provided a situation or dataset to analyse with guided questions. Students can chose to work individually or in groups during practicals. A facilitator will walk around in the class and ensure that students are making progress and support where needed.
● Tutorial (1*3hrs): This tutorial is focused on troubleshooting student for the assignment, ensuring that the expectations are clear and that they are able to download the DHS/MICS dataset and identify the outcome variable etc.
● Assignment: See Section 13.
All study material including preparatory reading will be shared via the KIT online learning platform (Virtual Grounds). |
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Prerequisites:
● Bachelor’s degree or equivalent academic training in either medicine or another field related to health care, such as health sciences, health economics, social sciences, or nursing
● Successfully completed a TropEd core course or a statistics and epidemiology course covering measures of association in public health (odds and risk ratios), statistical inference (chi-square ant t-tests), confidence intervals, Type I and Type II errors.
● A minimum of three years of health-related work experience in health systems, not limited to (organisation of) individual patient care
● English proficiency at the level of TOEFL 5.5 or IELTS 6.5 (certificate is not required)
● Computer and internet literacy; the participant should be able to use a computer access to wifi networks, and working-level understanding of Microsoft Office software (e.g. Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and Adobe (PDF). Students will be introduced to the e-learning platform.No knowledge of Stata is required
● Participants should bring their own computer that allows them to install Stata. A free 1-month Stata licence will be provided for the course |
|
Attendance:
● Maximum number of students: 25
● Maximum number of tropEd students: 4
● Minimum number of students 12 |
|
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Selection:
Places will be allocated on a ’first come first served’ basis |
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Fees:
€ 1,980 (tropEd € 1,782)
€ 1,584 (early bird, when you pay more than 3 months before the course starts) |
|
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Scholarships:
There are no current specific scholarships for this course, for latest updates see |
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tropEd accreditation:
Accredited June 2024, Cuernavaca. Accreditation is valid until June 2029 |
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Remarks:
Epidemiology is the cornerstone of global health. It shapes policy decisions and evidence-based practice by identifying disease risk factors and preventive healthcare targets. This course aims to provide students with the skills and knowledge needed to critically appraise epidemiological practice in global health, as a basis for sound decision making. The course will have a strong focus on the emerging themes of good epidemiological practice within the broader debate of reproducibility crisis in science and issues surrounding research equity/fairness in global health
Recommended reading will include:
1. Alba S, Verdonck K, Lenglet A, et al. Bridging research integrity and global health epidemiology (BRIDGE) statement: guidelines for good epidemiological practice. BMJ Global Health 2020;5:e003236.
2. von Elm E, Altman DG, Egger M, Pocock SJ, Gøtzsche PC, Vandenbroucke JP; STROBE Initiative. Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) statement: guidelines for reporting observational studies. BMJ. 2007 Oct 20;335(7624):806-8.
3. 2016 CIOMS International ethical guidelines for health-related research involving humans |
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| Email Address: |
s.alba@kit.nl |
| Date Of Record Creation: |
2024-07-10 04:20:25 (W3C-DTF) |
| Date Of Record Release: |
2024-07-10 09:36:31 (W3C-DTF) |
| Date Record Checked: |
2024-07-10 (W3C-DTF) |
| Date Last Modified: |
2024-07-10 09:36:31 (W3C-DTF) |
