Epidemiology and Public Health

Not applicable

1st Strand Theory:

• a) Resorted to an expository-active methodology easily understood by the students.
• b) The exhibition will focus on the identification and understanding of the basic theoretical concepts of epidemiology and its relation to the areas of Public Health, Clinical and Environmental.
• c) Exposure of each method (drawing) and statistical technique (principles and algorithms) to the clinical / environmental reality.
• d) Presentation of clinical cases accompanied by interpretive theoretical models and practical exercises.

2nd Theoretical and practical Shed:

• a) Refers to an expository and demonstrative methodology of understanding accessible to students with presentation of cases and examples of epidemiological studies applied to the area of Environmental Health.

– The student should acquire knowledge:

• On the foundations of Public Health and Epidemiology as a branch of medical science integrated in an epidemiological Approach to the problems of health and disease. To know the basic and methodological principles of research in epidemiology with application to public health and clinical practice.

– The student should acquire the following skills:

• 1. Develop the study on morbidity and mortality phenomena and how to prevent the occurrence of certain factors responsible for these same phenomena.
• 2. It will also have the necessary conditions to assess the extent of the distribution of morbid phenomena in societies as well as to isolate the etiological factors of these in order to reduce or eradicate the disease; Provide an effective method, through organized health services, to combat disease or other type of events.
• 3. Lastly, the ability to apply statistical measures to assess the frequency and importance of the disease and its relation to disease surveillance.

– The student should acquire the following competences:

• 1. A relatively extensive overview of the subjects of epidemiology and scientific research, interrelating them and acquiring skills, both at the level of professional practice and at the level of scientific and epidemiological research.
• 2. The acquisition of these skills will allow a better understanding of public health at the level of etiology and disease prevention, health promotion (active agent in the promotion and development of health policies) and understanding of the social and organizational environments of populations.
• 3. This communion of knowledge and clinical practice (public health) will be based on an interdisciplinarity of knowledge integrated in epidemiology, statistics and information technologies.

Part I:

Public Health, concepts and foundations (Concept and definition of public health; Historical perspective of public health until today; Individual Health and Public Health; Public Health and Hygiene; Public Health and Preventive Medicine; Public Health and Social Medicine; Health Public and Community Medicine).

Epidemiology as a Science (introductory perspective); Epidemiology and Health Determinants (Types); Negative and Positive Health Outcomes; Epidemiological Research (molecular level; human tissue and organ level; population level; medical level). Classical Epidemiology (Hippocrates and other historical personalities in the development of Epidemiology) and Medical Epidemiology. Introduction to the stages of epidemiological investigation.

Part II:

Etiology and Natural History of Diseases; Prevention levels; Health and Disease (Mechanisms and Causes of Diseases; Triad: Host, Agent and Environment; Risk Factor) and Types of Causal Relationship (the determination of Cause and Effect) and common pitfalls in Causal Investigation; Introduction to Research Designs in Epidemiology: Observational Studies and Experimental Studies.

Part III:

Introduction to descriptive measures in Epidemiology: Rates, Ratios and Proportions (Statistical measures: Prevalence Rate; Period Prevalence Rate; Incidence Rate and Incidence Density; Attack Rate; Lethality Rate; General Rates; Specific Rates and Adjusted Rates); Measures of Association Risk (Relative Risk / Risk Ratio; Odds Ratio) and Impact (Attributable Risk; Proportional Attributable Risk).

Introduction to Diagnostic Statistical Measures (Sensitivity measures; Specificity; Predictive Values; Likelihood Ratio); ROC Curves and Prognosis (Bayes’ Theorem and other measurements).

NAO

1.º Bibliografia Primária

1. 1. Berkman, L.F.; Kawachi I. “Social Epidemiology”. 2.ª Edição, Oxford University Press, New York, 2014.

   2. Gordis, L. “Epidemiology”. 5.ª Edição, Elsevier, 2014.

   3. Haynes, R.B.; Sackett, D.L.; Guyatt, G.H.; Tugwell, P. “Epidemiologia Clínica – Como realizar pesquisa clínica na prática”. 3.ª Edição, Artmed: Porto Alegre, 2008

   4. Mausner, J., Bahn. “Introdução à Epidemiologia”. Lisboa: Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian; 1999.

   5. Szklo, M.; Nieto, J. Epidemiology, Beyond the Basics. 3.ª Edição, Jones and Bartlett Publishers. 2007.

   6. Woodward, M. Epidemiology: Study Design and Data Analysis, Third Edition (Chapman & Hall/CRC Texts in Statistical Science), CRC Press – A Chapman & Hall Book, 2013

2.º Bibliografia Secundária

1. 1. Cardoso, S.M. Notas Epidemiológicas. Faculdade de Medicina: Coimbra; 1998.

   2. Oliveira, A. G. “Bioestatística Descodificada: Bioestatística, Epidemiologia e Investigação”. 2.ª Ed., Lidel: Lisboa: 2014.

   3. Fronteira, I. Manual de Epidemiologia. Editor: Edições Almedina; Edição: outubro de 2018

   4. George, F. Saúde Pública em Portugal – Do século XIX ao novo Millennium até ao futuro. Editor: Edições Almedina; Edição: março de 2023

   5. Dias, S.; Gama, A. Introdução à Investigação Qualitativa em Saúde Pública. Editor: Edições Almedina; Edição: janeiro de 2019

   6. Greenberg, R.S.; Daniels, R.S.; Flanders, W.D.; Eley, J.W.; Boring, J.R. “Epidemiologia Clínica”. 3.ª Ed. Porto Alegre: Artmed; 2005.

   7. Jekel, J.F.; Katz, D.L; Elmore, J.G. “Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Preventive Medicine”. Third Edition, SAUNDES – Elsevier, Philadelphia, 2007.