Catatan

This major re-write of Epidemiology Kept Simple was pursued with the following
objectives in mind:

● To address the American Schools of Public Health (ASPH) Epidemiology Compe-
tenciesa in the first dozen chapters of the book.

● To introduce epidemiologic measures early in the book’s progression so that they
can be used throughout.
● To devote full chapters to the following topics: Descriptive Epidemiology
(Chapter 4), Epidemiologic Study Design (Chapter 5), Experimental Studies
(Chapter 6), Observational Cohort Studies (Chapter 7), and Case–control Studies
(Chapter 8).
● To provide more frequent Illustrative Examples.
● To provide additional exercises and review questions to help students learn the
material.

● To extend the section on epidemiologic history (Section 1.3) to address develop-
ments in the first half of the 20th century.

The ASPH Epidemiology Competencies alluded to in the first bullet are: ‘‘Upon
graduation a student with an MPH (Master of Public Health) should be able to:
1 Explain the importance of epidemiology for informing scientific, ethical, economic,
and political discussion of health issues.
2 Describe a public health problem in terms of magnitude, person, time, and place.
3 Apply the basic terminology and definitions of epidemiology.
4 Identify key sources of data for epidemiologic purposes.
5 Calculate basic epidemiology measures.
6 Evaluate the strengths and limitations of epidemiologic reports.
7 Draw appropriate inferences from epidemiologic data.
8 Communicate epidemiologic information to lay and professional audiences.

9 Comprehend basic ethical and legal principles pertaining to the collection, main-
tenance, use, and dissemination of epidemiologic data.

10 Identify the principles and limitations of public health screening programs.

This list provides a framework for approaching the instruction of introductory epi-
demiology to MPH students and, in my opinion, to undergraduates as well.b Most of

these Competencies draw from several areas of epidemiology. For example, Compe-
tency 1 (Explain the importance of epidemiology for ...) requires an understanding