Lecture 1 (Sept 6) Flashcards
Research
Activities designed to develop or contribute to generalizable knowledge; i.e., theories, principles, relationships, or the information on which these are
based, that can be confirmed or refuted by recognized methods of
observation, experiment, and inference (Porta, 2018)
Health Research
Philosophical: An all-encompassing term that some engaged in it prefer to use (rather than medical or biomedical research) to describe all forms of biological, behavioral, and/or social science research on all aspects of human health and
disease (Porta, 2018).
Applied: The process of systematically investigating a single, well-defined aspect of physical, mental, or social wellbeing (textbook, page 1)
*Porta & Last (2018). A Dictionary of Public Health (2 ed.)
process single
Epidemiology
is the branch of public health that focuses on studying the distribution, patterns, and causes of diseases, health conditions, and events in populations. It aims to understand how diseases spread, who is at risk, and what factors contribute to health outcomes.
(Epi)-demos-logos
Greek meaning upon
Epi-(demos)-logos
People
Logos
Study
Biostatistics
The application of statistics to biological and medical problems. This is one of the basic sciences of public health, applied in the analysis of vital and health statistics and in the use of statistical tests for associations, correlation, significance levels, etc., in
epidemiology, toxicology, environmental health sciences, and all other public health
sciences (Porta, 2018).
Health:
“a state of complete physical, mental, and social wellbeing, and not merely
the absence of disease or infirmity” (WHO)
➢ Happens because of (risk or preventive) factors
Determinants of health:
The biological, behavioral, social, environmental, political,
and other factors that influence the health status of individuals and populations
Determine defines as
> To cause, affect, or control
To give direction or tendency to
To impel
Health research:
The investigation of health and disease or any of the factors that contribute to the presence or absence of physical, mental, and social health among individuals, families, communities, nations, or the world population
➢ To understand what determines the health
Types of Health Research
> Clinical research
Population health research
Biological (basic medical) research
Clinical research
Evaluates the best ways to prevent, diagnose, and treat
adverse health issues that adversely affect individuals and families
➢ Medicine: the practice of preventing, diagnosing, and treating health problems in individuals and
families
Medicine:
The practice of preventing, diagnosing, and treating health problems in individuals and
families
Population health research
focuses on the health outcomes and the
determinants of health in groups of humans (populations)
Public health: the actions taken to promote health and prevent illnesses, injuries, and early
deaths at the population level
Public Health
The actions taken to promote health and prevent illnesses, injuries, and early
deaths at the population level
Biological (basic medical) research
Looks at changes at human cellular level that can be
related to the health outcomes
Identify the ‘Type’ of Health Research
1. Exploring whether IL-6 selectively stimulates fat metabolism in human skeletal muscle
Biological
Identify the ‘Type’ of Health Research
2. Evaluating the impact of sarcopenia on physical disability in older men and women
Clinical Research
Identify the ‘Type’ of Health Research
- Urban sprawl in London and its association with obesity
Population Health Research
Identify the ‘Type’ of Health Research
- Measurement of the net protein synthesis in human muscle after oral administration of amino
acids
> Biological ( basic medical) research
Clinical
Identify the ‘Type’ of Health Research
- Assessment of the efficacy of Statins in treating abnormal LDL-cholesterol in stroke patients
Clinical Research
Identify the ‘Type’ of Health Research
- Evaluating whether depression in one parent is associated with risk of suicide ideation in
adolescents
Population Health Research
The Research Process
Research is the process of systematically and carefully investigating a subject
in order to discover new insights about the world
The Five Steps of the Research Process
- Identify a study question
- Select a general study approach
- Design the study and collect data
- Analyze data
- Write and share a report about the findings
A More Comprehensive Research Process
- Research Question
- Generate Hypothesis
- Collect data
- Analyze Data
- Interpret findings
- Communicate
Standard of Health Research: PICOT
➢What is the Patient (or Population) group and Problem that will be studied?
➢What is the Intervention that will be tested?
➢What will the intervention be Compared to? What is the Control group?
➢What is the Outcome of interest?
➢What is the Timeframe for follow-up?
If thought carefully can generate evidence and used for interventions
What Makes a Question a Good Research Question?
1) A real question
2) Testable
3) Generalizable
4) Purposeful
A real question
Value statement like “mental health is important” or “tobacco use is bad” are not useful for framing
research projects
A research plan should not be formulated based on a predetermined call to action like “people should
exercise more” or “first aid should be a mandatory part of the middle school curriculum”
Testable
Can be answered using currently developed health research methods
Generalizable
Research findings must be applicable to beyond the study population, in order to advance science
Purposeful
Designed to answer one well-defined and specific research question
Refining the Study Question
- What is the one well-defined research question that the study will
answer? - What specific aims, objectives, or hypotheses will enable the key
question to be answered? - Would a conceptual framework be helpful for guiding the design,
analysis, and interpretation of the study and its results? - Is the proposed study feasible?
Study Goal
The single overarching objective of a research project or the main question that
a research project seeks to answer
In Conceptualization of the Study Goal
Consider…
- What is the one key question that this study will answer?
- What is already known about the research topic? What is the gap or limitation in knowledge that needs to be addressed?
- What is the significance of the problem that the study will
address? - What will be innovative about the research project? How will the study resolve the current gap or limitation in knowledge?
- What is the likely impact of this research project? If the study is successful, how will it help advance health in relevant populations?
Specific Objectives
Carefully described action that will help the researcher make progress toward achieving the big-picture goal
The enumerated items should take the form of a question or a “to” statement that uses an
action verb, like “to measure” or “to compare”
Most studies in the health sciences have two to four ___________ ______, with three the most typical
number
specific aims
For experimental studies, the specific aims
may take the form of hypotheses that will be
tested
Sequential Objective:
Chronological list of actions that will achieve the main goal
Independent Objective:
Related but independent objectives. When one objective is not achieved, it will not
prevent successfully completion of the other objectives
The characteristics of a good specific objective can be summarized
using the acronym
➢Specific
➢Measurable
➢Attainable (or Achievable)
➢Relevant (or Realistic)
➢Timely (or Time-bound)
Theoretical framework:
A set of established models in the published literature that can inform the components and flows of the conceptual framework for a new research study
We use models in health research
➢ To organize our thoughts
➢ To explore determinant/health relationships in a systematic manner
➢ As a guide for analysis
➢ To identify ‘modifiable’ factors for intervention
Lalonde’s Model
Title: A New Perspective on the Health of Canadians.
Considered to be first modern government doc in Western
context to propose the health field look beyond the
biomedical health care system.
Proposed health field = human biology + environment +
lifestyle + health care organization
