METHODOLOGICAL STUDIES ON MEASUREMENT OF IMPACT

Question 1

AN IDEAL STUDY?

Answer 1

• REPRESENTATIVE POPULATION
• INTERVENTION VS ‘CONROL’ - KEEPING EVERYTHING ELSE THE SAME
• RANDOMISATION
• FOLLOW-UP FOR REASONABLE DURATION
• STANDARDISED MEASUREMENT AND RECORDING OF HEALTH OUTCOMES

–> ALL OF THIS INCLUDED IN RCTs

Question 2

CASE CONTROL VS COHORT

Answer 2

CASE CONTROL: DISEASE DATA AVAILABLE, SEEK TO UNDERSTAND THE EXPOSURE/WHETHER THERE WAS EXPOSURE, IS THERE A RISK FACTOR (OR) (E.G. 10 PEOPLE GOT ILL AT THE WEDDING, INVESTIGATE WHAT THEY ATE ETC…)

COHORT: RISK FACTOR/EXPOSURE DAT KNOWN, SEEK TO UNDERSTAND THE ILLNESS (RR), E.G., THERE WAS FLOODING IN A TOWN, CONTACT PEOPLE FROM BOTH FLOODED AND UNFLOODED AREAS TO INVESTIGATE WHETHER THEY GOT A DISEASE (E.G. GI INFECTION)

Question 3

Assessing impact of weather events is difficult

Answer 3

Population: should be representative
Exposure: hard to control magnitude of weather changes
Exposure: assumptions required to assess individual exposure
Control: difficult to identify comparators
Outcomes: need to assess accurately and completely
Need to account for other factors influencing health outcomes