Emily White, Bruce K. Armstrong, and Rodolfo Saracci
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- September 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780198509851
- eISBN:
- 9780191723827
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198509851.003.0001
- Subject:
- Public Health and Epidemiology, Public Health, Epidemiology
This chapter covers the initial steps in exposure measurement that should occur during the planning of an epidemiologic study of the relationship between an exposure (risk factor) and a disease (or ...
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This chapter covers the initial steps in exposure measurement that should occur during the planning of an epidemiologic study of the relationship between an exposure (risk factor) and a disease (or other outcome). This process should begin with conceptualizing the true exposure hypothesized to cause the disease. Key issues related to the true exposure include specifying the active agent and determining where in the exposure-disease biologic sequence to measure the exposure. Since the true exposure is often not measurable, the researcher needs to create an operational measure of exposure. This involves determining the appropriate exposure variable (e.g., cumulative dose of the active agent over some aetiologically important time period), the individual items that need to be collected, and the measurement instrument(s). The issues and terminology around defining the most appropriate dose representation and the most critical time window during which the exposure has the greatest effect on disease risk are discussed.Less
This chapter covers the initial steps in exposure measurement that should occur during the planning of an epidemiologic study of the relationship between an exposure (risk factor) and a disease (or other outcome). This process should begin with conceptualizing the true exposure hypothesized to cause the disease. Key issues related to the true exposure include specifying the active agent and determining where in the exposure-disease biologic sequence to measure the exposure. Since the true exposure is often not measurable, the researcher needs to create an operational measure of exposure. This involves determining the appropriate exposure variable (e.g., cumulative dose of the active agent over some aetiologically important time period), the individual items that need to be collected, and the measurement instrument(s). The issues and terminology around defining the most appropriate dose representation and the most critical time window during which the exposure has the greatest effect on disease risk are discussed.
Thomas D. Koepsell and Noel S. Weiss
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- September 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780195150780
- eISBN:
- 9780199865161
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195150780.003.0016
- Subject:
- Public Health and Epidemiology, Public Health, Epidemiology
For etiologic exposures of brief duration, such as eating food contaminated with the hepatitis A virus or being subjected to a single, intense dose of ionizing radiation, the induction period in a ...
More
For etiologic exposures of brief duration, such as eating food contaminated with the hepatitis A virus or being subjected to a single, intense dose of ionizing radiation, the induction period in a given sick person is the interval between receipt of the exposure and the first presence of the disease. The latent period is the time between the disease's first presence and its recognition. This chapter discusses induction periods and latent periods. The influence of the suspected induction/latent period on study design is considered. Exercises are provided at the end of the chapter.Less
For etiologic exposures of brief duration, such as eating food contaminated with the hepatitis A virus or being subjected to a single, intense dose of ionizing radiation, the induction period in a given sick person is the interval between receipt of the exposure and the first presence of the disease. The latent period is the time between the disease's first presence and its recognition. This chapter discusses induction periods and latent periods. The influence of the suspected induction/latent period on study design is considered. Exercises are provided at the end of the chapter.
