Epidemiology of Childhood Diseases

Catalog description

GR This seminar will provide an overview of the epidemiology of selected conditions and diseases affecting children as well as demonstrate the childhood origins of some adult chronic disease. For most of these conditions, information about the pattern of occurrence, data about risk factors and effectiveness of various preventive or therapeutic interventions will be discussed. Public use sources of information such as the National Health and Examination Survey (NHANES), National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS), CDC “Pink Book”, Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative (CAHMI) and Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) will be introduced and discussed. Additionally, some of the unique and challenging aspects of research in pediatric epidemiology such as issues of childhood growth and development, maternal (intrauterine) origins of disease and parental role in disease diagnosis and treatment will be introduced. In the last weeks of course students will be asked to synthesize the information presented in the course by identifying, presenting and evaluating the available epidemiological information on a childhood disease or condition of their choice.