Research Methods in Community Medicine (eBook)

J.H. Abramson, Emeritus Professor of Social Medicine, The Hebrew University-Hadassah School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Jerusalem. Author of five previous editions of the formerly titled Survey Methods in Community Medicine and Making Sense of Data with OUP. Z.H. Abramson, Beit Hakerem Community Clinic (Clalit Health Services) and Department of Family Medicine, The Hebrew University-Hadassah School of Medicine, Jerusalem.

Preface vii

1. First steps 1

2. Types of investigation 13

3. Stages of an investigation 35

4. Formulating the objectives 39

5. The objectives of evaluative studies 49

6. The study population 61

7. Control groups 69

8. Sampling 77

9. Selecting cases and controls for case-control studies 91

10. The variables 101

11. Defining the variables 109

12. Definitions of diseases 117

13. Scales of measurement 125

14. Composite scales 133

15. Methods of collecting data 143

16. Reliability 151

17. Validity 161

18. Interviews and self-administered questionnaires 179

19. Constructing a questionnaire 193

20. Surveying the opinions of a panel: consensus methods 203

21. The use of documentary sources 209

22. Planning the records 225

23. Planning the handling of data 233

24. Pretests and other preparations 241

25. Collecting the data 247

26. Statistical analysis 251

27. Interpreting the findings 259

28. Making sense of associations 269

29. Application of the study findings 297

30. Writing a report 305

31. Rapid epidemiological methods 313

32. Clinical trials 325

33. Programme trials 345

34. Community-oriented primary care 357

35. Using the Web for health research 373

Appendix A Community appraisal: a checklist 383

Appendix B Random numbers 387

Appendix C Free computer programs 389

Index 407