EPIDEMIOLOGY and STATISTICS

Screening
Tests

Risk Reduction Statistics

  • the

Types of Study *Bias

  • note that errors can either be random or systematic
  • bias = systematic error
  • random error = type 1 and types 2 errors
    --> type 1 error = alpha = wrong rejection
    --> type 2 error = beta = wrong accepting of the null

*Recall Bias

  • common with interview style studies

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STATS

Standard Error

Notes:

  • note that sample error is inversely related to sample size

Case presentation:

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EPI Principles and Terms

Incidence

Incidence vs Prevalence

Notes:

  • this question simply tries to trick you on incidence vs prevalence
    -incidence tells you nothing about the amount of people in population currently who have the disease
  • prevalence = incidence x survival duration
    --> survival duration = 1 / fatality

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Health Promotion and Disease Prevention

Primary Health Prevention

  • no disease is currently present
  • but there are evident risks that you can counsel to lower
  • promotion of health

Secondary Health Prevention

  • disease could be present, but assymptomatic
  • mainly screening for cancer, blood, hypercholesteremia, etc.

Tertiary Health Prevention

  • disease is present and there are symptoms as well
  • trying to lower any extra symptoms
  • cure the disease or slow its progress

Pernicious Anemia Case

Notes:

  • note that health promotion is the main primary health prevention strategy because you can see very clear risks in a patient that you can cunsel them to lower
  • but there is no disease present yet and no symptoms
  • you are trying to lower disease later down the road

Clinical Case

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Types of Statistical Tests

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Types of *Studies

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Stats / EPI you should know off-hand

  • general cancer stats and risks

α = alpha , β = beta , Type 1 / 2 Errors

Type 2 Error = Beta
and Statistical Power

  • power = 1 - β
  • failure to detect a difference since the n number not big enough
  • this is not forgiveable since all need to do is find more people
    --> where alpha errors exist no matter what

Cancer Incidence
Women :

  • Incidence = breast, lung, colon
  • Mortality = lung, breast, colon

Men

  • Incidence = prostate, lung, colon
  • Mortality = lung, prostate, colon

note that lung is second for both in incidence, but switches for the sex cancer for mortality as the number 1

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Accumulation Risk Effect

  • for both risks and protective factors
  • some risk factors or protective factors take longer periods to give their risk
  • SMOKING for example accumulates over years and gets worse and worse with more use

Accumulation Risk Effect example

Notes:

  • accumulation effect simply means a risk or protection accumulates over time
  • this is not true for all risks
  • classic example is smoking
    --> reason why we take a pk year history since it has the accumulation effect
  • same true here for antioxidant use over a lifetime

Example:

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Negative and Positive Predictive Values

  • NPV and PPV

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Accumulative Incidence

Accumulative Incidence

Example:

Notes:

  • note that cummulative incidence is over a specified time period like a year in this example
  • it does NOT count the people in the population who already have the disease so you have to subtract them from the total population first
  • you don't subtract anything else, even deaths since these people may have gotten the disease in the time period

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*Attributable Risk

  • What percentage of risk can be attributed to smoking?
    --> attributed risk % = risk difference / (total risk RR)
    --> attributed risk % = (RR -1) / RR
  • Subtract then divide

Attributable Riske example

Example:

Notes:

  • Attributable risk = RR - 1/ RR

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Infectious Diseases

Diarrhea Outbreak Example

Notes:

  • NTDs have different severity
  • severity of a neural tube defect can range from moderate, such as spina bifida, to severe and non-life-compatible, such as anencephaly
  • the high AchE is because in NTDs it leaks out into the amniotic sac from the CSF of the open neural tube

Example:

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Smoking Risks

  • smoking is one of the biggest risk factors for most diseases
  • biggest mortality risk reducer in MI (even more than aspirin, BP etc.)

Smoking = biggest mortality risk for MI, expecially for Diabetics

Notes:

  • note in the graph to the left smoking is the largest factor for mortality
  • it is even more pronounced in diabetics for getting an MI
  • you would think that aspirin would be directly related to CAD and reduce mortality more, but smoking is still bigger, even more in diabetics

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Case example

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Example:

Prevalence

  • prevalence = incidence x time period

Point Prevalence Example

  • point prevalence same as normal prevalence but measured at a specific time

Notes:

Example:

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*Odds Ratio

  • prob of event happening vs not happening

Odds ratio example

Example:

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Basics of the Punnet Square

  • make sure to put either all numbers or ALL percents
  • NEVER mix them up!

Crytptogenic stroke and ASD and PFO

Notes:

  • I put in the 75% into the square by accident

Clinical Case

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*Special Types of Bias

Pygmalian Bias = smart Pigtail Gretchen IQ bias

  • think of smart kid like Gretchen with Pigtails
  • type of observer bias where they already have a concieved notion of an outcome
  • comes from study of students where their IQs given to the teacher made the teacher think they were smarter
    --> smart IQ kids = pigtails = Pygmalian bias

Notes:

  • note that

Clinical Case

Hawthorne Effect Bias

  • think Pierce Hawthorne FAKING heart attacks because he KNOWS people are WATCHING and STUDYING him
  • Hawthorne effect is where people being study become aware and fake their behaviour

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Notes:

  • note that int his case the people being studied = doctors
  • Hawthorne effect is they realize this and fake their behaviour like pierce faking a heart attack

Clinical Case

Berkson's Bias

  • think of Pete Burke at the hospital
  • Berkson bias is where CONTROL patients are chosen from the hospital
  • more likely to be sick so are not good controls

Notes:

  • note that

Clinical Case

*Hardy-Weinberg Genetics

  • prevalence of alleles in the population
  • assumes there is no evolution, or changes in the population

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Notes:

  • p = normal allele frequency % in population
  • q = mutant allele frequency %
  • all add to 1
  • q2 = phenotype of disease
  • 2pq = carrier of disease

Clinical Cases

Clinical Case

Notes:

  • note that

Clinical Case

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Confounding variables vs Effect modification

  • note these are both external variables that have an effect on the exposure and the disease
  • difference is in stratified analysis
    --> confounding variables show the RR is about the same when stratified by the outside variable
    --> effect modification is where there is a large effect in the RR when you do stratification by the new variable

Confounding Variables Bias

  • something not accounted for in the study as the cause of an outcome
  • study finds association with significant p value, but doing stratification (= dividing up the people by age stratification) with an outside variable shows no difference
  • every study STOPS confounding variables by getting MATCHED groups by baseline when comparing controls to exposed

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CASES

Clinical Case

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Notes:

  • note that

Clinical Case

Effect modification

  • opposite of confounding
  • effect modification is where there is a large effect in the RR when you do stratification by the new variable
  • can be positive or negative

*NPV = Negative Predictive Value

NPV = Negative predictive Value

example:

Notes:

  • note that in the 2x2 table the TP = sensitivity and TN = specificity
    --> whenever you are given a sensitivity and specificity fills these in right away

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*PPV = Positive Predictive Value

  • Positive Predictive --> depends on PREVALENCE

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Clinical Cases

Clinical Case

Notes:

  • note that

Clinical Case

PPV = Positive Predictive Value example

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example:

Notes:

  • note that same for PPV and NPV
  • for PPV you take the True positives and divide by all positive results

PPV = Positive Predictive Value example 2

example:

Notes:

  • note that same for PPV and NPV
  • for PPV it depends on PREVALENCE

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Sensitivity and Specificity

  • think of graph and cutoff point fr a certain marker
  • right graph = higher marker being screened for
    --> positive screen test
    --> disease present
  • left graph = lower marker being screened for
    --> negative screen test
    --> NO disease

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*Sensitivity

  • sensitivity = TP/FN
    --> % of people with the disease picked up by the test
    --> trying to get as many people WITH disease to test positive

Clinical Cases

Clinical Case

Notes:

  • note that

Clinical Case

*Specificity

  • Specificity= TN//FP
    --> % of people correctly ruled out as not having the disease
  • False positive rate = FP is related to specificity
  • FP = 1 - specificity

Clinical Cases

Clinical Case

Notes:

  • note that

Clinical Case

Specificity and
FPR = False
Positive Rates

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Notes:

  • Specifity and FPR = false positive rates do not change and are independent of the disease prevalence in different populations
  • this means that you find the specificity, then FPR = 1 - specificity
    --> you can then apply this FPR to another population with a different prevalence of the disease
  • specificity = % of healthy people identified by a screening test
    --> specificity = 1 - FPR
  • note when filling out the chart, always fill:
    --> total population
    --> prevalence - this also gives the non-disease = healthy
    --> FP = % of healthy people = 1 - specificity

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FPR example:

Sensitivity

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Notes:

  • note for extremely rare disease you want a high sensitivity
  • for very common diseases, you want a higher specificity

example:

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Clinical Cases

Clinical Case

Notes:

  • note that

Clinical Case

Type 2 Error = Beta
and Statistical Power

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Notes:

  • α = prob of type 1 error
  • type 1 error = α = prob of rejecting the null when it is actually true
    --> think this is the usual error we use as α = 0.05 meaning that for a stat test we assume there is a 5% chance we make a type 1 error and reject the null as false, when there is a small chance it may still be true
  • β = prob of type 2 error
  • type 2 error = β = prob of not rejecting the null when it is actually false
    --> type 2 error is directly related to statistical power because if you don't have enough power in your study or large enough sample, you may have a type 2 error and not reject the null when it is actually false
  • statistical power = (1 - β )

Case presentation:

Statistical Power calculation from B error example

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Case presentation:

*Type 1 Error = Alpha and 95% confidence level

  • confidence level = 1 - α
  • type 1 error is where you detect a difference, but incorrectly
    --> actually no difference
    --> only 95% sure there is a difference
  • think alpha errors are understood to happen= built into study since you know there is an alpha = 5% chance you have a type 1 error

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*NNT NNH = Number
Needed to Treat / Harm

  • NNT ARRRRR... important
  • NNT = 1/ARR
  • NNT for reduction in absolute risk

*Odds Ratio vs. RR

  • the OR always over estimates the RR
  • the OR tends towards the RR when the prevalence of a disease is low, or the prevalence is close to the incidence
    --> you can see this in the picture to the right as the factor prev./inc tends to --> 0 in both the exposed and unexposed groups,
    --> the OR tends --> RR

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Clinical Cases

Clinical Case

Notes:

  • note that

Clinical Case

NNT = Number
Needed to Treat

Notes:

  • NNT is the inverse of the ARR = absolute relative risk

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Example:

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Solution:

NNT example 2

Notes:

  • NNT is the inverse of the ARR = absolute relative risk

Example:

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*OR= Odds ratio

  • odds looks backwards
    --> splits up Disease vs no disease
    --> looks at odds of exposure vs no exposure
  • OR = ADDS BATCIO = ad / bc

*RR = Relative Risk

  • RR looks at exposure vs NO exposure
    --> risk of getting the disease
  • RR = Exp+Disease / total exposed
    --> divided by (NOexpose+Disease / total NOexposed)

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Clinical Cases

Clinical Case

Notes:

  • note that

Clinical Case

RR = Relative Risk

Solution:

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Example:

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Notes:

  • important to know the difference between relative risk, absolute risk, and odds ratios
  • sometimes RR = relative risk can overestimate the risk of n exposure
    --> example: RR of UTI from not getting circumcised is high, but the actual AR = absolute risk difference is low because UTI in boys are so extremely rare

*Normal Distribution

  • 68 95 99.7 Rule
    --> 1,2,3 SD from the mean
    --> % of population in those SDs

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Clinical Cases

Clinical Case

Notes:

  • note that

Clinical Case

*Normal Distribution

  • 68 95 99.7 Rule
    --> 1,2,3 SD from the mean
    --> % of population in those SDs
  • actual 95% population = 1.96 SD
  • actual 99% population = 2.58 SD

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*Lead-time Bias

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Clinical Cases

Clinical Case

Notes:

  • note that

Clinical Case

Lead-time Bias

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Example:

Notes:

  • note that lead time bias happens when there appears to be a longer survival rate for times right after the screening process
  • if a screening test survival rate doesn't hold up at later times that means there is lead time bias

*Observer Bias

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Clinical Cases

Clinical Case

Notes:

  • note that

Clinical Case

Observer Bias

Example:

Notes:

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*Observer Bias case 2*

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Example:

*Selection Bias

  • attrition bias = loss of follow up
    --> special kind of selection bias
    --> loss of one specific group to follow up that skews the results

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*RCTs = Randomized Control Trials

  • gold standard of studies

*Observational Studies

*Case Control Studies

  • "CASE is first, risks are 2nd"
  • good for rare diseases
    --> since need to find SACES of the disease first, then test for risks after
  • only study type that goes in reverse
  • pick CASES = have disease
    --> regardless of exposure = find this after
  • pick controls as = NON CASES of diseases
    --> regardless of exposure = find this after
    CASE control studies CONTROL for the CASE of DISEASE 1st
    --> figure out the risks exposure after

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Clinical Cases

Clinical Case

Notes:

  • note that

Clinical Case

Case example

Notes:

  • note that CASE control studies are unique because they are the only one where they divide patients into CASES and NON cases of a disease
    --> they then look back to see if they have risk + exposure or NOT
  • this is the opposite of retrospective cohort studies, observational studies, etc.
    --> they instead divide into risk exposure vs non risk exposure --> then find whether they get a disease or NOT

Clinical Case

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Case example 2

Notes:

  • note that CASE control studies controls are NON DISEASE people
  • for CASE controls, think you control for the CASE of DISEASE
  • then figure the risks after

Clinical Case

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*Ecological Studies

  • "eco" = environemnt
  • think of the whole species in the environment
  • eco studies are at population level, NOT individual

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Clinical Cases

Clinical Case

Notes:

  • note that

Clinical Case

Case example

Notes:

  • note that ecological studies are eco so it is the whole species and the environment they live in
  • thus eco studies are at the population level, NOT the individual level
  • ecological fallacy = trying to predict individual outcomes based on eco studies or the entire population

Clinical Case

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*Prospective Cohort Studies

  • find a cohort of people who are either exposed or not exposed to a risk and see if they develop a disease

Prospective cohort example

Clinical Case

Notes:

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*Crossover study

  • crossover from one treatment to another in the SAME patient to compare the 2 treatments
  • randomly group patients to AB group or BA group
  • AB = treatment A / washout period / treatment B
    • BA group is the oppositie
  • pros for crossovers = patients are their own controls
  • cons for crossovers = need washout period long enough to make sure no effect on second treatment

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P Value

  • the prob of getting a finding just given to chance, assuming that the null hypothesis is true

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T-test

  • for comparing means of 2 separate samples
    --> note that the t test is a special case of an F test ANOVA

T test vs Chi square

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Notes:

  • note

Clinical Case

Chi-Squared Test

  • same independent variable (continuous with mean and sd)
  • comparing two nominal groups (classic example is gender men vs women and comparing a certain variable)

Chi square test example

Notes:

  • note that Chi square test is for 2 nominal variables, often comparing men and women as two categories

Clinical Case

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*ANOVA = Analysis of Variance

  • for comparing means of more than 2 sample populations
  • note that the t test compares means of 2 sample populations
    --> the t test is a special case of an F test ANOVA

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*Skewed Normal Distributions

  • SKEW = means the MEAN is skewed by a TAIL in either the Positive or NEgative direction
  • "MEAN, Median, Mode" = MEAN is always skewed the most by the tail
    --> then Median
    --> then MODE
  • makes sense as the MODE hass to be near the HUMP of the Curve

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Attributable Risk

  • Subtract then divide
  • AR = (RR -1) / RR
  • AR = (RRe - RRue / RRe

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