Non-infectious Disease Epidemiology Research Articles

The status of projects funded in division of preventive medicine in National Natural Science Foundation of China from the financial year 2007-2021

It is of great significance to analyze the configuration of programs funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China using funding data in the field of preventive medicine from 2007 to 2021. The analysis mainly focused on the funding status of the program, funding amount, funded institutions and personnel. A total of 5 349 programs in the discipline of preventive medicine were funded over the last 15 years. The funding amount in this discipline accounted for a relatively low proportion in the total funding amount of the Department of Medical Sciences and this proportion also showed a decreasing trend. Non-infectious disease epidemiology, human nutrition, and health toxicology were the top three subdisciplines of all funded programs in preventive medicine. The proportion of programs led by young scholars was gradually rising over the years, and young scholars were playing an increasingly influential role in scientific research. The funding status among each subdiscipline and institution also varied. The results of this study reflected the thriving of preventive medicine. Meanwhile, some problems and dilemmas were also revealed in its current development. Hopefully, this study could provide valuable information for institutions and preventive medicine researchers to apply for National Natural Science Foundation, and promote the long-term development of preventive medicine in the future.

ЭПИДЕМИОЛОГИЯ И ЭПИДЕМИОЛОГИЧЕСКИЙ МЕТОД ИССЛЕДОВАНИЯ: ИСТОРИИ, ХАРАКТЕРИСТИКА, ПЕРСПЕКТИВЫ

Based on the analysis of the literature and our own ideas using general logical methods of analysis and synthesis, information is presented on the advisability of a broad interpretation of the content of the term "epidemiology", which at the present stage includes two sections with a uniform research methodology: the epidemiology of infectious diseases and the epidemiology of non-infectious diseases. The features that distinguish the epidemiology of non-communicable diseases from classical infectious epidemiology are shown. Attention is paid to evidence-based medicine, the theoretical basis of which is clinical epidemiology. Proposals on the need to introduce a course of epidemiology of non-infectious pathology into the educational process of training specialists in biomedical profile are substantiated as a perspective of epidemiology and the epidemiological method of research in modern conditions.

Statistical Analysis of Articles Published in China CDC Weekly - Worldwide, 2019-2020.

Introduction: This study analyzed views and downloads of articles published in China CDC Weekly from 2019 to 2020 as part of an evaluation of the academic level and quality of the journal. Methods: The study included articles published between November 29, 2019 and December 25, 2020 and evaluated views and downloads through February 9, 2021 using standard bibliometrics. We conducted network analysis with VOSviewer software. Results: There were 283 articles from 101 institutions published in China CDC Weekly during the analysis period, among which 22 (21.8%) institutions were overseas institutions. There were 220 unique first authors, with 1.28 articles per first author. There were 2,404,882 views and 58,760 downloads in total. The article with the highest view and download counts had 1,244,826 views and 38,978 downloads. Article types with more than 4,500 views per article were Vital Surveillance, Notes from the Field, and Preplanned Studies. Subjects with more than 3,500 views per article were epidemiology of infectious diseases, epidemiology of non-infectious diseases, and maternal and child health. Articles with descriptive research and articles discussing public health monitoring received more attention, shown by larger average per article page views. Discussion: Study results can help the editorial department improve the journal’s international influence through targeted measures, such as adjusting article types according to view and download analyses and increasing the proportion of international manuscripts selected.

Developing a Multidisciplinary Syndromic Surveillance Academic Research Program in the United Kingdom: Benefits for Public Health Surveillance.

Syndromic surveillance is growing in stature internationally as a recognised and innovative approach to public health surveillance. Syndromic surveillance research uses data captured by syndromic surveillance systems to investigate specific hypotheses or questions. However, this research is often undertaken either within established public health organisations or the academic setting, but often not together. Public health organisations can provide access to health-related data and expertise in infectious and non-infectious disease epidemiology and clinical interpretation of data. Academic institutions can optimise methodological rigour, intellectual clarity and establish routes for applying to external research funding bodies to attract money to fund projects. Together, these competencies can complement each other to enhance the public health benefits of syndromic surveillance research. This paper describes the development of a multidisciplinary syndromic surveillance academic research programme in England, United Kingdom, its aims, goals and benefits to public health.

Causal thinking and complex system approaches in epidemiology

Identifying biological and behavioural causes of diseases has been one of the central concerns of epidemiology for the past half century. This has led to the development of increasingly sophisticated conceptual and analytical approaches focused on the isolation of single causes of disease states. However, the growing recognition that (i) factors at multiple levels, including biological, behavioural and group levels may influence health and disease, and (ii) that the interrelation among these factors often includes dynamic feedback and changes over time challenges this dominant epidemiological paradigm. Using obesity as an example, we discuss how the adoption of complex systems dynamic models allows us to take into account the causes of disease at multiple levels, reciprocal relations and interrelation between causes that characterize the causation of obesity. We also discuss some of the key difficulties that the discipline faces in incorporating these methods into non-infectious disease epidemiology. We conclude with a discussion of a potential way forward.

Commentary: Smoking and lung cancer: reflections on a pioneering paper

This fine paper 1 is surely of direct value to all interested in the history of a major issue, possibly the major issue, in non-infectious disease epidemiology. It also sends a strong message to epidemiologists, statisticians and those from the machine learning world who are concerned with potential causal interpretation of their data. It may indeed be helpful to introduce statistical models to represent causal processes, even to call them causal models and to fit them successfully to empirical data, but this is far from demonstrating causality itself. At a more personal level, the paper is a reminder of the one author whom I knew personally, J. Cornfield. He was a fine statistician, conversations with whom were as stimulating as they were enjoyable.

A conversation with Jerry Morris. Interview by George Davey Smith.

erry Morris was born on May 6, 1910, in Liverpool, England. He studied medicine at University of Glasgow, qualifying in 1934 and obtaining his membership in the Royal College of Physicians in 1939. He served in the Royal Army Medical Corps from 1941 to 1946, mainly in India and Burma. During the war, Morris published a series of influential papers on the epidemiology of juvenile rheumatism and peptic ulcer together with the sociologist Richard Titmuss, which took a then-novel social view of disease causation. He received his first formal training in epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, where he won the Chadwick prize in 1947. In 1948, he became Director of a new Medical Research Council Social Medicine Unit, where he remained until his official retirement in 1975. There he established a series of cohort studies on physical activity and coronary heart disease. In 1957, he published his widely read textbook Uses of Epidemiology, one of the first books on non-infectious disease epidemiology. In the late 1970s, Morris served on the influential Black committee, established by the Labor government to investigate the persistent social class inequalities in health. His work on both exercise and social inequalities continues unabated. Further details on his life and work are available in a symposium held to celebrate his 90th birthday. 1-3

The Society for Epidemiologic Research and the Future of Epidemiology

This paper describes the development of noninfectious disease epidemiology and the subsequent organization of the Society for Epidemiologic Research. It defines epidemiology as "the study of the health of human populations," and outlines its four basic functions. Certain negative trends in epidemiologic research are indicated. The current tasks of epidemiology are reviewed, as well as the objective and subjective factors which will determine the future of epidemiology.

The Society for Epidemiologic Research (SER) and the future of epidemiology.

This paper describes the development of noninfectious disease epidemiology and the subsequent organization of the Society for Epidemiologic Research. It defines epidemiology as “the study of the health of human populations,” and outlines its four basic functions. Certain negative trends in epidemiologic research are indicated. The current tasks of epidemiology are reviewed, as well as the objective and subjective factors which will determine the future of epidemiology.