Encyclopedia of Epidemiology

Editor/Author: Boslaugh, Sarah
Publication Year: 2008
Publisher: Sage Publications

ISBN: 978-1-4129-2816-8
Category: medicine
Image Count: 471
Book Status: Available

The Encyclopedia of Epidemiology presents state-of-the-art information from the field of epidemiology in a less technical and accessible style and format. Relevant topics from related fields such as biostatistics and health economics are also included.

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As the chief editor states, "epidemiology is one of the foundational sciences of public health and evidence based medicine." These two volumes serve their purpose well: "to describe basic epidemiologic concepts in sufficient depth for practitioners" and also nonspecialists. The set fills a niche between mere dictionaries and highly technical encyclopedias; it is directed toward students and others outside the field of epidemiology who require a working knowledge of underlying concepts. The simple alphabetic arrangement is enhanced by a categorized guide that facilitates the study of epidemiology. Under "Epidemiologic Data," contributors explain major health data sources such as the Framingham Heart Study, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, and National Health Interview Survey. Reflecting the interrelationship with diverse fields, topics range from health psychology to health economics, ethics, and biostatistics. Some articles describe underlying biostatistical concepts--from measures of central tendency, to kappa, to the Pearson correlation coefficient. Others explain public health research design, including community studies, and address the value and limitations of case reports and case series. Of particular note is a decision chart to help in choosing appropriate research designs. Health students and faculty will desire an online version of this gem!
M. K. Hartung
Florida Gulf Coast University
The Encyclopedia of Epidemiology is a two-volume resource covering the scientific study of the rates of occurrence and causes of illness and death in both human and animal populations. While admittedly not exhaustive, the encyclopedia does provide a strong, comprehensive overview of terms and people with significant relevance to the discipline, and fills a gap in basic literature coverage for epidemiology. The introduction also presents an excellent summary to this particular field of study.There are a number of features that make this reference set easy to navigate and use. Terms follow a simple alphabetic arrangement. Duplicated in both volumes is an alphabetic list of entries that can be quickly scanned to see if a particular term is included. The reader's guide provides a listing of entries by 14 broad categories, such as Ethics or Genetics to facilitate the finding of related entries. Each volume also contains the index.Entries are easy to comprehend for the general reader with enough detail provided to satisfy the curious practitioner in need of a quick overview. The text is illustrated with figures, charts, and tables to better explain concepts. A small bibliography is included at the end of each entry for more in-depth study, and some entries contain listings to related Websites. This encyclopedia will be a useful addition for most libraries including high school, public, academic, medical, research collections, and especially for any collections covering public health.
Susan E. Thomas
Head of Collection Development/Assoc. Librarian, Indiana Univ. South Bend