Assessment for MH900 Epidemiology and Statistics

2024/25

Students should complete both sections

Marks are allocated as follows:

Section 1: Epidemiology 50 marks

Section 2: Statistics

Question 1: 25 marks

Question 2: 25 marks

The pass mark is 50% overall.

Submission date: 11 December 2024 – before 12 noon.

Electronic submission procedure: please submit two files, one for epidemiology and one for statistics.

Extension of submission date

Extensions are not available routinely - if you are not going to be able to hand your assignment in on time it is essential that you make an on-line written request before the submission date, outlining the extenuating circumstances, using the standard on-line extension request form.

Late submission

Assignments not received by the deadline, or by any agreed extension date will be penalised at the rate of 5 marks per day late, in line with University policy.

Section 1: Epidemiology

Prepare a study design to answer a research question within one of the following topic areas - you must formulate an appropriate question.

NOTE: The topics listed are the same as used for group work. Whilst most students chose to build on the topic covered by their group presented during the taught module, you may elect to change topic and tackle one of the other questions or, by prior agreement, your own question. You must design an analytical epidemiological quantitative study – so any research questions must be ones that can be addressed by this approach.

IMPORTANT: Even though this is based on your group work, you MUST NOT directly use material from your presentation. It MUST be paraphrased. Failure to do so will be flagged as collusion and result in referral to the Academic Integrity Committee.

Guidelines

As in the group work guidelines, the study design should address the points listed below. Examiners will use this guideline in assessing work and you will lose marks if you have failed to address any of these points. Your total word limit for this section (Epidemiology) is 2000 words (+/- 10%, so 1800 to 2200 words). Tables and references are excluded from the word count. If you need to use appendices, these should be used for supplementary non-essential text only; examiners will not mark these.

The following headings may help in preparing your work: Research Question, Background, Study Design, PICO/PECO and Eligibility Criteria, Sampling and Sample Size, Data Collection, Data Analysis, Limitations (e.g. bias, confounding), Ethical and Data Management Issues.

NOTE: this is a study design only; no “Results” or “Discussion” of anticipated results sections are needed. The data analysis will be the data analysis plan, explaining how you would analyse the data. You should explain your thinking more than you would if writing a study protocol normally, justifying your choice of study design and other decisions that you have made such as the effect size used in sample size calculations.

Main issues to be addressed

1 The study must have a quantitative methodology using an established study design, or an innovative variation on standard designs.

2 Background to the research question can be described briefly but should include a general introduction to the subject area and focus on the specific background that would lead to you posing the research question and planning the study that your report proposes.

3 Research question(s) and / or any hypotheses must be stated clearly.

4 The type of study design proposed should be identified clearly and the rationale for its choice presented. This should demonstrate your understanding of study design purposes and limitations. You may choose to say why you did not choose a particular design as part of justifying your final choice.

5 Some consideration of population and study sample is essential: this should include patients or other participants, how the sample will be selected and the study setting.

6 A detailed description of methods could include whichever of the following are relevant:

· Outcome(s) of interest

· Exposure(s) or interventions

· Statistical analyses - types of data to be collected, and your plan for data

analysis, including the planned use of statistical testing (e.g. what tests you would use)

· Randomisation if relevant

· Bias and confounding and steps that can be taken to consider and minimise

them - your report should discuss possible sources of bias and confounding in the study design and steps to be taken to minimise their effects. If your design avoids either or both of these problems that should be explained.

· Practical aspects of the proposed research methods, including data collection

· Ethical issues

Topics for group work / assignment

Preventing death from heart attacks

Evaluate an intervention to prevent coronary heart disease, or death following heart attacks. For example, this could be a drug treatment such as treatment of hypertension or blood lipids. It could be exercise promotion or another preventative intervention for the whole population or identified groups, or a treatment or intervention among those who had heart attacks to improve survival.

Vaccine programme evaluation

Vaccines are used to protect both individuals and populations. Importantly those not vaccinated may be protected from disease due to others having been vaccinated. Design a study to evaluate the effectiveness of a vaccination programme for any disease in a defined population.

The effects of environment on mood or exercise

Does where you live affect your mood, or how active you are? Design a study to describe the effect of your local environment on depression or on physical activity.

Investigating the safety claims of a new drug

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) has been suggested to be associated with an increased risk of developing breast cancer. The manufacturer of a new HRT drug, labetafem, claim that women who take this will not be at increased risk of breast cancer. Design a study to investigate this claim.

The association between antidepressant prescribing and socioeconomic deprivation

Many health outcomes are associated with socioeconomic deprivation - for example, adults who live in more deprived settings have a higher rates depression. You suspect that the rate at which antidepressant drugs are prescribed are also associated with socioeconomic deprivation. Design a study to explore this association.

Slowing progression of osteoarthritis

Physical activity can bring short and long-term benefits to health and wellbeing, including reducing the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and depression. Design a study to evaluate whether physical activity may slow the progress of osteoarthritis.

The value of 20mph speed limit zones

Your local authority is considering lowering the speed limit in built-up areas from 30 miles per hour (30mph) to 20mph. Design a study to evaluate the impact of 20mph speed limit zones on a relevant outcome, or outcomes, of your choice.

Your own topic

If a group wants to address a different topic - one that will be addressed through an analytical epidemiological study - and that will allow you to bring together and deepen your learning across the module, this is also acceptable.