Principles of Exposure Measurement in Epidemiology: Collecting, Evaluating, and Improving Measures of Disease Risk Factors

The second edition of this internationally acclaimed title is the ideal handbook for those wishing to design or implement an epidemiological study. The objective of most epidemiological research is to relate exposure to external agents to the occurre... Read more

The second edition of this internationally acclaimed title is the ideal handbook for those wishing to design or implement an epidemiological study. The objective of most epidemiological research is to relate exposure to external agents to the occurrence of particular diseases. The achievementof this objective depends critically on accurate measurement of exposure. This book reviews together the principles and techniques of exposure measurement as they relate specifically to causes of non-infectious diseases. It draws on experience and results from a number of disciplines, includingpsychology, survey research, sociology, environmental hygiene, epidemiology and biostatistics, and synthesizes them for direct practical application in epidemiological and related research. The book covers questionnaire design, conducting personal interviews, abstracting information from medicalrecords, use of proxy respondents, and use of biological and environmental measurements. It gives a comprehensive account of measurement error and the estimation of its effects, and the design, analysis, and interpretation of validity and reliability studies. Emphasis is given to the ways in whichthe validity of measurements can be increased. Techniques to maximize participation of subjects in epidemiological studies are discussed, and ethical issues relevant to exposure measurement are outlined. Less