by The Open University
Available in 23 free installments
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In 2006 it was reported in the media that there was, in the UK, a 60% rise in Chlamydia infection. Syphilis and gonorrhoea were on the increase, while HIV infection was not diminishing. Heart disease killed more people than cancer, and more women were surviving breast cancer. Where does this type of information, which is the stuff of public health, actually come from? How is it generated and what purpose does it serve? More importantly, is it credible?
This unit looks at some key types of data used in epidemiology, such as statistics on death and ill health, and introduces some techniques used in analysing data.
This unit is an adapted extract from the course Promoting public health: skills, perspectives and practice (K311).
Original Copyright © 2008 The Open University. Now made available within the Creative Commons framework under the CC Attribution – Non-commercial licence.
