New Books On Statistics and The Epidemiology of Schizophrenia

Two new books arrived in our mailbox this week. The first entitled “Statistical Modeling for Biomedical Researchers” was written by Vanderbilt University’s William Dupont, Director of the Division of Biostatistics in the School of Medicine. According to the publisher, “This text will enable biomedical researchers to use a number of advanced statistical methods that have proven valuable in medical research...The emphasis is on understanding the assumptions underlying each method, and presenting results in a way that will be readily understood by clinical colleagues.”

The second book is entitled “The Epidemiology of Schizophrenia” and was edited by a team from Europe and the USA, including Ezra Susser from Columbia. According to the publisher, “an international team of leading researchers and practitioners have come together to provide a comprehensive, contemporary, epidemiological overview of this multifaceted and mysterious disorder and address some of the age old questions it raises.”

Readers who may wish to review one of these titles should contact the EpiMonitor at epimon@aol.com

Both books are published by Cambridge University Press.

Studies Provide Evidence For The Effectiveness Of Graduated Licensing Programs

The National Safety Council has made available the proceedings of a November 2002 symposium on graduated licensing programs designed to summarize what we know so far about these programs. According to Alan Williams, chief scientist at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, “the systems that have been evaluated have been found to be very effective in reducing crashes and injuries, and public acceptance is high.” However, “...the full potential of graduated licensing is nowhere near being realized.” This is not a trivial matter as traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for 15-20 year olds in the United States and teenage drivers are overrepresented in fatal crashes (they make up 6.8% of the driving population but account for 14% of the fatal crashes).
For access to the proceedings from the symposium, visit <http://www.nsc.org/gdlsym/index.htm>

Human Cases Of Avian Flu Strain Raise Alert

Results from two laboratories have confirmed the presence of an avian influenza virus in a single child in Hong, according to WHO. “It’s no secret that this is potentially quite concerning, However, the fact that there hasn’t been a big upsurge in new cases is reassuring,” according to a WHO spokesman speaking to the NY Times.

Tests of two samples from this single patient have identified the virus as the strain of influenza A(H5N1), sometimes known as “bird flu.” A(H5N1) was first seen in humans in 1997 when an outbreak of 18 cases caused six deaths in Hong Kong. Since then, authorities have maintained intensive surveillance of influenza in human and birds in Hong Kong. In the current event, a nine-year-old boy became ill on 9 February and was admitted to a Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China hospital on 12 February. He was treated, has recovered and is in stable condition. Other members of his family with similar symptoms, including the child’s sister and father, have died. The boy’s mother was ill but has recovered.
It is not yet known whether the other family members who fell ill were also infected with A(H5N1). A medical and epidemiological investigation is ongoing in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China to determine the cause of those illnesses and deaths.

CDC Produces Stroke Atlas

Once again we learn about the importance of socio-economic factors in health. This time the disease is stroke. A new report from CDC last week found that blacks had a stroke rate of 166 per 100,000 compared to 117 for whites. According to Michele Casper, a CDC epidemiologist who commented on the findings in a new atlas on stroke, “it is important to note that the concentration of high-rate counties tend to be in areas of the country that have been chronically impoverished and underdeveloped. The persistent lack of socioeconomic resources makes it difficult for those communities to provide stroke-free living and working environments for their residents.”

Now Available--The Year in Epidemiology 2003

The Annual Calendar Issue Of The Epidemiology Monitor

More than 200 events of interest to epidemiologists.

Courses, meetings, symposia, conferences and more!

Subscribe Now To Get Your Copy

Held Over