Course syllabus for Nutritional Epidemiology and Statistics

Specific entry requirements

At least the grade Pass in the course *Introduction to Nutrition Science *within the Bachelor's Programme i Nutrition Science.

Outcomes

Upon completion of the course, the student should be able to:

• explain and interpret key disease measures and outcome measures used in epidemiological studies.
• describe and compare different study designs within observational and experimental research, including their strengths and limitations, and justify the choice of study design based on a nutritional epidemiology research question.
• analyse and interpret associations between exposure and outcome, including concepts such as causality, confounding, energy adjustment, effect modification and mediation;
• identify and evaluate systematic errors (bias) and random errors, as well as their impact on study results, validity and generalisability.
• provide an overview of common methods used to assess dietary intake, including their strengths, limitations and typical measurement errors.
• inspect and manage epidemiological data and apply key statistical measures and concepts to summarise data.
• select and apply basic statistical methods (such as group comparisons, correlations and simple regression analyses) based on the characteristics of the data and study design.
• carry out and interpret statistical analyses in R and perform and interpret basic sensitivity analyses.
• critically appraise and evaluate nutritional epidemiology studies with regard to study design, exposure assessment, bias, statistical analyses, validity and generalisability.
• summarise, interpret and communicate epidemiological findings clearly and in a scientifically accurate manner, both orally and in writing.
• identify and discuss ethical aspects of nutritional epidemiology research, including informed consent and the handling of personal data.

Content

The course provides in-depth knowledge of nutritional epidemiology, including study design and statistics, as well as training in interpreting and critically appraising studies in nutritional epidemiology. The course covers key epidemiological concepts such as causality, confounding and bias, and how these influence the interpretation of associations between diet and health. It also includes an introduction to methods for assessing dietary intake and to the application of statistical analyses to epidemiological data. The course further comprises applied statistics, including programming in R, tailored to epidemiological and nutrition-related data. The course also aims to develop the student’s ability to communicate scientific findings clearly and accurately, both orally and in writing, and to reflect on ethical aspects of nutritional epidemiological research.

Teaching methods

Teaching methods include lectures, article reviews, seminars, practical exercises and group work.

Examination

The examination consists of a written exam (graded Pass with Distinction/Pass/Fail), a programming assignment (graded Pass/Fail) and a group work (graded Pass/Fail). To pass the course, all assignments must fulfil the criteria for Pass. The grade of the course is based on the written exam.

In the case of a fail, the examination may be retaken a maximum of five additional times. If a student has failed an examination six times, no further examination opportunity will be offered for that examination component. A student who has failed an examination twice is entitled to have another examiner appointed unless there are special reasons to the contrary.

Compulsory participation:
Seminars and group work are compulsory. The examiner assesses if and, in that case, how absence from compulsory parts can be compensated. Before the student has participated in all compulsory parts or compensated absence according with the examiner's instructions, the student's study results cannot be finalized. Absence from a compulsory activity may result in that the student cannot compensate absence until the next time the course is given.

If there are special reasons, or need for adaptions for a student with a disability, the examiner may decide to depart from the syllabus's regulations on examination form, number of examination opportunities, possibility of complementation of or exemption from compulsory activities, etc. Content and learning outcomes as well as the level of expected skills, knowledge and abilities must not be altered, removed or lowered.

Other directives

Parts of the teaching may be conducted in English.

Literature and other teaching aids

Mandatory literature:

• Gert Helgesson, Forskningsetik. 2:a upplagan. Studentlitteratur, 2015. ISBN: 9789144088495

** Recommended literature:**

• Grunderna i Epidemiologi. Ahlbom och Norell. 3:e upplagan. Studentlitteratur, 2006. ISBN: 9789144037127
• Biostatistik: med grundkurs i R. Olson JS. 1:a upplagan. Studentlitteratur, 2023. ISBN 9789144152141

In addition, supplementary course materials will be made available electronically.