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Table 3 Characteristics of selected standard epidemiology textbooks: the extent to which authors extend methodological discussions to time-based measures and other public health relevant material

From: The science of epidemiology and the methods needed for public health assessments: a review of epidemiology textbooks

Author

Prevalence/Incidence

Measures of health and disability – generic or disease specific

Measures of health and disability – designed for comparability

Life table methods

Ahrens, W and Pigeot, I [14]

+/+

Health status measurement and health related quality of life is discussed to some depth

PYLL, DALYs and QALYs all discussed briefly with mention of the issues that arise when measuring health or disease.

A short section included in survival analysis introduces life table methods

Gerstman, BB [15]

+++/+++

N/M

N/M

A full chapter on life tables and another on survival analysis

Koepsell, TD, and Weiss, NS [12]

+/+++

N/M

N/M

A very brief section on survival analysis

Hennekens, CH and Buring, JE [16]

++/+++

N/M

N/M

N/M

Lilienfeld, DE and Stolley, PD [13]

+/+

N/M

N/M

Brief description

MacMahon, B and Trichopolous, D. [17]

++/++

N/M

N/M

Brief section on life tables and survival analysis in ‘Cohort studies’ chapter

Merrill RM and Timmreck, TC [18]

+++/+++

Very brief discussion of activity limitation and ADL scales

N/M

Very brief mention of survivorship studies and life tables

Miettinen, O [19]

+/++

N/M

N/M

N/M

Rothman KJ and Greenland, S [10]

+/+++

N/M

N/M

Life table methods for risk estimation

Szklo, M and Nieto, FJ [11]

+/+++

N/M

N/M

Life table methods discussed in length

Bonita, R et al.[20]

+++/+++

Very brief section on measuring disability

Discusses summary measures and one brief section devoted to the DALY

Brief introduction to life expectancy measures

Bhopal, R [21]

+++/+++

N/M

Brief mention of summary measures

N/M

Esteve, J et al. [22]

++/+++

N/M

N/M

Full chapter on survival measures. Years of life lost discussed briefly

Farmer, R and Lawrenson, R [23]

+/+

N/M

N/M

Life expectancy mentioned very briefly

Friis, RH, and Sellers, TA [24]

++/++

N/M

Very brief discussion of the DALY

Short section on life tables

Gordis, L [25]

+++/+++

N/M

Brief description of QoL and comparison issues

Substantial discussion of life tables and survival analysis

Moon, G et al.[26]

+/+

N/M

N/M

N/M

Rossignol, A [27]

++/+++

N/M

N/M

N/M

Webb, P et al. [28]

++/+++

N/M

Brief but thorough discussion of DALYS

Brief description of life expectancy, HALE and DALE

Vetter, N and Matthews, I [29]

+/+

Measures of disability and health are introduced

A relatively extensive discussion of the QALY but no mention of the DALY

Brief mention of life expectancy as a measure population health status

Brownson RC and Petitti, DB [20]

N/M

Condition specific, generic and preference measures are discussed briefly

N/M

N/M

Carr, S et al.[31]

+/+

N/M

DALY mentioned very briefly

N/M

Detels R et al.[32]

N/M

Disease specific measures discussed, a substantial section is devoted to generic health indicators

DALYs are discussed at length in different chapters

Brief but thorough discussion

Donaldson, LJ and Scally, G [33]

+/+

Disease rating scales mentioned but not discussed in any length

QALY discussed. DALY mentioned as simply the opposite of a QALY

Life expectancy and healthy life expectancy introduced

Gillam, S et al.[34]

++/++

N/M

DALY mentioned

Life expectancy is discussed. Life tables mentioned briefly.

Kerr, C et al.[35]

+/+

Very brief discussion of the measurement of health states

N/M

One (very short) chapter on life tables

Pomperleau, J and McKee, M [36]

N/M

N/M

Full chapter devoted to BOD and summary measures.

Brief introduction to life expectancy and life tables

Schneider, M-J [37]

+/+

N/M

N/M

Life expectancy and life lost discussed very briefly

Spasoff, RA [38]

N/M

N/M

QALY and DALY are discussed briefly

Life tables are discussed at some length. HALE are discussed briefly

Tulchinsky, TH and Varavikova, EH [39]

+/+

N/M

Very brief mention of “qualitative measures of morbidity and mortality” – QALY, DALY and DFLE

Life expectancy discussed briefly

  1. N/M - Not mentioned.
  2. +/+ − indicates the extent that prevalence and incidence are discussed.
  3. BOD - Burden of Disease.
  4. DALE – Disability adjusted life expectancy.
  5. DALY – Disability adjusted life year.
  6. DFLE – Disability free life expectancy.
  7. HALE – Health adjusted life expectancy.
  8. PYLL – Potential years of life lost.
  9. QALY –Quality adjusted life year.
  10. QoL – Quality of life.