330119 VO Trials and Meta-Analysis in Nutritional Epidemiology (2009S)

Epidemiological methods become increasingly important to investigate the role of dietary factors (e.g. nutrient intake, food composition, dietary pattern) in the genesis of diseases or pathophysiological conditions. Evidence and generalizability of the results obtained depend overwhelmingly on type and quality of the epidemiological studies used. Experimental studies (intervention studies, randomized controlled clinical trials, RCTs) and meta-analyses are considered to rank highest in that respect. Therefore, evidence-based medicine relies both for preventive and therapeutic approach on these types of studies. This course demonstrates how evidence-based approach can be applied in nutritional science. For RCTs and meta-analyses students will get detailed insight into (1) prerequisites and requirements, (2) study design, (3) methods of recruitment (of subjects for RCTs and of studies for meta-analyses), (4) procedures of data collection and evaluation, (5) control of systematic errors, (6) interpretation of results. Participants will actively contribute in discussing these issues on the basis of recent nutritional studies.
The course is addressed to participants having basic epidemiological knowledge, esp. to PhD students and is held in English.