NURS 8310 WEEK 4 EPIDEMIOLOGIC STUDY DESIGNS

Walden University NURS 8310 WEEK 4 EPIDEMIOLOGIC STUDY DESIGNS-Step-By-Step Guide

This guide will demonstrate how to complete the Walden University NURS 8310 WEEK 4 EPIDEMIOLOGIC STUDY DESIGNS assignment based on general principles of academic writing. Here, we will show you the A, B, Cs of completing an academic paper, irrespective of the instructions. After guiding you through what to do, the guide will leave one or two sample essays at the end to highlight the various sections discussed below.

How to Research and Prepare for NURS 8310 WEEK 4 EPIDEMIOLOGIC STUDY DESIGNS                           

Whether one passes or fails an academic assignment such as the Walden University NURS 8310 WEEK 4 EPIDEMIOLOGIC STUDY DESIGNS depends on the preparation done beforehand. The first thing to do once you receive an assignment is to quickly skim through the requirements. Once that is done, start going through the instructions one by one to clearly understand what the instructor wants. The most important thing here is to understand the required format—whether it is APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.

After understanding the requirements of the paper, the next phase is to gather relevant materials. The first place to start the research process is the weekly resources. Go through the resources provided in the instructions to determine which ones fit the assignment. After reviewing the provided resources, use the university library to search for additional resources. After gathering sufficient and necessary resources, you are now ready to start drafting your paper.

How to Write the Introduction for NURS 8310 WEEK 4 EPIDEMIOLOGIC STUDY DESIGNS                         

The introduction for the Walden University NURS 8310 WEEK 4 EPIDEMIOLOGIC STUDY DESIGNS is where you tell the instructor what your paper will encompass. In three to four statements, highlight the important points that will form the basis of your paper. Here, you can include statistics to show the importance of the topic you will be discussing. At the end of the introduction, write a clear purpose statement outlining what exactly will be contained in the paper. This statement will start with “The purpose of this paper…” and then proceed to outline the various sections of the instructions.

How to Write the Body for NURS 8310 WEEK 4 EPIDEMIOLOGIC STUDY DESIGNS                         

After the introduction, move into the main part of the NURS 8310 WEEK 4 EPIDEMIOLOGIC STUDY DESIGNS assignment, which is the body. Given that the paper you will be writing is not experimental, the way you organize the headings and subheadings of your paper is critically important. In some cases, you might have to use more subheadings to properly organize the assignment. The organization will depend on the rubric provided. Carefully examine the rubric, as it will contain all the detailed requirements of the assignment. Sometimes, the rubric will have information that the normal instructions lack.

Another important factor to consider at this point is how to do citations. In-text citations are fundamental as they support the arguments and points you make in the paper. At this point, the resources gathered at the beginning will come in handy. Integrating the ideas of the authors with your own will ensure that you produce a comprehensive paper. Also, follow the given citation format. In most cases, APA 7 is the preferred format for nursing assignments.

How to Write the Conclusion for NURS 8310 WEEK 4 EPIDEMIOLOGIC STUDY DESIGNS                         

After completing the main sections, write the conclusion of your paper. The conclusion is a summary of the main points you made in your paper. However, you need to rewrite the points and not simply copy and paste them. By restating the points from each subheading, you will provide a nuanced overview of the assignment to the reader.

How to Format the References List for NURS 8310 WEEK 4 EPIDEMIOLOGIC STUDY DESIGNS                           

The very last part of your paper involves listing the sources used in your paper. These sources should be listed in alphabetical order and double-spaced. Additionally, use a hanging indent for each source that appears in this list. Lastly, only the sources cited within the body of the paper should appear here.

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Sample Answer for NURS 8310 WEEK 4 EPIDEMIOLOGIC STUDY DESIGNS

Health problems negatively impact individuals and populations; hence, there is a need to prevent and manage them. Therefore, researchers and other stakeholders have used various strategies and methods to prevent and minimize their impacts. One such approach is research. Through using various designs, researchers and other health experts have a chance to gain a deeper insight into a public or a population’s health problems and formulate strategies to mitigate them. As part of the research, epidemiological study designs have been used to study health problems that affect individuals and populations, as well as the impact of various health interventions (Curley, 2020). Therefore, the purpose of this assignment is to identify an epidemiologic association of interest and determine a suitable study design that can be used in exploring the association.

The Population Health Topic and Research Question

 The population health topic of focus chosen for this assignment is the association between hormone replacement therapy and increased risk of breast cancer among women. Even though the prevalence of breast cancer has been dropping slightly in the last decade due to improved diagnosis, treatment, and management techniques, the disease is still a major problem that needs attention (Giaquinto et al.,2022). Hormone replacement therapy has been connected to an increased risk of breast cancer.  Hormone replacement therapy entails the use of certain medications to help replace some hormones that the body fails to sufficiently produce. In particular, combination hormone replacement therapy, which integrates the use of both progesterone and estrogen, is likely to expose the patient to increased breast cancer risk (Langer et al.,2021). Therefore, the exploration of this association will be the center of this study.

Research Question: What is the comparative risk of developing breast cancer when using hormone replacement therapy as compared to not using the therapy among postmenopausal women?

The Appropriate Epidemiologic Study Design

It is important to identify a suitable study design that can be used to explore the problem of focus. Therefore, the most suitable design for this topic is a prospective cohort study. This is a type of design that entails following a group of people over a specified duration with the major aim of observing the development of outcomes of interest (Friis & Sellers, 2021). This design would allow a follow-up on postmenstrual women with no breast cancer at the beginning of the study. Exposure assessment can then be done by assessing the participant’s use of hormone replacement therapy and any potential changes during the study period. As part of this design, there will be a need to follow up the research subjects prospectively over a particular period of time to track the occurrence of breast cancer. Besides, it will also be important to collect data on breast cancer diagnoses through various strategies.

Data Collection Activities to Be Used

Data collection forms an important part of any research process. Therefore, it is important to use strategies that will support a comprehensive collection of the data. As such, various strategies can be employed in this context. One of them is an interview or survey conducted at baselines. This baseline interview or survey can be used to collect demographic information such as lifestyle factors, reproductive history, and medical history, among others. It can be achieved through in-person interviews (LoBiondo-Wood & Haber, 2021). Information regarding hormone replacement therapy can also be collected at baseline, and a periodical update can be done during the follow-ups. Such data can also be collected through medical record abstraction or follow-up surveys. Medical record review will also be used to help confirm the diagnoses of breast cancer and get detailed information regarding the cases. As such, it would be easier to be more accurate regarding breast cancer cases.

The Specific Methodologic Strategies to Used and Strengths and Limitations of Selected Approach

It is also important to explore specific methodologic strategies that can be used in exploring the research question. As earlier indicated, the chosen design is a prospective cohort study design. Therefore, particular methodological strategies will be used. One of them is selecting the study population, which will be postmenopausal women who do not have breast cancer at baseline. They can be recruited from diverse settings such as communities, population registries, and healthcare databases.

The exposure, in this case, is hormone replacement therapy. Therefore, information reading the same would be collected at baselines, and the information will also be updated during the follow-up. It can include the type of hormone replacement therapy, dosage, duration of use, and any changes made to the therapy over time (Azam et al.,2020). It will be important to prospectively follow the patient in a bid to track the breast cancer incident cases through strategies such as electronic health records and cancer registries.  Medical record review can be used to confirm the breast cancer cases that occur during the follow-up duration. As part of exploring the association, various measures, such as relative risks or hazard ratios, will be obtained through a statistical analysis.

Particular methods used in making the selections may have both strengths and limitations. Several settings will be considered when selecting the participants. As such, recruiting participants for cohort studies would allow representative sample selection, which boosts the generalizability of the findings. However, the limitation is that there can be attrition and loss of follow-up over time, and both have the potential to introduce bias as well as negatively impact the validity of the findings (Razigalla, 2020). In assessing the exposure, prospective studies offer a platform for collecting detailed exposure information at numerous time points, hence lowering the chances of recall bias. This approach also improves the accuracy of the exposure assessment. On the other hand, the self-reported data on hormone replacement therapy can be subject to misclassification or recall bias. Besides, changes in exposure status may not be recorded in real-time, hence causing exposure misclassification.

The Ethical Consideration Pertaining to The Study

 Research ethics should always be considered when conducting research. Therefore, there are various ethical considerations pertaining to this study that will be explored. One of the central ones is informed consent. It is important that the postmenstrual women participating in the study give informed consent after they have been given important information on the aim of the study, expected procedures, and potential benefits and risks. It is also important to consider privacy and confidentiality. There is a need to ensure that the participant’s health and personal information remain confidential and private by safely storing the records, using password access, and limiting the disclosure of sensitive information to authorized individuals only (Tappen, 2022). There is also a need to ensure that the procedures used or employed during the study all contribute to the minimization of potential harm through strategies such as monitoring potential adverse events and promoting patient safety throughout the study period.

Conclusion

This study has focused on the association between hormone replacement therapy and the risk of developing breast cancer among postmenstrual women. The chosen study design to be used for exploring this association is a prospective cohort study design. Methodology and data collection strategies have all been discussed.

References

Azam, S., Jacobsen, K. K., Aro, A. R., Lynge, E., & Andersen, Z. J. (2020). Hormone replacement therapy and mammographic density: a systematic literature review. Breast Cancer Research and Treatment, 182, 555-579. Doi: 10.1007/s10549-020-05744-w

Curley, A. L. C. (Ed.). (2020). Population-based nursing: Concepts and competencies for advanced practice (3rd ed.). Springer

Giaquinto, A. N., Sung, H., Miller, K. D., Kramer, J. L., Newman, L. A., Minihan, A., … & Siegel, R. L. (2022). Breast cancer statistics, 2022. CA: A Cancer Journal For Clinicians, 72(6), 524–541. https://doi.org/10.3322/caac.21754

Friis, R. H., & Sellers, T. A. (2021). Epidemiology for public health practice (6th ed.). Jones & Bartlett.

Langer, R. D., Hodis, H. N., Lobo, R. A., & Allison, M. A. (2021). Hormone replacement therapy–where are we now? Climacteric, 24(1), 3-10. https://doi.org/10.1080/13697137.2020.1851183

LoBiondo-Wood, G., & Haber, J. (2021). Nursing research E-book: methods and critical appraisal for evidence-based practice. Elsevier Health Sciences.

Rezigalla, A. A. (2020). Observational study designs: Synopsis for selecting an appropriate study design. Cureus, 12(1). Doi: 10.7759/cureus.6692

Tappen, R. M. (2022). Advanced nursing research: From theory to practice. Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Sample Answer 2 for NURS 8310 WEEK 4 EPIDEMIOLOGIC STUDY DESIGNS

Population health problem 

The United States is currently fighting a non-communicable epidemic known as obesity. Compared to other countries, the United States data reports obesity is almost doubled compared to other countries in the world (CDC, 2020). Questions are posed as to why obesity is such a concerning factor and how we can prevent the effects of obesity. Obesity is a critical factor in diagnosing Type 2 Diabetes (CDC, 2020). Prevention requires a multilevel approach in order to maintain healthy outcomes. A healthy diet and exercise are critical factors in addressing obesity (Chen et al., 2020). Thus addressing “What role does diet and exercise play in preventing Texas’ individuals at risk and those who have been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes from further complications?

 Epidemiologic study design

Utilizing an experimental research design allows researchers to evaluate the effects of diet and exercise and their long-term effects on preventing a new diagnosis of type 2 diabetes or increasing the chance of remission of a current diagnosis.  An experimental design should provide insight into the role of a healthy diet and exercise in maintaining health (Chen et al., 2020). The assumptions of adults being physically active three times a week and the belief that diet has the ability to counteract the role genes play in being diagnosed with diabetes can be addressed with an experimental study (CDC, 2020) (Chen et al., 2020).

Strengths and the limitations of the potential data sources

Data obtained from EHRs can provide in-depth detail regarding those diagnosed with diabetes and family history. The data can further point out those at risk for type 2 diabetes due to abnormal or borderline lab findings. Another option for collecting data is through interviews and observation to confirm family history, diet, and exercise practices (Wang et al., 2017).

A limitation would be participant bias in reporting diet and exercise practices. Another limitation would be inconsistent data from EHRs. Lastly, due to the length of the study and requirements, there is an increased risk for participant dropout. However, measures can be taken to decrease some of the bias, such as standard verbiage for interviews and definitions (Wang et al., 2017). Alternatively, some proof of exercise and healthy eating could be incorporated, such as a food diary (Chen et al., 2020). Doing so could additionally improve accountability. Researchers can then utilize the evidence to provide a relationship between diet and exercise to prevent and worsen type 2 diabetes.

 Reference

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2020). Diabetes Fast Facts.

https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/basics/quick-facts.html

Chen, S. M., Lin, W. C., Lin, H. S., & Wu, J. (2020). Effects of a youth diabetes

prevention program on health-related outcomes in overweight male

adolescents. American Journal of Biomedical Science & Research, 8(2), 127-

135.

Wang, Z., Lapinski, M., Quilliam, E., Jaykus, L.-A., & Fraser, A. (2017). The effect of

hand-hygiene interventions on infectious disease-associated absenteeism in

elementary schools: A systematic literature review. AJIC: American Journal of

Infection Control, 45(6), 682–689. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajic.2017.01.018

Sample Answer 3 for NURS 8310 WEEK 4 EPIDEMIOLOGIC STUDY DESIGNS

Research plays an important role in various fields, including healthcare. The interest in population and population health has led to significant research efforts in a bid to improve population health. Research has been at the center for decades. Therefore, epidemiological study designs have prominently been used to offer insights into disease determinants and distribution within populations (Merrill, 2024). Some of the study designs used in this respect include cohort study, where exposure is followed over time, and case-control study design used in investigating rare conditions, among others. As such, the purpose of this assignment is to identify an epidemiologic association of interest and discuss an appropriate study design that can be used to explore the association.

The Population Health Topic and Research Question

            The population health topic of focus for this assignment is childhood obesity. This condition has been considered to be among the most common chronic conditions during childhood. It is important to note that this problem has existed for a long time. The concern is that the issue has gradually been on the rise, both in the developing and developed countries. Childhood obesity has also been shown to lead to many other health complications that may extend into adulthood. The treatment of the condition is also difficult due to several factors, such as lack of physical activity and poor nutrition, among other factors. It is important to study how modifying the factors can impact childhood obesity (Bülbül, 2020). Therefore, this assignment will focus on the association between physical activity and obesity.

Research Question: What is the impact of physical activity intervention on lowering the prevalence of childhood obesity among school-aged children?

The Epidemiological Study Design For Assessing and Addressing the Problem

As earlier indicated, the chosen research focuses on exploring the association between physical exercise interventions and lowering the incidences of obesity among children. Therefore, the best epidemiologic study design that can be used to address this problem is a randomized controlled trial. For years, this study design has been considered the gold standard in primary research, largely because of the power that comes with randomizations (Friis & Sellers, 2021). In reference to the proposed research, the participants are randomly assigned into either the intervention group receiving the physical exercise intervention or the control group, which does not receive any intervention.

It will be important to assess the children at the baseline during the intervention and follow-up visits to help measure the outcomes considered to be indicators of obesity prevalence, such as body mass index. As part of the process, the analysis of the data can then be used to reveal the impact of the physical exercise by comparing the outcomes between the control and intervention groups. This study design has been chosen because it offers a suitable platform to minimize confounding factors and biases, thereby offering high-quality evidence that can be used as a framework for establishing long-term strategies.

A Summary of Data Collection Activities to Be Used

            A proper investigation of the research question would require comprehensive data collection. As such, it is important to explore the possible data collection activities that can be performed. One of the activities would entail obtaining the anthropometric measurements, which involve taking the patient’s physical measurements such as weight and height, which is key in calculating the body mass index throughout the research period. Surveys can be used to obtain physical activity levels and dietary habits, among other demographic characteristics (Ferguson et al.,2022). An objective assessment should also be obtained since it can help obtain more accurate results. For example, physical activity as performed by the participants can be measured and recorded using activity trackers or accelerometers. Such devices can be worn during the times when the information needed is to be collected. This strategy can help obtain important information regarding the physical activity frequency, intensity and duration.

Methodologic Strategies to Be Used and Methods For Making The Selections

            As discussed earlier, a randomized controlled study design has been chosen for the research. Therefore, one of the methodologic strategies key to this design is recruitment of the study subjects and randomization. The recruitment drive can be carried out in healthcare settings, communities, and schools, where children of school-going age and at risk of experiencing obesity can be found. After recruitment, the children can then be randomly assigned to either the control or intervention group (Berger et al.,2021). Using the randomization strategy helps minimize selection bias and ensure comparability between groups.

As part of the research rules and guidelines, it will be important to obtain informed consent during the recruitment. The participants are minors; therefore, informed consent will be obtained from the parents or guardians to ensure they participate voluntarily and adhere to the ethical guidelines put in place for research where human subjects are involved. The research involved exploring the impact of physical activity; as such, it will also be vital to carry out a baseline assessment to help gather baseline data such as weight, height, and physical activity. These values will play a key role in determining the efficacy of the program by comparing the values obtained upon the use of the intervention (Friis & Sellers, 2021).

The intervention will also be implemented as part of the methodologic aspects. Those in the intervention group would participate in the physical activity intervention while those randomized into the control group would only get a standard care. It will be important for healthcare professionals to supervise the physical activity sessions to ensure that the participants are doing the right thing. Data will also be collected throughout the intervention period to help in monitoring variations in the levels of physical activity and potential unintended consequences. The tools mentioned earlier will also be used to collect data on physical activity, which will then be combined with BMI measurements to determine the impact of the intervention. The follow-up assessment will also be accomplished at different points to measure changes in body weight and BMI.

The selected approach has various strengths and limitations worth exploring. One of the approaches used in randomization. One of the strengths is that it ensures that each subject has an equal chance of being in either of the groups, hence minimizing selection bias. On the other hand, the limitation is that it is ethically challenging to randomize particular individuals who could have pre-existing conditions (Friis & Sellers, 2021). Recruiting the participants was another strategy. Participants are to be recruited from diverse settings with increasing the generalizability of the findings. The limitation is that it may end up in low participation rates.

Ethical Considerations Pertaining to The Study

            There are various ethical considerations pertaining to this study. The research involved human beings. Therefore, informed consent should be obtained from the parents or guardians. The other one is privacy and confidentiality as the patient’s personal information should be safeguarded by securely storing sensitive information and blocking any unauthorized access. It is also important to ensure that there is equitable access and participation to help prevent coercion or exploitation and promote social justice (Friis & Sellers, 2021).

Conclusion

This assignment has focused on epidemiological study designs. The research has explored childhood obesity with a randomized controlled study design chosen as the suitable design. Besides, the write-up has explored preferred methodology, methods, and their strengths and weaknesses.

References

Berger, V. W., Bour, L. J., Carter, K., Chipman, J. J., Everett, C. C., Heussen, N., … & Randomization Innovative Design Scientific Working Group Robert A Beckman. (2021). A roadmap to using randomization in clinical trials. BMC Medical Research Methodology, 21, 1–24. Doi: 10.1186/s12874-021-01303-z

Bülbül, S. (2020). Exercise in the treatment of childhood obesity. Turkish Archives of Pediatrics, 55(1), 2. https://doi.org/10.14744%2FTurkPediatriArs.2019.60430

Ferguson, T., Olds, T., Curtis, R., Blake, H., Crozier, A. J., Dankiw, K., … & Maher, C. (2022). Effectiveness of wearable activity trackers to increase physical activity and improve health: a systematic review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses. The Lancet Digital Health, 4(8), e615-e626. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2589-7500(22)00111-X

Friis, R. H., & Sellers, T. A. (2021). Epidemiology for public health practice (6th ed.). Jones & Bartlett.

Merrill, R. M. (2024). Introduction to epidemiology. Jones & Bartlett Learning.