This book gives a comprehensive survey of the epidemiology of common environmental exposures, including diet, water, particulates in outdoor air, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, environmental tobacco smoke, radon in homes, electromagnetic fields, and lead. Design and analysis issues, risk assessment and meta-analysis, and future directions in environmental epidemiology are also covered. All chapters provide a review of the literature as well as a discussion of important methodologic issues, particularly exposure assessment and statistical methods. The book's focus is on environmental exposures that are suspected of causing disease, but often remain controversial. Most of these exposures are widespread and low-level, and are thought to increase the risk of chronic diseases that have many causes. Although the disease risks due to these exposures may be low, the public health burden may be important because large numbers of people are exposed. Such exposures are inherently difficult to detect via observational epidemiology. This book seeks to clarify the challenges involved and suggests ways to move forward. It will be useful to students and practitioners of public health, environmental health, and epidemiology.

Epidemiology, the so-called "science of public health," has undergone a boom in the last decade as public interest and engagement in population health has skyrocketed. While this boom has done much to spark advances in the technology of epidemiology, it has also made it harder for those who want to use epidemiology to guide policy and clinical practice to fully appreciate the meaning of the research findings. Interpreting Epidemiologic Evidence offers those who have had an introductory course in epidemiology the knowledge they need to make clear connections from research findings to practical applications. Written in clear and lively prose, it empowers students at all levels to evaluate a study's design, implementation, and ultimate findings, giving the guidance needed to apply the information appropriately. Liberal use of practical examples serves both to illustrate core concepts and to motivate readers to think critically about the causal connections that population health studies aim to explore. Completely revised and updated, this new edition of Interpreting Epidemiologic Evidence is an invaluable core text for both epidemiologists in training and practitioners across other disciplines with even an introductory knowledge of epidemiology.