Strength and Weakness of the EBPH in Defining a Public Health Problem

Discussion—Strength and Weakness of the EBPH in Defining a Public Health Problem

Based on the review of the seven-stage, sequential framework to promote greater use of EBPH, do the following:

The application of evidence-based principles to a public health issue (TOBACCO USAGE in Oklahoma) demands a scientific quantification of said public health issue. An integral component of the community assessment should include the targeted health condition or risk factor being considered, the population affected, the size and scope of the problem, prevention opportunities, and potential stakeholders. To aid in this task, epidemiology and the US surveillance system are applied to track and obtain necessary information about the frequency of the health condition or risk factor in an affected population.

Although data from surveillance systems can be used to obtain baseline and follow-up measurements for target populations, there may be limitations when using the data to evaluate intervention effectiveness for narrowly defined populations. In such a case, it may be necessary to estimate the frequency of disease or other health condition for the target population by using special surveys or appropriate study designs. Understanding the tradeoffs of various study designs will improve how you evaluate the effects of various public health programs and policies.

Review the study designs from the readings assigned and suggested for this week and present a brief summary of the appropriateness and advantages of using each study design as part of your effort to quantify the public health issue that you identified in Week 1 as part of your community assessment (TOBACCO USAGE in OKLAHOMA).