Nutritional Epidemiology
Learning objectives
Upon successful completion of the course the post-graduate students are expected to be able to:
- state and describe the basic principles of collecting and analysing dietary data
- design dietary questionnaires considering variation of dietary data
- examine the relative validity of dietary questionnaires using biomarkers of dietary intake
- apply methods to correct dietary intake considering energy intake (energy adjustment)
- Identify and measure errors arising during the estimation of usual dietary intake (under-reporters)
- analyse dietary data in relation to health-related data
- interpret findings deriving from nutritional epidemiology studies
- evaluate the methodological rigor of nutritional epidemiology studies
Course content
The course introduces students to the concept, principles, and applications of nutritional epidemiological research. The following topics are covered:
- Introduction to nutritional epidemiology
- Dietary intake assessment at the individual level (questionnaires and biomarkers)
- Analysis of dietary data at the food or nutrient level
- Analysis of dietary data at the level of dietary patterns (scales of dietary intake- Mediterranean diet scale)
- Sources of variability/variation in the diet
- Testing the performance of methods used for collecting dietary data
- Design of a study to assess the relative validity of a dietary questionnaire
- Data analysis of the validity study
- Special issues arising during nutritional epidemiology data analysis
- Methods of estimating dietary intake after energy adjustment
- Excluding under-reporters.
- Special issues arising during nutritional epidemiology data analysis (practical exercise)
- Discussion of a published study on nutritional epidemiology
- Nutritional epidemiological studies in Greece (group presentations)
- Special applications of nutritional epidemiology studies
- Evaluation of dietary preferences through risk-benefit assessment methods (Risk-Benefit Assessment)
- From the epidemiological findings to the formulation and implementation of a nutrition policy
The teaching methods include lectures, practical exercises, and the preparation of a group assignment and presentation.
Category: 2nd semester – Selective