Assignment: Week 2 Population Health and Epidemiology
Assignment: Week 2 Population Health and Epidemiology
In 3–4 pages (not including title page and references), analyze the data sources you selected by addressing the following:
Briefly identify the population health problem you selected.
Identify each data set you selected.
Identify the variables in each data set you would need to examine the association of interest.
Assess the validity of each data set. Has it been used for prior studies/publications?
Explain challenges you might face as a researcher in identifying a proper data set or securing permission to use it.
Explain how these methods and sources would influence the completeness of case identification as well as the case definition/diagnostic criteria used.
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NURS 6700 Week 2 Assignment
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common preventable and treatable
non-communicable respiratory disease in the United States of America. Emphysema and chronic bronchitis form the COPD entity and have been associated with a high morbidity and mortality incidence. The purpose of this paper is to describe COPD, identify and select a data set, the variables needed to be examined, and the validity of each data set. The paper will also discuss the challenges a researcher may face in identifying a proper data set and how these methods and sources influence the completeness and case definition or diagnostic criteria.
Explaining Population Health Problem
COPD is a respiratory condition characterized by irreversible airflow obstruction and abnormal lung inflammatory response. The abnormal inflammatory response in COPD results from innate and adaptive immune responses to long-term exposure to irritative particles and gases, particularly cigarette smoke. The inflammatory response causes airway remodeling and accumulation of inflammatory exudates, mucus hypersecretion, and ciliary dysfunction in the smaller airways (Szalontai et al., 2021).Additionally, there is a loss of lung elastic recoil and destruction of alveolar support, resulting in prolonged expiration and increased work of breathing and gaseous exchange abnormalities. As a result, patients with COPD often present with a long history of progressive dyspnea, late onset of nonproductive cough, frequent and recurrent pulmonary infections, and cardiorespiratory failure.
COPD is estimated to have affected more than 210 million people worldwide and accounts for more than four million deaths, accounting for around 9% of total deaths (Safiri et al., 2022). Ninety percent of these deaths have been reported to have occurred in low- and middle-income countries, and COPD is currently the seventh leading cause of poor health worldwide, resulting from acute exacerbations measured by disability-adjusted life years. COPD is more common among persons aged above 40 years, those with a significant smoking history, females, and obese. Persons with a family history of neutrophil elastase deficiency are also at high risk for COPD. Additionally, the World Health Organization states that COPD is more common in the USA, the Eastern Mediterranean region, Europe, Africa, the Western Pacific region, and South East Asia. Between 2011 and 2021, the number of prevalent cases of COPD has been increasing over the years despite the percentage of individuals affected remaining constant (Liu et al., 2023). The prevalence of COPD among adults aged below 45 years declined in the same period due to a reduction in the number of smoking among adults aged 18–44 years.
Data Sets Appraisal
Several data sets were utilized to obtain information regarding the epidemiology. One of the sources used is information from the WHO. The advantages of obtaining data from this source are that the information is reliable as it is verified and has been used for further research. In addition, the organization can provide information from global sources and national reports, thus providing global statistics. However, due to the complexity of data collection and website updates, it may take long for the information to be updated yearly. Approved reports from published articles whose data was obtained from correct statistical methods can also be used as a source. The main advantage of this data source is that it is easy to have updated statistical information and recognize any changes in disease (Nick et al., 2022). However, the information may be biased based on the authors’ interests and may be unreliable as the sample size may not be representative of the total population.
Another source usedis national records. These sources utilize information from disease records and hospital records in each country for recording. As a result, the information is accurate and complete and offers a wide range of data. However, this source is unreliable in countries with poor disease reporting and surveillance(Nick et al., 2022).When conducting a study, researchers often face challenges in obtaining updated and reliable sources, bias-free information, and the cost of securing the source.
Variables Needed for Examining
The variables that I would need to examine for personal interest are those crucial for descriptive analysis. For descriptive person characteristics, I would wish to examine differences in prevalence according to age and associated risk factors. For the time characteristics, I would wish to examine how the disease prevalence has varied over a certain time interval, including the incidence and mortality rates (Cooksey, 2020). I would also want to know the seasonality of COPD exacerbations over the years. For the place characteristic, I would wish to examine disease incidence and distribution over the different geographic regions to identify areas with high prevalence.
Appreciating the Data Sources
Different sources help one identify any changes in disease prevalence and incidence over time and place. In addition, they help guide a health professional on any updated information that may be present for diagnosis and treatment of the condition. For instance, various articles have been crucial in providing diagnostic criteria for COPD among patients and how to grade the severity of a disease based on the presenting symptoms(Nick et al., 2022). The information is crucial in enabling one to choose the appropriate treatment modality for every patient they encounter and learn about the importance of case reporting for further research.
Conclusion
COPD is a lower respiratory tract condition that affects a significant proportion of the global population. Information regarding COPD has been crucial in defining the health problem, making it crucial to appreciate the different data sources. It is also essential to identify a data source that provides reliable, accurate, and trustworthy information before utilizing it for clinical practice.
References
Cooksey, R. W. (2020). Descriptive Statistics for Summarising Data. Illustrating Statistical Procedures: Finding Meaning in Quantitative Data, 61. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-2537-7_5
Liu, Y., Carlson, S. A., Watson, K. B., Xu, F., &Greenlund, K. J. (2023). Trends in the Prevalence of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Among Adults Aged ≥18 Years — United States, 2011–2021. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 72(46), 1250. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7246a1
Nick, J. M., & Sarpy, N. L. (2022). An analysis of data sources and study registries used in systematic reviews. Worldviews on Evidence-Based Nursing, 19(6), 450. https://doi.org/10.1111/wvn.12614
Safiri, S., Carson-Chahhoud, K., Noori, M., Nejadghaderi, S. A., Sullman, M. J. M., AhmadianHeris, J., Ansarin, K., Mansournia, M. A., Collins, G. S., Kolahi, A. A., & Kaufman, J. S. (2022). Burden of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and its attributable risk factors in 204 countries and territories, 1990-2019: results from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. BMJ (Clinical research ed.), 378, e069679. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj-2021-069679
Szalontai, K., Gémes, N., Furák, J., Varga, T., Neuperger, P., Balog, J. Á., Puskás, L. G., &Szebeni, G. J. (2021). Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Epidemiology, Biomarkers, and Paving the Way to Lung Cancer. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 10(13), 2889. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm10132889