Ateneo - UPO

Statistics: basic statistical knowledge, including random variables, descriptive statistics, probability, distributions and statistical inference. Working with data: use of the R software for statistical analysis and graphics. Epidemiology: epidemiological methods in public health; epidemiological study designs (clinical trials, cohort studies, case control, transversal and descriptive studies); sources of uncertainty (role of chance, bias and confounding). Systematic reviews and meta-analysis: protocol writing, meta-analysis and risk of bias assessment.

OpenIntro Statistics https://www.openintro.org/book/os/

Kenneth J. Rothman. Epidemiology: an introduction. Oxford University Press.

Students will have access to lecture slides and supplementary materials, including scientific publications.

The course aims to provide:
–        basic concepts in statistics and epidemiology;
–        the know-how to perform and interpret systematic reviews and meta-analyses.

Basic mathematics

Lectures, R computer labs and hands-on practicals.

Students with physical disabilities, Learning Disabilities or Special Education Needs can request specific services and tools via the Staff Sviluppo e Coordinamento Carriere e Servizi alle Studentesse e agli Studenti, consulting the University webpage: https://www.uniupo.it/en/services/services-students-physical-or-learning-disabilities
Students with disabilities, learning disabilities or special education needs, once they have contacted the University Staff, can refer to the tutor in charge of the course to define the examination modalities, concerning academic aspects.

Examination and assessment methods

The written examination will be a DIR-based examination worth a total of 64 points, corresponding to a maximum of 32 points in the final grade. It will assess both theoretical knowledge and the practical application of the concepts and methods covered in the course, including statistical analyses and procedures.

The 64 points will be distributed across the three modules as follows:

* Statistics: 32 points;
* Epidemiology: 16 points;
* Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis: 16 points.

Questions may include text-response questions, numerical-response questions, multiple-choice questions (single best option), true/false questions, or combinations of these formats. Questions may carry different weights depending on their difficulty and complexity.

The examination will last 120 minutes. Students may return to previously answered or unanswered questions at any time during the examination.

The examination will be graded on a 32-point scale. The minimum passing score is 18/32, while 31–32/32 corresponds to 30/30 cum laude. Unanswered questions receive zero points. Incorrect answers to questions with predefined answer options may incur a penalty equal to 1/(n−1) of the value assigned to the question, where n is the number of answer options. For example, for a question worth 4 points with five answer options, an incorrect answer would result in a 1 point deduction. No penalty applies to incorrect numerical-response questions.

Students may use a calculator and blank sheets of paper provided by the lecturers for calculations. Only the paper provided during the examination may be used for writing or calculations. Personal notes, formula sheets, textbooks, and other reference materials are not permitted. Where necessary, supporting materials, such as formulae or R code, may be provided within the examination.

Additional oral assessment

Before the grade is finalized, the lecturers may require an additional oral examination to further assess the student’s knowledge and understanding. The oral examination may only be initiated by the lecturers and cannot be requested by students to improve their grade. Its outcome may confirm or modify the written examination grade, either upward or downward, including below the minimum passing threshold.

Examination accommodations

Students with disabilities, Specific Learning Disorders (SLDs), or Special Educational Needs (SENs) may request appropriate support according to University procedures. After contacting the relevant University service, students may contact the course instructor to arrange appropriate examination accommodations.

Examination environment and permitted devices

The examination will take place in a university computer laboratory using the DIR platform and Safe Exam Browser (SEB), which restricts access to unauthorized applications, websites, and computer functions.

The examination is an individual assessment. Communication with others and the use of unauthorized materials or devices are prohibited. Smartphones, smartwatches, earphones/headphones, and similar devices must be switched off and stored away for the entire examination. Lecturers may use appropriate means to detect unauthorized electronic devices, in accordance with University procedures and applicable regulations.

Statistics

Basic concepts of descriptive statistics. Summary statistics for a single variable, including the mean and other measures of central tendency and variability. Graphical representation of data using histograms and boxplots.
Bivariate analysis and regression models.
Probability and discrete random variables. Continuous random variables. The normal (Gaussian) distribution, areas under the normal distribution, and standardization. Confidence intervals and the Student’s t-distribution.
Statistical hypothesis testing and p-values. One-sided and two-sided alternative hypotheses. One-sample and two-sample t-tests. Chi-square tests and analysis of variance (ANOVA).
Introduction to R. Data import from Excel into R. Data visualization using base R and the ggplot2 package. Data simulation and statistical analysis with R.

Epidemiology: Definition of epidemiology. Measures of occurrence and association. Main Epidemiological studies: clinical trials, cohort studies, case-control studies, cross-sectional studies, descriptive studies. Sources of uncertainty in epidemiology: the role of chance, bias and confounding.

Systematic review and meta-analysis: refine research question, protocol writing and registration, meta-synthesis of qualitative data, meta-analysis techniques, the risk of bias assessment. In addition to the theoretical knowledge, students will gain practical experience by designing a systematic review and meta-analysis, including writing a protocol on a pre-assigned topic.

The students will be able to:
–        determine the appropriate statistical procedures for specified data sets and independently perform statistical analyses;
–        understand and interpret epidemiological studies;
–        critically interpret and design a systematic reviews and meta-analysis.