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This anthology of articles on causal inference and scientific paradigms
in epidemiology covers several important topics including the search
for causal explanations, the strengths and limitations of causal
criteria, quantitative approaches for assessing causal relationships
that are relevant to epidemiology and emerging paradigms in epidemiologic
research. In order to provide historical context, an overview of
philosophical and historical developments relevant to causal inference
in epidemiology and public health is also provided. Several theoretical
and applied aspects of causal inference are dealt with. The aim
of this Ebook is not only to summarize important developments in
causal inference in epidemiology but also to identify possible ways
to enhance the search for causal explanations for diseases and injuries.
Examples are provided from such fields as chronic disease epidemiology,
Veterans health, and environmental epidemiology. A particular goal
of the Ebook is to provide ideas for strengthening causal inference
in epidemiology in the context of refined research paradigms. These
topics are important because the results of epidemiologic studies
contribute to generalizable knowledge by clarifying the causes of
diseases, by combining epidemiologic data with information from
other disciplines (for example, psychology and industrial hygiene),
by evaluating the consistency of epidemiologic data with etiological
hypotheses about causation, and by providing the basis for evaluating
procedures for health promotion and prevention and public health
practices.
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