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An Examination of Epidemiological Study Designs in Veterinary Science Jonah Nelson Cullen Iowa State University

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An Examination of Epidemiological Study Designs in Veterinary Science Jonah Nelson Cullen Iowa State University Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Graduate Theses and Dissertations Dissertations 2016 An examination of epidemiological study designs in veterinary science Jonah Nelson Cullen Iowa State University Follow this and additional works at: https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/etd Part of the Epidemiology Commons, and the Veterinary Medicine Commons Recommended Citation Cullen, Jonah Nelson, "An examination of epidemiological study designs in veterinary science" (2016). Graduate Theses and Dissertations. 15687. https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/etd/15687 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Dissertations at Iowa State University Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Iowa State University Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. An examination of epidemiological study designs in veterinary science by Jonah N. Cullen A thesis submitted to the graduate faculty in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE Major: Veterinary Preventive Medicine Program of Study Committee: Annette M. O’Connor, Major Professor Duck-chul Lee Kenneth J. Koehler Jeffrey J. Zimmerman Iowa State University Ames, Iowa 2016 Copyright © Jonah N. Cullen, 2016. All rights reserved. ii DEDICATION This thesis is dedicated to my amazing wife Kelly, and always-supportive parents Dan and Jeanne. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ........................................................................................ vi CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION ......................................................................... 1 Background ........................................................................................................ 1 Objectives ........................................................................................................ 2 Thesis Organization ............................................................................................ 2 References............................................................................................................ 4 CHAPTER 2 A REVIEW FOR CLINCIANS PLANNING HOSPITAL-BASED OBSERVATIONAL STUDIES TO INVESTIGATE DISEASE ETIOLOGY USING THE CASE-CONTROL DESIGN .............................................................. 5 Purpose and Scope .............................................................................................. 5 What Constitutes a Case-Control Design? ......................................................... 6 Why Choose a Case-Control Design to Investigate Etiology? .......................... 9 When is the Case-Control Design the “Best” Option? ...................................... 11 How to Select Cases and Controls? ................................................................... 13 Source population of cases and control ......................................... 13 The “nature” of the cases ............................................................... 17 The number of control groups ........................................................ 18 Size of the control group ................................................................ 19 Population type .............................................................................. 19 Timing of control selection ............................................................ 21 Design Consideration for the Practical Management of Common Biases .......... 23 Restriction ...................................................................................... 24 Matching ........................................................................................ 25 Analytical methods ........................................................................ 27 Interpretation of the Odds Ratio ......................................................................... 29 Describing the odds ratio ............................................................... 29 Cross-product ratio estimation ....................................................... 31 Conclusions ........................................................................................................ 34 Glossary ........................................................................................................ 35 References ........................................................................................................ 36 CHAPTER 3 A SURVEY OF CASE-CONTROL STUDIES IN VETERINARY SCIENCE ........................................................................................................ 41 Abstract ........................................................................................................ 41 Introduction ........................................................................................................ 42 iv Background and rationale .............................................................. 42 Objectives ...................................................................................... 44 Methods ........................................................................................................ 44 Study design ................................................................................... 44 Information sources and electronic search ..................................... 45 Study selection ............................................................................... 45 Data collection process .................................................................. 46 Data items ...................................................................................... 47 Bias ................................................................................................ 49 Study size ....................................................................................... 49 Quantitative variables .................................................................... 50 Statistical methods ......................................................................... 50 Results ........................................................................................................ 50 Study population ............................................................................ 50 Descriptive data ............................................................................. 51 Approach to case selection ............................................................. 53 Approach to control selection ........................................................ 53 Effect measure reported ................................................................. 54 Discussion ........................................................................................................ 56 Key results ..................................................................................... 56 Limitations ..................................................................................... 59 Generalizability .............................................................................. 61 Footnotes ........................................................................................................ 63 Figures ........................................................................................................ 64 Tables ........................................................................................................ 65 References ........................................................................................................ 73 CHAPTER 4 A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS OF THE ANTIBIOTIC TREATMENT FOR INFECTIOUS BOVINE KERATOCONJUNCTIVITIS: AND UPDATE ...................................................... 75 Abstract ........................................................................................................ 75 Introduction. ........................................................................................................ 76 Rationale ........................................................................................ 76 Methods ........................................................................................................ 78 Protocol and registration ................................................................ 79 Eligibility criteria ........................................................................... 79 Information sources ....................................................................... 81 Search ............................................................................................. 82 Study selection ............................................................................... 82 Data extraction process .................................................................. 84 Data items ...................................................................................... 84 Geometry of the network studies ................................................... 86 Risk of bias within individual studies ............................................ 87 Summary measures ........................................................................ 89 Planned method of statistical analysis ........................................... 90 v Risk of bias assessment .................................................................. 92 Ancillary analysis ........................................................................... 92 Results ........................................................................................................ 92 Study selection ..............................................................................
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