Core Courses

The required core courses are: Obesity Epidemiology (ID537) taught by Dr. Jorge Chavarro and Dr. Frank Hu (alternate course ID 221 taught by Dr. Alberto Ascherio, Fall 2021); Nutritional Epidemiology (ID214) taught by Dr. Walter Willett and Dr. Deirdre Tobias; and Advanced Topics in Public Health Nutrition Research and Practice (ID 541) taught by Dr. Erica Kenney and Dr. Steven Gortmaker. This latter course will cover more advanced study designs, prevention and policy research, and grant proposal development in obesity epidemiology and prevention research.

Because prerequisites for these core courses include basic epidemiology and biostatistics courses, the students who plan to take these courses should already have sufficient epidemiology/biostatistics background and skills. These core courses cover determinants and consequences of obesity, epidemiologic methods to conduct obesity research, dietary and physical activity assessment methods, dietary intervention studies, and prevention of obesity and related chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease and cancer.

The core courses will give students a good grasp of current evidence on the burden, causes, consequences, and prevention of obesity from an epidemiological perspective and common epidemiologic methods to conduct obesity research, as well as skills for critical analysis of studies in obesity epidemiology and prevention.

Upon graduation, students registered in the concentration will apply to receive a certificate attesting to the completion of the requirements of the Obesity Epidemiology and Prevention Program.

ID537 Obesity Epidemiology – Core Course 

Fall – Not available Fall 2021 semester
Department of Epidemiology, Department of Nutrition
Instructors: Dr. Jorge Chavarro, Dr. Frank Hu
2.5 Credits
Lectures. One 1.5-hour session each week.

This course reviews current evidence on the burden, causes, consequences, and prevention of obesity from an epidemiological perspective. The course also reviews common epidemiologic methods to conduct obesity research and provides students with skills to critically analyze studies in obesity epidemiology. The policy and public health implications of recent findings in obesity research are discussed through case-studies.

Course Prerequisites: ID538 or ID201 or PHS2000 [(BIO200 or BIO201 or BIO202&203 or BIO206&207 or BIO206&208 or BIO206&209) and (EPI500 or EPI201 or EPI208 or EPI505)] ID538 may be taken concurrently.

ID221 Nutritional Epidemiology II – Alternative to ID537

Fall 2021                                                                                                                                                        Department of Nutrition, Department of Epidemiology
Instructors: Dr. Alberto Ascherio
2.5 credits
Lectures. One 1.5-hour session each week.

This course addresses methodological aspects of research in nutritional epidemiology. Topics include validation studies, adjustment for energy intake, and correction of measurement error. Theoretical as well as practical aspects will be covered. This course is intended primarily for students interested in doing epidemiologic research.

Course Activities: Review of original articles, data analyses, computer simulations.

Course Prerequisites: ID214. EPI and BST core (ex. EPI201 and BST201 or ID201). PHS2000 fulfills BST requirement and can be taken concurrently.

ID214 Nutritional Epidemiology – Core Course  

Spring
Department of Nutrition, Department of Epidemiology
Instructors: Dr. Walter C. Willett, Dr. Deirdre Tobias
2.5 credits
Lectures. One 1.5-hour session each week.

Reviews methods for assessing the dietary intake of populations and individuals. Students gain experience in the actual collection, analysis and interpretation of dietary intake. The course also reviews several specific diet/disease relationships, integrating information from international studies, secular trends, clinical trials, analytical epidemiology, and animal experiments.

Course Prerequisites: EPI and BST core (ex. EPI201 and BST201 or ID201). PHS2000 fulfills BST requirement and can be taken concurrently.

ID 541 Advanced Topics in Public Health Nutrition Research and Practice – Core Course

Spring
Department of Nutrition, Department Social and Behavioral Sciences
Instructors: Dr. Erica Kenney, Dr. Steven Gortmaker
2.5 credits
Lectures. 2, 1.5 hour sessions each week.

This course reviews advanced methods in assessment of obesity, diet, and physical activity in epidemiologic and intervention studies. It also reviews study designs, cost-effectiveness analysis, and evaluation methods in obesity research. The course also discusses the role of physical environment, food environment, and policy environment in the current epidemic of obesity and reviews the impact of the nutrition transition and globalization of the economy on obesity risk in developing countries. Finally, the course examines the state of translational and dissemination research in obesity prevention.

Course Prerequisite(s): (ID200 or EPI200 or EPI201 or EPI208 or EPI505) and ID537.