Epidemiology for Public Health Practice Assignment: Complete Assessment Guide

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The Epidemiology for Public Health Practice written assignment requires students to apply epidemiological concepts to real-world public health scenarios. The assessment combines quantitative analysis, critical evaluation of screening methods, surveillance approaches and outbreak investigation skills.

Students are expected to demonstrate their ability to interpret epidemiological data, evaluate public health interventions, analyse disease patterns and communicate findings effectively to both professional and public audiences.

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Master of Public Health (Online)

Epidemiology for Public Health Practice – Written Assignment

Assessment Weighting:
100% of overall course mark

Assignment Length:
3,000 words

Submission Format:
Written assignment

The assessment evaluates your understanding of epidemiological concepts, public health decision-making, surveillance methods and outbreak response.

Task 1: Epidemiological Methods and Public Health Decision-Making

Short Answer Questions (Approximately 1,000 Words)

Task 1 requires students to apply epidemiological principles to diagnostic testing, screening programmes and disease surveillance scenarios.

Question 1: Diagnostic Test Evaluation

A new blood test is being developed for pollen allergies.

A total of:

• 939 people are sent to the laboratory for testing
• 219 diagnosed cases are included
• The blood test produces 210 positive results
• 112 positive results are true positives

You are required to:

a) Calculate Diagnostic Test Measures

Calculate:

• Sensitivity
• Specificity
• Predictive values

You must:

• Show your calculations
• Explain what each measure indicates in your own words

This section assesses understanding of diagnostic accuracy measures and interpretation of screening test results.

b) Evaluate a Population Screening Programme

The test developers suggest implementing a population-level screening programme for pollen allergies.

Discuss whether you would support this proposal.

Your discussion should consider:

• Benefits and limitations of screening
• Diagnostic accuracy
• Potential harms
• Public health implications
• Resource considerations
• Ethical considerations

The response should provide a justified public health recommendation.

Question 2: Epidemiological Surveillance Methods

You have become the Medical Officer of Health for a coastal region.

Two epidemiologists disagree about migraine surveillance findings.

Epidemiologist A

Conducted a telephone survey and found:

• 300 cases per thousand people reported migraines during the previous month

Epidemiologist B

Analysed regional hospital records and found:

• 50 cases per thousand people during the previous month

Public concern has increased following claims that a newly installed 5G tower may be causing migraines.

a) Compare Surveillance Approaches

Describe the advantages and disadvantages of both surveillance methods.

Discuss:

Telephone Survey

Consider:

• Strengths of collecting self-reported information
• Population coverage
• Recall bias
• Response bias
• Cost and feasibility

Hospital Record Surveillance

Consider:

• Accuracy of clinical diagnoses
• Data availability
• Under-reporting
• Healthcare access differences
• Representativeness

Your answer should critically compare both approaches.

b) Interpret Differences in Island Surveillance Data

A nearby island country conducts surveillance using a combination of:

• Telephone surveys
• Hospital records

The results are compared with the previous year after installation of a 5G tower.

You must describe possible reasons behind differences in migraine cases compared with the previous year.

Consider:

• Changes in reporting behaviour
• Surveillance differences
• Seasonal variation
• Population changes
• Diagnostic practices
• Other possible explanations

Task 2: Outbreak Scenario – Salmonella Saintpaul Investigation

Outbreak Investigation Report (Approximately 1,500 Words)

You receive an outbreak notification regarding increasing cases of Salmonella Saintpaul in the USA.

The scenario involves:

• Multiple laboratory-confirmed cases
• Cases across different states
• Possible travel-related cases
• Public concern and media attention
• Food contamination rumours
• Possible links to restaurants and food products

The outbreak team requires you to prepare an informative report explaining what is currently known and proposing next steps.

Your report should consider:

Outbreak Description

Include:

• Background information
• Current situation
• Number of identified cases
• Epidemiological concerns

Descriptive Epidemiology

Analyse:

• Person
• Place
• Time

Hypothesis Generation

Discuss possible sources of infection, including:

• Food exposures
• Travel history
• Restaurant links
• Other possible transmission pathways

Outbreak Response Recommendations

Propose appropriate public health actions, such as:

• Case investigation
• Contact tracing
• Laboratory investigation
• Environmental assessment
• Food safety measures
• Risk communication

Public Press Release (Approximately 500 Words)

Prepare a public-facing communication about the outbreak.

Your press release should:

• Clearly explain the situation
• Avoid unnecessary technical language
• Provide accurate information
• Address public concerns
• Explain recommended actions

The assignment specifically requires a short public press release as part of Task 2.

Assessment Criteria

Assignments are assessed according to:

• Understanding of key concepts
• Strength and cohesion of argument
• Critical and conceptual analysis
• Structure and organisation
• Clarity of expression
• Presentation
• Appropriate referencing

Submission Requirements

Your assignment must:

• Be submitted as one document
• Include a cover sheet containing:
  • Assignment title
  • Word count
  • Exam number

Your name should not appear anywhere in the assignment.

Late submissions receive penalties, and assignments exceeding the word limit may receive deductions.

How to Achieve a High Mark in This Epidemiology Assignment

A strong submission should demonstrate:

✓ Accurate epidemiological calculations
✓ Clear interpretation of diagnostic measures
✓ Critical evaluation of screening decisions
✓ Understanding of surveillance strengths and limitations
✓ Ability to analyse outbreak evidence
✓ Appropriate public health recommendations
✓ Clear professional communication
✓ Strong academic referencing

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