Epi
News Briefs - November 2018
Fine Particle Air
Pollution Called A Public Health Emergency In Plain Sight
Two Boston area academics Tufts University’s Douglas Brugge and
Boston University’s Kevin James Lane are sounding the alarm about the
health consequences of ambient air pollution by calling it the largest
environmental health problem worldwide causing over 4 million deaths.
Not only that, fine particulate matter smaller than 2.5 millionths of
a meter (PM 2.5) causes more deaths and illnesses than all other
environmental exposures combined. Most of the deaths caused by PM2.5
are caused by heart attacks and strokes. A recent WHO conference on
air pollution and health adopted a goal to reduce global deaths from
air pollution by two-thirds by 2030. To read more of the Brugge and
Lane statement, visit:
https://bit.ly/2TFSBXI
Survey Finds
Biostatisticians Frequently Asked To Perform Inappropriate Analysis
and Reporting
A random sample of biostatisticians sent a survey questionnaire about
inappropriate requests for assistance has found that such requests are
not infrequent. Almost 400 biostatisticians surveyed state that the 4
most frequently reported inappropriate requests (rated as “most
severe” by at least 20% of the respondents) were, in order of
frequency,
·
removing
or altering some data records to better support the research
hypothesis;
·
interpreting the statistical
findings on the basis of expectation, not actual results;
·
not
reporting the presence of key missing data that might bias the
results;
·
and
ignoring violations of assumptions that would change results from
positive to negative.
These
requests were reported most often by younger biostatisticians.
https://bit.ly/2y9R7vL
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