Several epidemiologic studies have reported positive significant associations between the consumption of heavy metal contaminated drinking water and certain cancers. Assuming you are leading a team of epidemiologists to assess the effect of water contamination at Flint, Michigan:
i. Describe how you would conduct an ecologic study to examine whether the consumption of drinking water by residents of Flint, Michigan was associated with cancer risks.

ii. Describe inherent methodological limitations of ecologic studies and how you plan to address these limitations in your study.

iii. From your study the following results were generated:

Mean Annual Age-Adjusted Mortality Rates per 100,000 population and Ratios of Age-Adjusted Mortality Rates (RAMR)
Cancer Site
Community A
(Contaminated Water) Community B
(Clean Water) RAMR (95% CI)
All sites 135.66    103.09    1.32 (1.18 – 1.46 )
Rectum 3.45    2.43    1.42 (1.23 – 2.25)
Liver 36.45    29.37    1.49 (0.93 – 2.40)
Bladder 4.85    2.60    1.86 (1.54 – 3.50)
Kidney 1.73    0.69    2.51 (1.27 – 4.94)

(a) Explain these hypothetical results to a group of professionals at attending an APHA conference in Denver Colorado.

(b) You have been invited by the Michigan state senate ad hoc committee on Flint Water Disaster to give scientific evidence of effect of water contamination on the health of people. Use this hypothetical results as evidence-based report to argue for emergency funding for water decontamination.

i. Generate the descriptive statistics and perform an appropriate statistical analysis to determine whether there is a relationship between percent of household below poverty level and childhood lead poisoning rate across the Flint neighborhoods.
(a) Interpret your statistical results and create tables/figures in accordance with the APA guideline for the professional audience.
(b) Also, briefly address the results and their impacts written for a lay audience.
ii. Investigate whether the percent of household below poverty level predicts the childhood lead poisoning rate across the Flint neighborhoods.
(a) Interpret your statistical results and create tables/figures in accordance with the APA guideline for the professional audience.
(b) Also, briefly address the results and their impacts written for a lay audience.

 

 

 
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