Nightingale- Final part of Epidemiology Paper

Milestone 3 Study Designs Diana Berrios IHP -330 MILESTONE 3 2 Study Design Cross -sectional Study Design The researcher will utilize a cross -sectional study design, which is a research method whereby data about a variable of interest are collected on once in a given period of time or over a short period of time. The researcher selected this study design because it provides a snapshot of the prevalence and frequency of human papilloma virus if the throat (disease) and the different health related factors for the population under study at a specific time . In addition, this design will assist in assessing the burden of d isease in the target population. An appropriate study design ensures that the research will be conducted in a systematic manner that will ensur e the validity and reliability of the study findings (Woodward, 2013) . The study design will be used to identify the patterns of HPV of the throat including the specific factors predisposing the target population including those people living with HIV&AID S. The design will help in the collection of quantitative data about specific factors contributing to the HPV of the throat and in regard to the factors under investigation. Cross -sectional studies have several advantages which include they are relatively quick and simple to conduct since it does not requi re a longer period of follow -up. In addition it allows the study of multiple outcomes and exposure. Despite the strengths, the cross -sectional design has some limitations. First it is very hard to find o ut if the outcome was preceded by an exposure in time or whether an exposure to the factors under study resulted from the outcome. This study design is also not suitable for researching of MILESTONE 3 3 a rare condition or disease especially within a short period of time. In addition, it is very difficult to interpret the identified associations during in the study (Woodward, 2013) . Measures of association refer to several coefficients, which measure the statistical strength of the relationship between the variables under study . There are several measures of association but each measure is suitable for a specific study design . In this study, the researcher will utilize prevalence odds ratio (POR) which is measured in the same way as the odds ratio (OR). POR refers to a meas ure of association between two variables under study, which is mostly used in cross -sectional studies (Woodward, 2013) . This measure of association is app ropriate cross - sectional studies because it is preferred for the study of chronic diseases or risk fac tors that occur over a long period . Interventions to prevent HPV of the throat Health promotion strategies need to be put in place to address this growing public health issues through primary, secondary and tertiary interventions. Oral HPV is a preventable condition and if sensitization is conducted on the prevention, we will reduce the prevalence and eventually eliminate new cases of the infection. The Center for Disease Control and prevention recommends that all individuals should get three shots of HPV vaccine over a period of six months. For this vaccine to be effective, it is ver y essential to receive the three sho ts although it does not protect one against oropharyngeal cancers associated with HPV but it is the be a way to prevent HPV (Herrero et al., 2013) . Other prevention measures include limiting the number of sexual partners that a person has since multiple sexual partners is a risk fa ctor to HPV. Abstain from oral sex in case you are not fam iliar with the oral sex partner and if you have to engage in oral sex make sure you utilize dental dams or condoms. Additionally, it is important to ask the sexual partner whether MILESTONE 3 4 thy have recently get tested for sexually transmitted diseases and remember always to use a condom every time you engage in sexual intercourse (Kreimer, Bhatia, Messeguer, González, Herrero & Giuliano, 2010) . Du ring the six -month dental checkups, always ask the dentist to look for anything abnorm al in the oral cavity and always do a self -examination to palpate for anything abnormal in the mouth. Regular screening is also vital to ensure early diagnosis and timely treatment of HPV of the throat and other oropharyngeal cancers (Harper, 2012 ). MILESTONE 3 5 References Harper, D. M. (2012). Prevention of HPV -Associated Diseases in the United States. HPV and Cervical Cancer , 211 -255. doi:10.1007/978 -1-4614 -1988 -4_9 Herrero, R., Quint, W., Hildesheim, A., Gonzalez, P., Struijk, L., Katki, H. A., ... & Jimenez, S. (2013). Reduced prevalence of oral human papillomavirus (HPV) 4 years after bivalent HPV vaccination in a randomized clinical trial in Costa Rica. PloS one , 8(7), e68329. Kreimer, A. R., Bhatia, R. K., Messeguer, A. L., González, P., Herrero, R., & Giuliano, A. R. (2010). Oral human papillomavirus in healthy individuals: a systematic review of the literature. Sexually transmitted diseases , 37 (6), 386 -391. Wood ward, M. (2013). Epidemiology: study design and data analysis . CRC press.