Day 2

Developing study questions

1

✔ What are you curious about?

✔ From curiosity to a hypothesis

From a hypothesis to questions

2

What you just did

3

EPI Challenge

Master Proposal Form

Name of Team Member

________________

Sections of Proposal Form

4

0. Team information

1. Health-related behavior and hypothesis

2. Exposure variable and question for survey

3. Outcome variable and questions for survey

4. Cross-sectional study design

5. Informed consent script

6. Data analysis plan

7. Considerations forinterpretation

8. Plans for study conduct

9. Survey instrument

10.Letter to Principal

Sections of Proposal Form

5

0. Team information

1. Health-related behavior and hypothesis

2. Exposure variable and question for survey

3. Outcome variable and questions for survey

4. Cross-sectional study design

5. Informed consent script

6. Data analysis plan

7. Considerations forinterpretation

8. Plans for study conduct

9. Survey instrument

10.Letter to Principal

6

A hypothesis is an educated guess about how things work.

Most of the time a hypothesis in epidemiology is written like this: "If [Exposure] ___, then [Outcome]____ will happen.“

Your hypothesis should be something that you can actually test, what's called a testable hypothesis. In other words, you need to be able to measure both “Exposure" and “Outcome."

Hypothesis

Criteria for a Good Question

1. It should be clear and unambiguous, written so that its intended audience understands it.

Do you usually get a good night’s sleep?

Criteria for a Good Question

2. It should mean the same thing to everyone who reads it. In other words, if 100 students all behave the same way they must all select the same answer.

Typically, do you watch television five or more days a week?

Criteria for a Good Question

3. The answer options categorize and cover the entire range of possible behavior (from complete absence of the behavior to a maximum amount of the behavior).

How often do you usually bring your lunch to school?a. Neverb. 1-2 times per weekc. 2-4 times per weekd. Every day

Criteria for a Good Question

In the past two years, have you typically eaten five or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day?

4. The time period to consider when answering a particular question must be appropriate (long or short enough) to capture the frequency of behavior desired.

• It should be written so that its intended audience understands it.

• It should mean the same thing to everyone who reads it.

• The answer options must categorize and cover the entire range of possible behavior (from complete absence of the behavior to a maximum amount of the behavior).

• The time period to consider when answering a particular question must be appropriate (long or short enough) to capture the frequency of behavior desired (depending on the information desired and the type of behavior).

11

Characteristics of a Good Question

12

On an average school day, how many hours do you play video or computer games or use a computer for something that is not school work? (Count time spent on things such as Xbox, PlayStation, an iPod, an iPad or other tablet, a smartphone, YouTube, Facebook or other social networking tools, and the Internet.)

A. I do not play video or computer games or use a computer for something that is not school work

B. Less than 1 hour per day C. 1 hour per day D. 2 hours per day E. 3 hours per day F. 4 hours per day G. 5 or more hours per day

Characteristics of a Good Question

13

On an average school day, how many hours do you play video or computer games or use a computer for something that is not school work? (Count time spent on things such as Xbox, PlayStation, an iPod, an iPad or other tablet, a smartphone, YouTube, Facebook or other social networking tools, and the Internet.)

A. I do not play video or computer games or use a computer for something that is not school work

B. Less than 1 hour per day C. 1 hour per day D. 2 hours per day E. 3 hours per day F. 4 hours per day G. 5 or more hours per day

Characteristics of a Good Question

It should mean the same thing to everyone who reads it.

14

On an average school day, how many hours do you play video or computer games or use a computer for something that is not school work? (Count time spent on things such as Xbox, PlayStation, an iPod, an iPad or other tablet, a smartphone, YouTube, Facebook or other social networking tools, and the Internet.)

A. I do not play video or computer games or use a computer for something that is not school work

B. Less than 1 hour per day C. 1 hour per day D. 2 hours per day E. 3 hours per day F. 4 hours per day G. 5 or more hours per day

Characteristics of a Good Question

It should be written so that its intended audience understands it.

15

On an average school day, how many hours do you play video or computer games or use a computer for something that is not school work? (Count time spent on things such as Xbox, PlayStation, an iPod, an iPad or other tablet, a smartphone, YouTube, Facebook or other social networking tools, and the Internet.)

A. I do not play video or computer games or use a computer for something that is not school work

B. Less than 1 hour per day C. 1 hour per day D. 2 hours per day E. 3 hours per day F. 4 hours per day G. 5 or more hours per day

Characteristics of a Good Question

The answer options must categorize and cover the entire range of possible behavior (from complete absence of the behavior

to a maximum amount of the behavior).

16

On an average school day, how many hours do you play video or computer games or use a computer for something that is not school work? (Count time spent on things such as Xbox, PlayStation, an iPod, an iPad or other tablet, a smartphone, YouTube, Facebook or other social networking tools, and the Internet.)

A. I do not play video or computer games or use a computer for something that is not school work

B. Less than 1 hour per day C. 1 hour per day D. 2 hours per day E. 3 hours per day F. 4 hours per day G. 5 or more hours per day

Characteristics of a Good Question

The time period to consider when answering a particular question must be appropriate (long or short enough) to capture the frequency of behavior desired

(depending on the information desired and the type of behavior).

Preparation for

Second Morning Breakout

Teams: Write your exposure question and your outcome question

17

18

How do I write a good question?

• It should be written so that its intended audience understands it.

• It should mean the same thing to everyone who reads it.

• The answer options must categorize and cover the entire range of possible behavior (from complete absence of the behavior to a maximum amount of the behavior).

• The time period to consider when answering a particular question must be appropriate (long or short enough) to capture the frequency of behavior desired (depending on the information desired and the type of behavior).

You will have self-assessment sheets to be sure you are meeting these criteria

19

Study Proposal: Section 2

2. Exposure Variable

2a. Name your exposure variable.

2b. Define your exposure variable.

2c. State the question will you ask to measure your exposure variable.

2d. Identify the challenges you may have getting accurate answers to your exposure question.

2e. Describe how your team will address these challenges.

20

Study Proposal: Section 3

3. Outcome Variable

3a. Name your outcome variable.

3b. Define your outcome variable.

3c. State the question will you ask to measure your outcome variable.

3d. Identify the challenges you may have getting accurate answers to your outcome question.

3e. Describe how your team will address these challenges

Breakout Deliverables

21

Fill out sections 2 and 3 in the green proposal form

Prepare for the Gallery Walk after Breakout.

22

Can I answer

the question?

Benefits of Gallery WalkAllows Opportunities to Rehearse, Practice, Consult

Resources, Get Feedback, and Refine

HypothesisXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Expoure questionXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Outcome questionXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

23

Gallery Walk –After Breakout Session

Place your post-it on wall location as instructed by your Coaches

Follow the flow established for the walk

Using small post-its, try to thoughtfully comment on as many hypotheses within the timeframe

HypothesisXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Expoure questionXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Outcome questionXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Cross-Sectional Studies

• In a cross-sectional study, factors of exposure and outcome are measured simultaneously.

• Information on exposure and outcome must fit into a 2x2 table.• The main outcome measure obtained from a cross-sectional

study is prevalenceo A “yes/no” question will fito If using a multiple choice question, you will need a

predetermined “cut point” so there is a “higher/lower” range to fit into the 2x2 table.

o In this case, prevalence calculations require that the variable is divided into those values that fall below or above a particular pre-determined level.

From Epi Textbooks

24