Epidemiology in the News: Randomized Trials According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), asthma is a leading chronic illness in children ages 5 to 17, a leading cause of school absenteeism, and the third highest cause of hospitalizations in children younger than 15 (2011). The costs associated with treating this chronic illness are high. A number of randomized control trials have examined the effect of instituting a home management program for treating asthma in combination with pharmaceuticals. These studies found that, by implementing a structured home management program, the morbidity, severity, and frequency of asthmatic episodes were reduced (Agrawl, Singh, Mathew, & Malhi, 2005). Recent research is also exploring how and when to cut back on levels of medication as asthma episodes become controlled, further reducing the cost of this chronic illness; however, controversy remains over the long-term effects of reducing levels of medication due to the disparateness of asthma (Rogers & Reiberman, 2012). For this Discussion, you are asked to identify an example of an experimental study design in the popular literature and consider the ethical implications of the randomized control trial design. To prepare: Search the Internet and      credible websites to locate a news piece or article that features a      randomized trial study design. The article should be from a widely      distributed news source, accessible to and written for a lay audience.      Possible sources include, but are not limited to, online magazines, online      newspapers, and health news websites. Be sure to include a link to the      article in your posting. You may not select an article already posted by      one of your colleagues for this Discussion. Critically analyze the      following aspects of the research study: Purpose Study population Length of the trial Data collection methods Outcome measures Results and conclusions Ethical issues associated       with the study Ask yourself: How did this      research study benefit from its randomized design? What was discovered by      randomization that might not otherwise have been demonstrated? By tomorrow 03/20/2018 , write a minimum of 550 words in APA format with at least 3 scholarly references from the list of required readings below. Include the level one headings as numbered below” Post a cohesive scholarly response that addresses the following: 1) Summarize the research study addressing the aspects bulleted above. In your posting, provide a link to the article you selected. 2) Identify and discuss the ethical issues associated with this study. Required Readings Friis, R. H., & Sellers, T. A. (2014). Epidemiology for public health practice (5th ed.). Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett. Chapter 8, “Experimental Study Designs” This chapter examines experimental and quasi-experimental study designs. Johnson, T. S. (2010). A brief review of pharmacotherapeutic treatment options ...

1. Epidemiology in the News: Randomized Trials
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), asthma is
a leading chronic illness in children ages 5 to 17, a leading
cause of school absenteeism, and the third highest cause of
hospitalizations in children younger than 15 (2011). The costs
associated with treating this chronic illness are high.
A number of randomized control trials have examined the effect
of instituting a home management program for treating asthma
in combination with pharmaceuticals. These studies found that,
by implementing a structured home management program, the
morbidity, severity, and frequency of asthmatic episodes were
reduced (Agrawl, Singh, Mathew, & Malhi, 2005). Recent
research is also exploring how and when to cut back on levels
of medication as asthma episodes become controlled, further
reducing the cost of this chronic illness; however, controversy
remains over the long-term effects of reducing levels of
medication due to the disparateness of asthma (Rogers &
Reiberman, 2012).
For this Discussion, you are asked to identify an example of an
experimental study design in the popular literature and consider
the ethical implications of the randomized control trial design.
To prepare:
Search the Internet and credible websites to locate a news
piece or article that features a randomized trial study design.
The article should be from a widely distributed news source,
accessible to and written for a lay audience. Possible sources

2. include, but are not limited to, online magazines, online
newspapers, and health news websites. Be sure to include a
link to the article in your posting. You may not select an
article already posted by one of your colleagues for this
Discussion.
Critically analyze the following aspects of the research
study:
Purpose
Study population
Length of the trial
Data collection methods
Outcome measures
Results and conclusions
Ethical issues associated with the study
Ask yourself: How did this research study benefit from its
randomized design? What was discovered by randomization
that might not otherwise have been demonstrated?
By tomorrow 03/20/2018 , write a minimum of 550 words in
APA format with at least 3 scholarly references from the list of
required readings below. Include the level one headings as
numbered below”

3. Post
a cohesive scholarly response that addresses the following:
1) Summarize the research study addressing the aspects bulleted
above. In your posting, provide a link to the article you
selected.
2) Identify and discuss the ethical issues associated with this
study.
Required Readings
Friis, R. H., & Sellers, T. A. (2014). Epidemiology for public
health practice (5th ed.). Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett.
Chapter 8, “Experimental Study Designs”
This chapter examines experimental and quasi-experimental
study designs.
Johnson, T. S. (2010). A brief review of pharmacotherapeutic
treatment options in smoking cessation: Bupropion versus
varenicline. Journal of the American Academy of Nurse
Practitioners, 22(10), 557–563.
The authors of this article explored treatment options for
smoking cessation by examining the research literature,
including looking at the results of randomized control trials.
This article provides an example of how such a literature review

4. can influence practice demonstrate the use and benefits of
randomized control trial study designs.
Milligan, K., Niccols, A., Sword, W., Thabane, L., Henderson,
J., Smith, A., & Liu, J. (2010). Maternal substance use and
integrated treatment programs for women with substance abuse
issues and their children: A meta-analysis. Substance Abuse
Treatment, Prevention & Policy, 5, 21–34.
This article examines programs that integrate substance abuse
treatment and pregnancy, parenting, or child services. The
authors conclude that there is a need for funding of high-quality
randomized control trial and improved reporting practices. This
article also demonstrates the application of analytic research
designs to explore a population health problem.
Talaat, M., Afifi, S., Dueger, E., El-Ashry, N., Marfin, A.,
Kandeel, A., Mohareb, E., & El-Sayed, N. (2011). Effects of
hand hygiene campaigns on incidence of laboratory-confirmed
influenza and absenteeism in schoolchildren, Cairo, Egypt.
Emerging Infectious Diseases, 17(4), 619–625.
This research study used a randomized control trial to examine
the association between hand washing and reducing influenza.
As you review this article, notice how they structured the
research study and how they measured the association between
hand washing and absenteeism.
Physicians’ Health Study (2010). Retrieved from
http://phs.bwh.harvard.edu

5. This large-scale, randomized clinical trial that began in 1982
was designed to test the effectiveness of aspirin and beta
carotene in preventing heart attacks (myocardial infarctions, or
MIs) in male physicians aged 40–84. The first phase of the trial,
which included more than 22,000 study subjects, demonstrated
that low-dose aspirin does, in fact, reduce the risk of a first MI
by 44%. This article provides a good example of the types of
large-scale studies conducted using epidemiologic principles
that lead to improved population health.
Required Media
Laureate Education (Producer). (2012). Epidemiology and
population health: Experimental studies [Video file]. Baltimore,
MD: Author.
Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 5 minutes.
In this program, the presenters discuss experimental studies,
including the effect of randomization and blinding on study
results.
Optional Resources
Groopman, J. (2006, December 18) Medical dispatch—The right
to a trial: Should dying patients have access to experimental
drugs? New Yorker, 82(42), 40–47.

6. Dorak, M. T. (2006). Epidemiologic study designs [PowerPoint
presentation]. Retrieved from
http://www.dorak.info/epi/design.ppt
Ibrahim, M., Alexander, L., Shy, C., & Farr, S. (2000).
Randomized trials. ERIC Notebook, 10, 1–4. Retrieved from
http://cphp.sph.unc.edu/trainingpackages/ERIC/eric_notebook_1
0.pdf