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The main purpose of this research is to determine incidence of morbidity and mortality due to serious influenza-type diseases among non-pregnant women between the ages of 15 to 44, and from 45 to 64 years that are or are not at risk for cardiac conditions, pulmonary diseases, diabetes, and other significant cardiopulmonary medical conditions. ... As a result of this study, and others that follow the same guidelines, the data collected can serve as educational tools by physicians, pharmaceutical companies, and even patients in order to increase awareness for influenza immunizations during influenza seasons.
The hypothesis of the study is that influenza-associated morbidity and mortality will be higher in the group of women that are at risk for various cardiopulmonary and other conditions than in women that are relatively healthy. This is considered a hypothesis-generating study rather than a hypothesis-testing study. It is also mentioned in the conclusions by the authors that this study is the first to report cardiopulmonary problems during influenza seasons among a specific population. ... In fact, the two sources that are utilized for this study are computerized Tennessee medical files and Tennessee vital records, and Vanderbilt University viral surveillance records.
The research design of this review is a retrospective cohort study. In this type of study, all the events have occurred prior to the initiation of the study. Some strengths of this type of study are that the exposure under investigation is rare. Also cohort studies are relatively inexpensive and consume the least amount of time possible. ... By doing this, cohort designs can provide an idea of a wide range of health outcomes, either positive or negative, that could be related or be the result of a particular disease, influenza in this case. Another strength of this type of design is that since all the participants are disease-free before the commencement of the study, the effects of the disease can be better identified at the end of the study period. A final strength of a retrospective cohort design is that they allow for more direct calculations of outcome incidence rates that are under investigation.
One of the weaknesses of a cohort design is that this type of a study assesses exposures that have occurred in prior years, decades in many instances. Thus, cohort studies depend on the availability and detail of the record data that is used. If this data is incomplete, the results of the study can vary. Since these data records were not initially kept with regard to a future cohort study, the records could be incorporated for the sole purpose of present patient care, thus being inadequate for cohort designs. Another problem is that the future cohort design experts will have no idea of how accurate the data records are since they were documented some time before the initiation of the study. Another weakness of this type of a design is that the validity of these records that are used can be affected by inability or unwillingness of the study participants to follow up or express their true state of health to health care professionals.
For the purposes of this study, the researches utilized computerized data from the Tennessee medical files from 1974 to 1993 and the Vanderbilt University Viral Surveillance which presented the researchers with inexpensive sources in order to complete the research. Also, this type of data proved to contribute to a study that was very time-efficient. As far as weaknesses concerning this study, one such weakness is concerned with how detailed, correct, and adequate are the medical records that are utilized. ...
The study sample in this design is the effects of affluenza on the population on non-pregnant African-American and white women aged 15 to 44 and 45 to 64 with no prior cardiopulmonary problems or other serious diseases like HIV or renal failure, that were part of the Tennessee Medicaid program for a minimum of 180 days from 1974 to 1993.
In this study, the exposure variable includes non-pregnant women aged between 15 and 64 with and without chronic cardiopulmonary and other conditions during the influenza, peri-influenza, and summer seasons in Tennessee. ... The numbers of hospitalizations and deaths were calculated and compared to the data of non-exposure at the beginning of the influenza season for each instance. ...
The exposed individuals were identified based on their medical records and the amount of times that they reported symptoms that coincide with influenza. Exposed individuals were identified as women in the age groups of 15 to 44 and 45 to 64 who died or were hospitalized due to influenza-type causes. The unexposed individuals were identified as women form the same age groups as above who did not die or were hospitalized due to influenza-type causes. The instances were measured on the basis of hospitalizations and/ or deaths of the individuals that were identified as participants in this study. The method of identifying the exposure to influenza is appropriate considering that the actual patient testimony is correct as well as the documentation of the incident being thorough and accurate.
The outcome variable of interest in this study is the number of women in the two different age groups that were either hospitalized or dead following exposure to an influenza-type virus.
Approximate Word count = 4384
Approximate Pages = 17.5
(250 words per page double spaced)
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