Nutritional Epidemiology and Its Role in Policy Essay Paper
Nutritional Epidemiology and Its Role in Policy Essay Paper
Understanding Nutritional Epidemiology and Its Role in Policy1,2
Ambika Satija,3,4 Edward Yu,3 Walter C Willett,3–5 and Frank B Hu 3–5* 3Department of Nutrition and 4Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA; and 5Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA Nutritional Epidemiology and Its Role in Policy Essay Paper
ABSTRACT
Nutritional epidemiology has recently been criticized on several fronts, including the inability to measure diet accurately, and for its reliance on observational studies to address etiologic questions.Nutritional Epidemiology and Its Role in Policy Essay Paper In addition, several recent meta-analyses with serious methodologic flaws have arrived at erroneous or misleading conclusions, reigniting controversy over formerly settled debates. All of this has raised questions regarding the ability of nutritional epidemiologic studies to inform policy. These criticisms, to a large degree, stem from a misunderstanding of the methodologic issues of the field and the inappropriate use of the drug trial paradigm in nutrition research. The exposure of interest in nutritional epidemiology is human diet, which is a complex system of interacting components that cumulatively affect health. Consequently, nutritional epidemiology constantly faces a unique set of challenges and continually develops specific methodologies to address these.Nutritional Epidemiology and Its Role in Policy Essay Paper Misunderstanding these issues can lead to the nonconstructive andsometimesnaivecriticisms we see .today.
This article aimstoclarifycommon misunderstandings of nutritional epidemiology, address challenges to the field, and discuss the utility of nutritional science in guiding policy by focusing on 5 broad questions commonly asked of the field. Adv Nutr 2015;6:5–18.Nutritional Epidemiology and Its Role in Policy Essay Paper
Keywords: dietary assessment, food policy, meta-analysis, nutritional epidemiology, randomized controlled trials, prospective cohort studies.Nutritional Epidemiology and Its Role in Policy Essay Paper