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Handbook of Epidemiology pp 999–1042Cite as

Nutritional Epidemiology

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Abstract

The tools and methodology of nutritional epidemiology have developed mostly over the last 20 years. Over that time a number of texts and recent papers have described the broad area, and it is not necessary to repeat details that can easily be found elsewhere (Margetts and Nelson 1997; Willett 1998; Margetts et al. 2003; Nelson and Beresford 2004). Nutritional epidemiological studies follow the general principles of all epidemiological studies. There are really only two issues that must be considered in all studies: how to develop a clear and testable research question; and how to provide an unbiased answer to that question. These general issues are covered elsewhere in this handbook (cf. Chaps. I.11–I.13 of this handbook). The concerns with assessing outcomes are not specific to nutritional studies, and will not be discussed in any detail in this chapter.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Menzies School of Health Research, Northern Territory, PO Box 41096, Casuarina, NT, 0811, Australia

    Dorothy Mackerras

  2. Public Health Nutrition, Institute of Human Nutrition, University of Southampton, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, SO16 6YD, UK

    Barrie M. Margetts

Authors
  1. Dorothy Mackerras
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  2. Barrie M. Margetts
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Epidemiological Methods and Ethiologic Research, Bremen Institute for Prevention Research and Social Medicine (BIPS), Linzer Str. 10, 28359, Bremen, Germany

    Wolfgang Ahrens  & Iris Pigeot  & 

  2. Division of Biometrie and Data Management, Bremen Institute for Prevention Research and Social Medicine (BIPS), Linzer Str. 10, 28359, Bremen, Germany

    Wolfgang Ahrens  & Iris Pigeot  & 

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Mackerras, D., Margetts, B.M. (2005). Nutritional Epidemiology. In: Ahrens, W., Pigeot, I. (eds) Handbook of Epidemiology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-26577-1_26

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