When we see health reports on television, in magazines or in
a brochure, it is difficult to know where the information is coming from.
Who provided the information, is the source credible, who did the study, is
there any bias, is it consistent with other research?
Most of the nutritional health information we are exposed to
comes from epidemiologic research but knowing if the information can be trusted
is difficult. Nutritional epidemiology studies the relationships between food
and health, looking at dietary exposures and health outcomes. While often
difficult to prove causal associations, nutritional epidemiology plays a key
role in health planning and prevention1.
With media misreporting rife in the quest for sensationalist
headlines or to simply fit editorial space, these are all the more reasons to
be asking the important questions to help sift through dubious 'facts'.
Over the next few blogs, we’ll explore the world of health
research and offer a guide to understanding and navigating study
design.
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1 Byers T. The role of epidemiology in developing nutritional
recommendations: past, present, and future. Am J Clin Nutr. 1999;
69(6);1304s-1308s
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