POPH90014 Epidemiology 1
The Complete Exam Bible · S2 2026POPH90014 Overview
- Melbourne School of Population and Global Health
- Semester 2, 2026
- graduate coursework
- 12.5 points
- a foundational epidemiology subject
POPH90014 Epidemiology 1 covers disease frequency, association, impact, descriptive epidemiology, screening validity, causal inference, trials, cohort and case-control studies, measurement error, systematic review and population inference. It is taught within Melbourne School of Population and Global Health. It is graduate coursework.
- Denominators define meaning Prevalence, incidence proportion and incidence rate answer different questions because their denominators encode different populations and time.
- Validity is contextual Predictive values move with prevalence even when sensitivity and specificity remain fixed.
- Design shapes inference Trials, cohorts and case-control studies expose different routes to confounding, selection and information bias.
- Evidence must travel Internal validity does not establish that an estimate applies to a different target population.
How POPH90014 is assessed
| Component | Weight | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Online quiz (60 mins) | 20% | Week 6 |
| Tutorial Oral Assessment and Participation | 20% | Weeks 4, 8, and 12; source row contains an inconsistent internal split |
| Written Assignment: Written short answer assignment - 1500 words | 20% | Week 10 |
| Written Exam: Written assignment - 2hours | 40% | During the examination period |
The current syllabus publishes an Online quiz (60 mins) 20%, Tutorial Oral Assessment and Participation 20%, Written Assignment: Written short answer assignment - 1500 words 20%, and Written Exam: Written assignment - 2hours 40%. The oral row also prints '3x15% + 5%, 20% total', an internally inconsistent string retained as a source conflict; the live LMS controls its operation.
Current POPH90014 dates
| Date | Item | Control |
|---|---|---|
| Week 6 | Online quiz (60 mins) | 20%; live LMS controls the exact date. |
| Week 10 | Written short answer assignment | 20%; 1500 words in the current syllabus. |
Current-offering dates captured in the course materials. Confirm changes and exact submission settings in the live LMS.
What POPH90014 covers
Start with Epidemiologic Evidence and Public-Health Burden; use Randomised Controlled Trials as the turning point; finish by bringing the course together in External Validity and Triangulation.
Epidemiologic Evidence and Public-Health Burden
epidemiology · population health burden · surveillance · define a population-health question and interpret routine evidence02Disease Frequency and Transmission
prevalence · incidence proportion · incidence rate · calculate and distinguish prevalence, incidence proportion and incidence rate03Exposure–Outcome Association and Impact
risk ratio · risk difference · attributable fraction · calculate relative and absolute association and impact measures04Disease Distribution and Age Standardisation
descriptive epidemiology · confounding by age · direct standardisation · inspect person-place-time patterns and standardise rates05Measurement Validity and Screening Performance
sensitivity · specificity · positive predictive value · calculate validity and predictive-value measures from a two-by-two table06Causal Questions, Counterfactuals and DAGs
causal contrast · exchangeability · directed acyclic graph · frame PICOT questions and use DAGs to identify confounding control07Randomised Controlled Trials
random allocation · intention-to-treat analysis · risk of bias · critique allocation, adherence, outcome assessment and reporting in an RCT08Cohort Studies and Longitudinal Bias
cohort study · temporality · loss to follow-up · construct and critique a cohort comparison09Case–Control Studies and Odds Ratios
case-control study · odds ratio · selection bias · calculate an odds ratio and evaluate selection of cases and controls10Measurement Error and Misclassification
information bias · differential misclassification · non-differential misclassification · identify misclassification and assess its effect on association measures11Systematic Reviews and Evidence Synthesis
systematic review · meta-analysis · publication bias · build and appraise a systematic-review chain12External Validity and Triangulation
external validity · target population · triangulation · assess transportability and triangulate across designsIt carries 12.5 points. It is positioned as a foundational epidemiology subject.
Students repeatedly calculate measures and then judge whether design, bias and target-population assumptions support a public-health decision.
The retrieved current-offering evidence does not publish a complete assessment weighting for POPH90014.
the published assessment components listed on this page
The operational assessment conditions matter here.
Current subject materials and the official timetable control any examination operation.
What makes POPH90014 demanding is concrete: keeping population, time, denominator and causal target aligned while moving from a numerical result to a bias-aware public-health interpretation
Use the published component conditions and the ordinary overall subject pass requirement.
For enrolment planning, Confirm current eligibility in the 2026 Handbook; the landed endpoint was blocked.
Start with Epidemiologic Evidence and Public-Health Burden; use Randomised Controlled Trials as the turning point; finish by bringing the course together in External Validity and Triangulation.
Choose and interpret a frequency measure
- 1Identify the at-risk population at the start.
- 1Divide 32 new cases by 800 people.
- 1Express the result as 0.04 or 4% over one year.
- 1State why this is not an incidence rate.
Key terms
- Epidemiology
- Study of the distribution and determinants of health-related states in populations and application to control. This chapter uses the concept when students define a population-health question and interpret routine evidence.
- Population health burden
- Frequency and consequence of disease, injury or risk across a defined population and period. It helps explain the reasoning required to define a population-health question and interpret routine evidence.
- Surveillance
- Ongoing systematic collection, analysis and interpretation of health data for action. Its limit matters because routine counts depend on case definitions, coverage and denominators.
- Prevalence
- Proportion of a population with a condition at a specified point or period. This chapter uses the concept when students calculate and distinguish prevalence, incidence proportion and incidence rate.
- Incidence proportion
- Proportion of an initially at-risk population developing the outcome over a stated period. It helps explain the reasoning required to calculate and distinguish prevalence, incidence proportion and incidence rate.
- Incidence rate
- New events divided by accumulated person-time at risk. Its limit matters because infectious-disease transmission measures add contact and susceptibility assumptions.
- Risk ratio
- Risk in the exposed group divided by risk in the unexposed group. This chapter uses the concept when students calculate relative and absolute association and impact measures.
- Risk difference
- Risk in the exposed group minus risk in the unexposed group. It helps explain the reasoning required to calculate relative and absolute association and impact measures.
- Attributable fraction
- Proportion of risk among exposed people attributed to exposure under a causal interpretation. Its limit matters because causal impact language requires exchangeability and valid measurement.
- Descriptive epidemiology
- Description of disease by person, place and time. This chapter uses the concept when students inspect person-place-time patterns and standardise rates.
- Confounding by age
- Mixing of age composition with the comparison of interest. It helps explain the reasoning required to inspect person-place-time patterns and standardise rates.
- Direct standardisation
- Weighted average of stratum-specific rates using a common standard population. Its limit matters because standardised rates are comparison constructs, not observed crude burdens.
- Sensitivity
- Probability a test is positive among people who have the condition. This chapter uses the concept when students calculate validity and predictive-value measures from a two-by-two table.
- Specificity
- Probability a test is negative among people who do not have the condition. It helps explain the reasoning required to calculate validity and predictive-value measures from a two-by-two table.
POPH90014 FAQ
Where is the hardest reasoning in Epidemiology 1?
Keeping population, time, denominator and causal target aligned while moving from a numerical result to a bias-aware public-health interpretation. Disease frequency, association, impact, descriptive epidemiology, screening validity, causal inference, trials, cohort and case-control studies, measurement error, systematic review and population inference.
How does assessment work in Epidemiology 1?
The published assessment components listed on this page. Current subject materials and the official timetable control any examination operation. Use the published component conditions and the ordinary overall subject pass requirement.
What form does the exam or final task take in Epidemiology 1?
Current subject materials and the official timetable control any examination operation. The published assessment components listed on this page. Use the published component conditions and the ordinary overall subject pass requirement.
Which pass conditions apply in Epidemiology 1?
Use the published component conditions and the ordinary overall subject pass requirement. The published assessment components listed on this page. Current subject materials and the official timetable control any examination operation.
Which teaching period does this Epidemiology 1 resource cover?
It is aligned to Semester 2, 2026; confirm your enrolled class and timetable in the current institutional system. Online quiz (60 mins): Week 6; Written short answer assignment: Week 10.
What should a student check before enrolling in Epidemiology 1?
Confirm current eligibility in the 2026 Handbook; the landed endpoint was blocked. This resource covers Semester 2, 2026. Disease frequency, association, impact, descriptive epidemiology, screening validity, causal inference, trials, cohort and case-control studies, measurement error, systematic review and population inference.
Where should current dates for Epidemiology 1 be confirmed?
Online quiz (60 mins): Week 6; Written short answer assignment: Week 10. Confirm any change and the exact submission setting in the live LMS. The published assessment components listed on this page.
Who controls the official rules for Epidemiology 1?
The university does. This is an independent POPH90014 study resource; current institutional instructions remain authoritative for assessment operation. Disease frequency, association, impact, descriptive epidemiology, screening validity, causal inference, trials, cohort and case-control studies, measurement error, systematic review and population inference.
How to study for the exam
Retrieve the course map, practise the recurring method—define the population, time and denominator; select and calculate the epidemiologic measure; interpret its scale; then audit design, bias, causation and transportability—on changed scenarios, and verify every operational assessment detail in the live institutional system.
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