Ashley Simbeck Articles Critique - Assignment Example

? Article Critique Article Critique Ashley Simbeck Articles’ Critique Llewellyn, C. D., Johnson, N. W., & Warnakulasuriya, K. A. (2004). Risk factors for oral cancer in newly diagnosed patients aged 45 years and younger: A case-control study in Southern England. Journal of Oral Pathology and Medicine, 33(9), 525-532. Retrieved from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com.p.atsu.edu/doi/10.1111/j.1600-0714.2004.00222.x/full  Ashley has clearly outlined the key sections that determine the quality of an epidemiological study including the study objective section, data collection, data analysis and data interpretation (Aschengrau & Seage, 2008). Through this format, it is easy to determine whether the articles used in the study are of the required quality or not. In the article by Llewellyn and Warnakulasuriya, Ashley provides detailed account on the mentioned article starting with the motivation behind the study, which is important in giving readers of the article an idea of what to expect as they read through the article. I am quite impressed by this annotated bibliography format as it presents information about the entire article in a short summary. Upon reading this annotated bibliography, one may not need to read the entire article because almost every detail about the article is captured with the annotated bibliography. Ashley clearly states the type of study and the source of data as well as the primary exposure. Information on the primary exposure is important for readers because, it enables them to relate the outcomes investigated in the study. However, there is no clear information on sampling technique applied in the selection of the study participants, a phenomenon that may expose the study to bias suspicion among the readers (Aschengrau & Seage, 2008). Nevertheless, Ashley is keen to identify the potential bias in the study, which is crucial in guiding any epidemiologists while applying the study findings. It is clearly noted that there was selection bias in Llewellyn and Warnakulasuriya’s article. In addition, limitations in the study are clearly identified. In conclusion, Ashley’s article meets the quality standards of epidemiological studies. Nadia Fazel’s Articles’ Critique Gillcrist, J. A., Brumley, D. E., & Blackford, J. U. (2001). Community socioeconomic status and children's dental health. Journal of the American Dental Association, 132(2), 216-222. In this article, the researchers provide clear information on the primary objective of the study and the population or areas where the study was conducted. The primary exposure and outcomes are well explained although there is not direct exposure, with socio-economic status of the participants emerging as the main exposure applied in the study. On the other hand, there is no information on the sampling technique applied in selection of the participants in the study. Participants in the study were selected from selected communities representing bias in the study the study (Aschengrau & Seage, 2008). In this case, the study findings cannot be generalized because they apply to only the communities involved in the study. This study was prone to several incidences of bias including observational and exposure bias but the researchers have managed to minimize the incidences of bias in the study through different ways including statistical techniques such as analysis of covariance. It is however appreciated that bias in this study may have had significant influence on the study findings despite attempts by the researchers attempt to minimize the incidences of bias in the study. The study is also identified with lack of racial diversity in which whites accounted for about 99.2% of the participants. Although the study may meet the standard criteria of epidemiological studies, the high number of limitations and bias greatly undermine the overall quality of the article. Application of the study findings pose a great challenge as they cannot be generalized for all communities and studies on the same objective but with limited bias may be more appropriate than this article. In conclusion, this may not be termed as quality epidemiological articles owing to its limitations and bias. Brianna Boswell Articles’ Critique  Nelson, S., Mandelaris, J., Ferretti, G., Heima, M., Spieker, C. & Milgrom, P. (2011). School screening and parental reminders in increasing dental care for children in need: a retrospective cohort study. Journal of Public Health Dentistry, 72(1). 45-52. doi: 10.1111/j.1752-7325.2011.00282.x In this article, the researchers clearly outline the purpose of the place where the study takes place. The information being sought through the study is clearly to enable the reader have a glimpse of what to expect from the article. Information on the primary exposure and the expected outcomes are well outlined to guide readers as they read through the article. The researchers have also classified the type of study covered by the article as a retrospective cohort study. Information on the characteristic of the population and the number of participants involved in the study is also provided. Brianna provides information on the sampling technique applied in the study as an important methodology component. In addition, there is information of the data collection method which is of great importance to any epidemiologist (Aschengrau & Seage, 2008). The article shows attempts to minimize incidence of bias in the study through both statistical data analysis techniques as well as sampling techniques. The study involves control of confounding factors that may influence the study outcomes. This article meets the quality standards of an epidemiological study or article. The other article by Nuun et al. also meets the qualities of a quality epidemiological study by covering all essential parts of a study. The authors provide detailed information on the data collection, data analysis, and interpretation as well as identification of limitations in the study. In conclusion, the articles meet the quality standards of epidemiological study articles. References Aschengrau, A & Seage, G. (2008). Essentials of epidemiology in public health (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Jones & Bartlett Publishers. Appendix A Annotated Bibliography Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (January 01, 2003). Public health and aging: retention of natural teeth among older adults--United States, 2002. Mmwr. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 52, 50, 1226-9. Keywords: Oral Health, Dental Journal Articles, Dental Health among Adults,, Adult Oral Health. In this study, data was analyzed from Behavioral Risk factor Surveillance System survey. It was conducted to estimate the prevalence of tooth retention and tooth losses among adults in 2002. The hypothesis was that adults had lost fewer teeth than before due to better tooth care. The analysis indicated that in 52% of the sample states of America, more than half of the adult population tested had lost fewer than five teeth. However, those adults who had retained their teeth were at a great risk of dental caries. It was also noted that retention of teeth was less among those people who had received less education posing to a possible solution that there should be increased awareness among people for better oral health. It was also noted that the older population tested experienced caries in a greater number as compared to the younger population. The survey also had some limitations such as it being drawn from non institutionalized population. Dye, B. A., National Center for Health Statistics (U.S.)., & National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (U.S.). (2007). Trends in oral health status: United States, 1988-1994 and 1999-2004. Hyattsville, Md: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. Keywords: Oral Health Indicators, Oral Health Report, Oral Health Publications, Adult Oral Health. Data was collected from the National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey from 1988 to 1994 and from 1999-2004. National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey had used stratified sampling in order to come up with a sample population. Information on oral health indicators was obtained such as tooth count, dental caries dental sealants etc. Statistical estimates were made using the software’s and population means; standard errors of estimate etc were calculated. There were a number of hypotheses, such as that there is a reduction in prevalence of dental caries in primary teeth. The second hypothesis was that the number of untreated tooth decay among the sample population has reduced. The third hypothesis was that there has been a reduction in the sample population of the number of people who have had all their teeth extracted. Fourth was that there has been an increase in prevalence of dental sealants among the sample years. The hypotheses were tested on different ranges of the sample population. The sample population was classified as youth (2-11) years, adolescents (12-19) years and adults (20-64) years old. Among the youth, the prevalence of dental caries and untreated tooth primary decay increased between the sample years; however untreated permanent tooth decay remained unchanged. The prevalence of sealants among the youth increased. Among adolescents, the prevalence of untreated tooth decay increased however permanent dental caries decreased. The prevalence of sealants also increased. Among the adults, the prevalence of tooth decay, dental sealants and dental caries all had increased. Overall, status of dental health among the sample population showed that it had improved. Demmer, R., T., Jacobs, D. R., & Desvarieux, M. (2008). Periodontal disease and incident type 2 diabetes: results from the first national health and nutrition examination survey and its epidemiologic follow-up study. Diabetes Care, 31(7), 1373-1379. Retrieved from http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/31/7/1373.full.pdf+html Keywords: Periodontal disease, incident diabetes, cohort study, type II diabetes. In this article, the researchers conducted a progressive cohort study on an initially diabetes-free cohort for a period of 17 years. They tested the hypothesis that periodontal disease is a potential contributor to the development of type II diabetes. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to determine the association between baseline periodontal disease and the cumulative incidence of diabetes. The results revealed that there was a positive non-linear association between baseline periodontal disease and incident type II diabetes. The odds of incident diabetes of participants with intermediate levels of periodontal disease were double that of healthy participants. However, advanced tooth loss was associated with nearly 70% increase in odds of incident diabetes. This study concludes that baseline periodontal disease (risk factor) is an independent predictor of incident type II diabetes (outcome). This study is important because it helps to identify a potential risk factor for type II diabetes. This information can be used to develop targeted preventive and dental health educational programs to this high risk population. Singh, S., Kumar, V., Kumar, S., & Subbappa, A. (2008). The effect of periodontal therapy on the improvement of glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: A randomized controlled clinical trial. International Journal of Diabetes in Developing Countries, 28(2), 38-44. Retrieved from http://www.rssdi.in/diabetesbulletin/2008/ APRIL/IntJDiabDevCtries28238-3747333_010227.pdf Keywords: Periodontal disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus, glycemic control, periodontal treatment, randomized control study. In this article, researchers conducted a randomized control trial to test the hypothesis that management of periodontal disease through non-surgical treatment methods can lead to better control of glucose metabolism in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients who are diagnosed with generalized periodontitis. The effect of non-surgical periodontal treatment on the study participants was assessed using the repeated-measures ANOVA and Scheffe’s post hoc test. The results revealed that group A treatment group (which received conventional periodontal therapy including scaling and root planning) and group B treatment group (which received 100mg of doxycycline in addition to conventional periodontal therapy including scaling and root planning) showed improved glycemic control compared to group C control group which did not receive any oral hygiene treatment, scaling or root planning. In fact group B showed greater improvement than group A. The researchers concluded that non surgical periodontal treatment which includes scaling, planning and use of doxycycline (exposure) helps to improve glycemic control (outcome) in study participants. The results of this study cannot be generalized to other populations since the study sample was very small with only 15 participants in each of the three study groups. Therefore further studies on larger sample size needs to be conducted. This study is important because it provides a promising solution of using non-surgical periodontal treatment to improve control of glucose metabolism in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients who are diagnosed with generalized periodontitis. Saremi, A., Nelson, R.G., Tulloch-Reid, M., Hanson, R. L., Sievers, M. L., Taylor, G. W., Shlossman, M., Bennett, P. H., Genco, R., & Knowler, W. C. (2005). Periodontal disease and mortality in type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care Journal, 28(1), 27-32. Retrieved from http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/28/1/27.full.pdf+html Keywords: Periodontal disease, type 2 diabetes, mortality, prospective longitudinal study, Pima Indians. In this article, researchers conducted a prospective longitudinal study to test the hypothesis that periodontal disease is a predictor of mortality from ischemic heart disease and diabetic nephropathy in Pima Indians diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. The effect of periodontal disease on mortality was assessed using the time-dependent Cox proportional hazards model. The results revealed that in subjects with severe periodontal disease, the death rate from ischemic heart disease was 2.3 times higher and death rate from diabetic nephropathy was 8.5 times higher than those with less severe periodontal disease. The researchers concluded that periodontal disease (risk factor) is a strong predictor of mortality from ischemic heart disease and diabetic nephropathy (outcome). The results of this study cannot be generalized to other populations since the study was conducted on Pima Indians, a population that has extremely high rate of periodontal disease. A study by Xiong et al. cited below shows that periodontal disease is also associated with gestational diabetes mellitus. This study is important because it helps to target future preventive and educational programs to this high risk population. Xiong, X., Elkind-Hirsch. K. E., Vastardis, S., Delarosa, R. L., Pridjian, G., & Buekens, P. (2009). Periodontal disease is associated with gestational diabetes mellitus: A case- control study. Journal of Periodontology, 80(11), 1742-1749. Keywords: Periodontal disease, gestational diabetes mellitus, pregnancy, case-control study. In this article, researchers conducted a case-control study to test the hypothesis that maternal periodontal disease induces systemic inflammatory responses that leads to the development of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Multivariate logistic regression was used to examine the association between periodontal disease and GDM. The results revealed that as the severity of periodontal disease increase, the risk of developing GDM also increases. Although this study concludes that an association exists between periodontal disease (risk factor) and gestational diabetes mellitus (outcome), additional prospective studies are required to determine if periodontal disease is a causal factor for gestational diabetes. One of the limitations of this study is that the results cannot be generalized to other populations because the subjects of this study were of high socioeconomic status. This study is important because it helps to target future preventive and dental health educational programs to this high risk population. Article Critique Demmer, R., T., Jacobs, D. R., & Desvarieux, M. (2008). Periodontal disease and incident type 2 diabetes: Results from the first national health and nutrition examination survey and its epidemiologic follow-up study. Diabetes Care, 31(7), 1373-1379. Retrieved from http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/31/7/1373.full.pdf+html In this article, researchers have provided a succinct hypothesis for the study in which the main focus is to determine the potential role of periodontal disease in the development of type II diabetes. The type of study carried out is well classified a progressive cohort study to give readers an idea of what they should expect as they read through the article. The primary exposure in this study is periodontal disease while the outcome is development of type II diabetes. Researchers in this article provide clear research design and methods to clarify the manner in which the study was conducted. The source of the study participants and the sample size is clearly defined in the study as well as the time span of the study. Following the high number of participants involved in the study, multivariable logistic analysis emerges as the most ideal data analysis technique for this study. The data analysis technique provides a clear correlation between the two phenomena being investigated in the study. The results are presented in indexes and ratios which can be easily interpreted or understood by any epidemiologist. The indexes and rations are clearly interpreted by the researchers with baseline periodontal disease emerging as an independent predictor of type 2 diabetes in patients. The researchers acknowledge that not all type 2 diabetes risk factors were factored in the study hence the necessity to confirm populations with fasting glucose to rule out diagnostic bias which could have arose during the study. Based on the evaluation above, this study meets most of the criteria for a quality or standard epidemiological study or literature. This is because it presents the relevant information on the key areas of epidemiological studies including data collection, analysis and interpretation (Aschengrau & Seage, 2008). Singh, S., Kumar, V., Kumar, S., & Subbappa, A. (2008). The effect of periodontal therapy on the improvement of glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: A randomized controlled clinical trial. International Journal of Diabetes in Developing Countries, 28(2), 38-44. Retrieved from http://www.rssdi.in/diabetesbulletin/2008/ APRIL/IntJDiabDevCtries28238-3747333_010227.pdf This article has a clear hypothesis guiding readers on what the study intends to examine as well as the type of the study. The article entails a randomized control trial to examine the possible effects of different periodontal management strategies on type 2 diabetes mellitus patients. The two management strategies investigated in the study are clearly outlined as surgical and non-surgical management techniques. Researchers in this article further provide information on the study design in which Scheffe’s post test and ANOVA techniques are applied. However, there is no clear participants’ sampling technique or process. The researchers on the on the other hand have clearly outlined the primary exposure interests through classification of participants in different groups for different exposures. This enable easy interpretation of the study comes as one of the important areas in epidemiological studies. Results in this study are well presented enabling readers to easily refer to them as they read through the article for better understanding. The article also identifies the limited number of participants as the main limitation in the study and therefore cannot be generalized (Aschengrau & Seage, 2008). Evaluation of this article reveals that it comprises the key areas that qualify any epidemiological literature to be of the required quality or standard. Saremi, A., Nelson, R.G., Tulloch-Reid, M., Hanson, R. L., Sievers, M. L., Taylor, G. W., Shlossman, M., Bennett, P. H., Genco, R., & Knowler, W. C. (2005). Periodontal disease and mortality in type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care Journal, 28(1), 27-32. Retrieved from http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/28/1/27.full.pdf+html In this article, researchers first present a clear objective on what they intend to study in their research activity. Every reader that opens this article first understands the type of study and what the study entails before even skimming through the article. The study is classified as a prospective longitudinal study with the population, number of participants and the age bracket clarified for the readers. The primary exposure factor in this study is periodontal disease and the research seek to establish the potential effects of the disease on cardiovascular disease and overall mortality in a selected sample of 628 participants from the Pima Indians population. In this case the primary outcome interest is the mortality rates. However, the study lacks a clear sampling technique applied to come up with sample of 628 people of a large population. The researchers examined the effects of periodontal disease on mortality using a time dependent Cox proportional hazard model indicating a clear process in which the process was conducted to avoid bias. The results section of this article is clear with percentages being used to show the findings of the study. Clinical results are also reported in this section to support the researchers’ findings. The study has clear data analysis information which the linear regression formula weighted-sum methods were applied in analysis the collected data. The interpretation section of the study is clear, culminating in succinct collusion. No clear limitations are identified with study but researchers provide room for further studies to determine issues not covered in the study. Evaluation of this study reveals some shortcoming including the lack of clear sampling technique and identification of limitation but in general, the article is a quality epidemiological literature source (Aschengrau & Seage, 2008). The article provides the necessary information for key areas with the lack of a clear sampling technique emerging as the main limitation in the study. References Demmer, R., T., Jacobs, D. R., & Desvarieux, M. (2008). Periodontal disease and incident type 2 diabetes: Results from the first national health and nutrition examination survey and its epidemiologic follow-up study. Diabetes Care, 31(7), 1373-1379. Retrieved from http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/31/7/1373.full.pdf+html Saremi, A., Nelson, R.G., Tulloch-Reid, M., Hanson, R. L., Sievers, M. L., Taylor, G. W., Shlossman, M., Bennett, P. H., Genco, R., & Knowler, W. C. (2005). Periodontal disease and mortality in type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care Journal, 28(1), 27-32. Retrieved from http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/28/1/27.full.pdf+html Singh, S., Kumar, V., Kumar, S., & Subbappa, A. (2008). The effect of periodontal therapy on the improvement of glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: A randomized controlled clinical trial. International Journal of Diabetes in Developing Countries, 28(2), 38-44. Retrieved from http://www.rssdi.in/diabetesbulletin/2008/ APRIL/IntJDiabDevCtries28238-3747333_010227.pdf Aschengrau, A & Seage, G. (2008). Essentials of epidemiology in public health (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Jones & Bartlett Publishers. Read More