Posted By Robert K Lewis Robert, What is behind the question here? If you are being asked to undertake such a study then the asking of the question suggests that you ought to find a suitable consultant/researcher. Epidemiology itself is concerned with the study of disease incidence in populations and deriving statistical information on occurrence rates within the population under study. It has a common root with epidemic. You will often find such analyses used to trace disease growth within groups and thence derive potential causal links. Some of the obvious examples are the work of Doll and Peto in asbestos exposure. It also forms the basis of some of the predictions for variant CJD deaths. Is this one of those wobbly ball questions beloved by tutors and examiners? Bob

Posted By Merv Newman George, I am sorry, but if you need to ask this question you are not qualified to even try to answer it. Or even to ask it. Epidemiology is a heavy subject - the best people in the field have knighthoods ( and even then I dont always agree with them) And what on earth does that have to do with a work situation ? Please excuse me if you think I have jumped on you a bit hard. If you are trying to improve your knowledge, then good. Check with the Royal Society for the Protection of Health, or even Sir Robert Fox, though I doubt that he has his own web site Merv Newman