Research methods for promotion of lung health

The goal of health research is to develop new knowledge for action to improve health. Relevant health research includes study of diseases, their causes and their treatment/prevention as well as structure and utilisation of health services and policies to improve lung health. As resources are not infinite, priorities must be established. These are determined by the relative frequency of a condition, how much dysfunction or disability it produces and whether there are cost-effective means to deal with it. Epidemiology is the discipline used to address these issues. Using it, one can describe the distribution and relative importance of a condition (the descriptive study), identify determinants and define its natural history (the analytical study), assess methods of prevention, cure and amelioration (the experimental study) and evaluate the process and outcome of services (health services or operational research). Epidemiology addresses itself to determining causation among associated variables. Characteristics associated with causation include consistency, strength of association, specificity, dose response, temporal relationship, coherence, and experimental evidence. Epidemiology can truly be described as the 'basic science of public health.' When used strategically, it can create the new knowledge that is the cornerstone for improving the health of the whole population.