Spatial Epidemiology in Dentistry
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Manchester
Department Name: School of Medical Sciences
Abstract
Despite being a completely preventable disease, a quarter of 5-year-old and 42% of 15-year old children in the UK have caries (tooth decay), leading to distress, stays in hospital and school days missed. Although caries worldwide are reported to have a declining trend over time, it is unclear if such declining rates occur homogeneously geographically/regionally. Various risk factors related to oral health, which link to individual characteristics and behavior, and the physical and social-economic environment have been identified. However, neighborhood effects on oral health and environmental factors are much less well understood. Although successfully used in other areas of health and medicine, to date rigorous spatial statistical methodology has not been fully exploited used for dental health research.
Hence, the aim of this project is to use statistics to improve our understanding of caries' epidemiology. Recognizing the disease as a dynamic process, we will apply statistical modelling to interpret caries' spatial and temporal distributions and progression. We will pay special attention to the disease' geographical factors and its interaction with the environment. We will explore and develop conventional and spatial statistical methodology and adopt GIS (geographic information system) tools for dental data.
We expect the PhD candidate to develop his/her own research agenda, one that incorporates the topic outlined above with the student's own interests and experience. Tasks could include, for example:
- systematic literature review on spatial statistics in dental research to identify gaps;
- secondary data analysis on population level, geo-referenced caries data, using existing statistical methods and GIS packages;
- develop novel statistics methodology to better address dental data characteristics;
- implement the methodology into a user-friendly interface for routine practice;
- engage with relevant training opportunities for research skills, project management and other professional development;
- disseminate results in peer-reviewed journal and subject-related conferences.
Hence, the aim of this project is to use statistics to improve our understanding of caries' epidemiology. Recognizing the disease as a dynamic process, we will apply statistical modelling to interpret caries' spatial and temporal distributions and progression. We will pay special attention to the disease' geographical factors and its interaction with the environment. We will explore and develop conventional and spatial statistical methodology and adopt GIS (geographic information system) tools for dental data.
We expect the PhD candidate to develop his/her own research agenda, one that incorporates the topic outlined above with the student's own interests and experience. Tasks could include, for example:
- systematic literature review on spatial statistics in dental research to identify gaps;
- secondary data analysis on population level, geo-referenced caries data, using existing statistical methods and GIS packages;
- develop novel statistics methodology to better address dental data characteristics;
- implement the methodology into a user-friendly interface for routine practice;
- engage with relevant training opportunities for research skills, project management and other professional development;
- disseminate results in peer-reviewed journal and subject-related conferences.
Organisations
People |
ORCID iD |
| Ting-Li Su (Primary Supervisor) | |
| John Pollard (Student) |
Studentship Projects
| Project Reference | Relationship | Related To | Start | End | Student Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MR/N013751/1 | 01/10/2016 | 30/09/2025 | |||
| 2281758 | Studentship | MR/N013751/1 | 01/10/2019 | 15/07/2023 | John Pollard |