Friday, September 1, 2023, the Department of Epidemiology, Faculty of Public Health (FPH) Universitas Indonesia (UI) held a Guest Lecture with the theme “Cohort and Longitudinal Studies: Connecting Communities, Researchers, and Policy Makers”. Present as a speaker, Professor Barry Bogin from Loughborough University, an expert in the field of human physical growth and development.
In his lecture, Prof. Bogin explains the advantages of cohort and longitudinal studies over other types of studies. Cohort and longitudinal studies can clearly describe what is happening today and what happened in the past. The information obtained from these two types of studies is more comprehensive, especially when compared to cross-sectional studies which only photograph a health condition at one time. Prof. Bogin also shared his experience conducting studies on human development in Guatemala in 1979-1999.
Furthermore, Prof. Bogin said that after conducting a study, a researcher must be able to communicate the results of his study to policy makers so that the study can bring benefits to society. Prof. Bogin then explained 6 (six) key questions that must be answered before communicating with decision makers. “First, researchers must know the determinants of the problem being raised. “What are the main factors in this problem, what are the supporting factors, and how do these factors interact,” said Prof. Bogin. In the context of human growth and development, these questions can be continued with what nutrition is needed for human growth and development, how to improve sanitation and the quality of health services, how cognitive development and growth and development problems are related, and at what stage intervention should be carried out. Researchers must also be able to integrate all the knowledge they have in order to provide a complete picture of problems and policy recommendations.
This Guest Lecture succeeded in attracting the enthusiasm of hundreds of participants, both those who attended offline at FPH UI and via Zoom meetings. “We hope that today’s guest lecture can provide many benefits and new knowledge, especially regarding studies in the field of epidemiology,” said the Dean of FPH UI, Prof. Mondastri Korib Sudaryo, M.S., D.Sc. (WR)
