Page 13 - MEMOCiberesp014-ENG

P1.- EPIDEMIOLOGY AND PREVENTION OF CHRONIC DISEASES
Programme description
The research programme in epidemiology and prevention of chronic diseases arises from the recognition that the risk and prognostic factors of primary diseases and other chronic health problems are, to a large extent, common .
The creation of this area also derives from the interest to optimize the research designs and resources, since one and the same study can generate information about the determinants of different diseases simultaneously .
The scientific knowledge generated in this area is useful to provide guidance both for clinical and public health strategies, to reduce the incidence of these diseases and to improve their prognosis, to control
exposure to risk factors and to prevent initial exposure to said factor (primary prevention)
The large variety of factors determining these chronic health problems and the wide range of approaches necessary for studying them mean that collaborative research must be organized with other areas of the CIBER through transverse research actions, regardless of whether said actions are genetic research, population interventions or the development of new data analysis methods .
The main lines of research included in this programme are the following:
• Environmental and genetic determinants of cancer . • Natural history of cardiovascular disease . • Result reporting and transfer information systems . • Eating behaviours and their effects on health .
• Epidemiology and prevention of traffic injuries . • Other chronic disorders with a high social impact (environmental and genetic determinants of
respiratory diseases and reproductive disorders) .
Objectives
The strategic objectives of the programme are:
• To generate scientific knowledge of direct relevance for controlling chronic diseases which are the main causes of loss of health and the use of healthcare services in Spain .
• To transfer this knowledge to clinical practice and to public health .
www .ciberesp .es 13