Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

M Jacobsen

Publications and source records attributed to M Jacobsen.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMed1977

Pneumoconiosis and chronic bronchitis.

Data from a major long-term epidemiological survey in the British coalmining industry were examined to determine whether bronchitis offered any protective action against the development of pneumoconiosis. No evidence of such an effect was found.

Bronchitis↗
PubMed1976

Against Popperized epidemiology.

The recommendation of Popper's philosophy of science should be adopted by epidemiologists is disputed. Reference is made to other authors who have shown that the most constructive elements in Popper's ideas have been advocated by earlier philosophers and have been used in epidemiology without abandoning inductive reasoning. It is argued that Popper's denigration of inductive methods is particularly harmful to epidemiology. Inductive reasoning and statistical inference play a key role in the science; it is suggested that unfamiliarity with these ideas contributes to widespread misunderstanding of the function of epidemiology. Attention is drawn to a common fallacy involving correlations between three random variables. The prevalence of the fallacy may be related to confusion between deductive and inductive logic.

Epidemiology↗
PubMed1975

Smoking and coalworkers' simple pneumoconiosis.

The attack rate of simple pneumoconiosis in 2723 British coal miners is considered in relation to the men's dust exposures and smoking habits. A complementary analysis is presented, using less precise radiological data, of prevalence and attack rates in an independent group of miners. One of the analyses suggests that, at high dust exposures, smoking may be associated with an increased risk of developing pneumoconiosis: but the most sensitive statistical test used reveals that the apparent effect might well be due to change factors (P not less than 0.09). The possibility is investigated that the net observed effect is the resultant of conflicting tendencies in sub-groups characterized by their responses to questions on phlegm production. There is no evidence to support this hypothesis. It is concluded that the main variable determining the development of simple pneumoconiosis is exposure to airborne dust, and that this effect is not modified appreciably by whether or not coal miners smoke.

Adult↗