title: [EpiInfo as a research and teaching tool in epidemiology and statistics: strengths and weaknesses].
abstract: EpiInfo is a free software developed in 1988 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta to facilitate field epidemiological investigations and statistical analysis. The aim of this study was to assess whether the software represents, in the Italian biomedical field, an effective analytical research tool and a practical and simple epidemiology and biostatistics teaching tool. A questionnaire consisting of 20 multiple-choice and open questions was administered to 300 healthcare workers, including doctors, biologists, nurses, medical students and interns, at the end of a CME course in epidemiology and biostatistics. Sixty-four percent of participants were aged between 26 and 45 years, 52% were women and 73% were unmarried. Results show that women are more likely to utilize EpiInfo in their research activities with respect to men (p = 0.023), as are individuals aged 26-45 years with respect to the older and younger age groups (p = 0.023) and unmarried participants with respect to those married (p = 0.010). Thirty-one percent of respondents consider EpiInfo to be more than adequate for analysis of their research data and 52% consider it to be sufficiently so. The inclusion of an EpiInfo course in statistics and epidemiology modules facilitates the understanding of theoretical concepts and allows researchers to more easily perform some of the clinical/epidemiological research activities.
authors.affiliation: Sezione di Igiene, Dipartimento di Sanità Pubblica e Malattie Infettive, Sapienza Università di Roma. alice.mannocci@uniroma1.it
authors.forename: Alice
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mannocci
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bontempi
authors.forename: Guglielmo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Giraldi
authors.forename: Giacomina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chiaradia
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: de Waure
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sferrazza
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ricciardi
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Boccia
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: La Torre
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000465:Algorithms; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001699:Biometry; D056808:Biostatistics; D004813:Epidemiology / Q000193:education*; D005260:Female; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000193:education* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009726:Nurses / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010820:Physicians / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012107:Research Design; D012984:Software; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires