PUBH620 Biostatistics Unit: Reflection on Public Health Practice

This paper presents a student's reflection on the PUBH620 Biostatistics unit, exploring its impact on their understanding of public health. The reflection discusses how the unit expanded their existing knowledge of statistics, particularly in the context of biological data analysis and public health interventions. It highlights the importance of biostatistics in evaluating disease prevalence, interpreting data, and designing targeted interventions. The student reflects on how biostatistics has improved their skills in interpreting disease prevalence rates and identifying relationships between health conditions and population demographics. The paper also connects the learning to the Council of Academic Health Institutions Australia (CAPHIA) competencies, emphasizing the role of biostatistics in developing cost-effective public health policies. The student concludes that biostatistics is essential for collecting, understanding, and interpreting public health data to improve community health outcomes and guide future practice.

Running head: BIOSTATISTICS: PERSONAL REFLECTION
BIOSTATISTICS: PERSONAL REFLECTION
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author note:

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Introduction
The field of biostatistics entails the acquisition, analysis and interpretation of statistical
data among biological components such as life forms or living organisms (Craig et al., 2017).
Biostatistics play a major role in the optimum and comprehensive of conductance of public
health interventions and hence, is a salient need for improved professional practice for future
public health workers (Lawrence, 2016). This paper demonstrates a reflection of how the unit of
PUBH620 Biostatistics as whole, contributed to my past and present knowledge as well as career
development in the future.
Discussion
Relation to Past and Existing Knowledge
Considering my previous academic experience in subjects like science and mathematics,
the concept of statistics was not new to me. However, I was unaware of the concept of
‘biostatistics’ and hence, after studying this unit, my past knowledge has expanded considerably
and I now know, that the global, national and community based numerical values which
encounter every day in terms of prevalence of diseases of health behaviors is solely due to the
contributions of biostatistics. Further, I believed that public health was solely rooted to only
national polices or community health campaigns and hence, was not aware on the role of
biostatistics. After studying this unit, my past knowledge on narrow understanding of public
health has refined considerable and I have at present, gained knowledge on how public health
without biostatistics is incomplete. Indeed, it is only through biostatistics can public health

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workers evaluated the scale of a disease as well as the relative effectiveness of public health
interventions (Fong et al., 2017).
Relation to Future Practice
The unit of biostatistics taught me essential data collection methods and strategies with
which I can evaluate public health data and use the same to guide my future practice as a public
health professional. Firstly, one of the ways in which biostatistics can improve my future practice
is by improving my skills of interpreting the rate of prevalence of diseases. A key example which
reflects this learning, is an assessment where I conducted a study on the relationship between
depression and obesity among the students of my university. Through usage of statistical
methods I learned that a significant difference in terms of depression prevalence occurs among
students and that highest rates of depression existed across underweight students. This
assessment hence, not only broadened my understanding of depression prevalence but also
prompted by curiosity to conduct further research on the reasons underlying the same. Hence, it
can be understood, that biostatistics improves future practice by allowing public health workers
to understand the differences of disease occurrences across communities, make sense of the data
and hence, based on the same, administer targeted public health interventions in the future (Hund
& Getrich, 2015).
Secondly, learning the unit of biostatistics has taught me to identify and established
relationships between disease or health conditions and population demographics using
correlation analytical techniques which has further taught me that not all public health
interventions may work for everyone. A key example of this is reflected during my personal
research where I learned that Australian aboriginals reported the highest rates of disease which
were further linked with poor socioeconomic status. This means that in the future, health

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interventions which are expensive or suited to mainstream Australian societies may not be
compatible with indigenous needs, which is why I must consider alternatives. Hence, this
indicates that biostatistics, dictates and guides public health professionals through data, on the
need to administer public health interventions tailor made to suit the unique needs of each
community (Manrai et al., 2017).
Competencies
In addition to all of the above, learning the unit on biostatistics has improved my
understanding and compliance to the foundation competencies established by the Council of
Academic Health Institutions Australia (CAPHIA) With respect to this competency, learning
biostatistics has enhanced my skills on the (CAPHIA) standard of ‘Health Policy Planning and
Management’, which requires me to use public policy for public health improvement (Council of
Academic Health Institutions Australia, 2019). Learning biostatistics improves this competency
standard by teaching public health professionals on developing public health policies which are
cost effective by determining the economic feasibility of a population or community to comply
to a particular public health policy (Wing, Simon & Bello-Gomez, 2018). Biostatistics also assist
public health professionals to calculate health determinants within a community and hence, use
the same to develop a policy which is effective, financial feasible and will yield the highest
profitability for future functioning of a public health organization or intervention (Strasser, Kam
& Regalado, 2016).
Conclusion
Hence, it can be concluded that biostatistics is an essential component in the field of
public health, and guides public health workers on the ways in which they can collect,

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understand and interpret public health data for improved intervention administration. Indeed,
learning this unit has expanded upon my past knowledge, enhanced present competencies and
enlightened me on the ways in which use public health data for community health improvement.

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References
Council of Academic Health Institutions Australia. (2019). Foundation Competencies for Master
of Public Health Graduates Australia. Retrieved from
http://caphia.com.au/documents/Competencies-MPH-Graduates-Australia-ANAPHI-
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Fong, S. M., Chu, S. K., Lau, W. W., Doherty, I., & Hew, K. F. (2017). Effects of wiki on health
science students’ collaborative learning, approaches to learning and performance in a
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Manrai, A. K., Cui, Y., Bushel, P. R., Hall, M., Karakitsios, S., Mattingly, C. J., ... & Wishart, D.
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