Olsen J, Skov T
Steno Institute of Public Health, Department of Social Medicine, University of Aarhus, Denmark.
Environ Health Perspect. 1993 Jul;101 Suppl 2(Suppl 2):145-52. doi: 10.1289/ehp.93101s2145.
Reproductive failures are at first sight well suited for epidemiologic research. The time of pregnancy is closely monitored, and failures such as spontaneous abortions and subfecundity are rather frequent. Although epidemiologists' interest in the field has been growing, there is still disappointingly little new information of relevance for prevention. A number of methodologic shortcomings may explain this. A large part of disease classification is not well suited for etiologic research, reduced fertility has diminished the populations at risk, close medical monitoring tends to mask causal links, and many scientific problems related to this area bring limitations to the research field. Still, much more could be learned from a systematic use of epidemiologic knowledge, existing registers, and the joint effort between different research groups.
乍一看，生殖失败非常适合进行流行病学研究。孕期受到密切监测，自然流产和生育力低下等生殖失败情况相当常见。尽管流行病学家对该领域的兴趣一直在增加，但对于预防而言，仍令人失望地几乎没有新的相关信息。一些方法学上的缺陷或许可以解释这一现象。很大一部分疾病分类并不适合病因学研究，生育力下降减少了高危人群，密切的医学监测往往会掩盖因果联系，而且与该领域相关的许多科学问题给研究领域带来了限制。尽管如此，通过系统运用流行病学知识、现有登记资料以及不同研究团队之间的共同努力，仍能了解到更多信息。
