Department of Epidemiology, University of Iowa College of Public Health, Iowa City, Iowa USA
Address for correspondence: Robert B. Wallace, MD, Department of Epidemiology, University of Iowa College of Public Health, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
Epidemiology and demography, although both encumbering several
theoretical constructs, are generally applied, problem-solving
disciplines concerned with the nature and trajectories of defined
groups. There are differences between the two disciplines in
substantive interests and methodological traditions, however
both have comprehensive perspectives and both are deeply concerned
with the health, social, and economic well-being of human populations.
One way to promote productive interdisciplinary research is
to apply or develop scientific theories that exploit the complementary
interests and methods of the two disciplines. Several candidate
theories and themes are suggested here, including (1) the life
course approach as applied to the biology of longevity; (2)
the "modernized" Malthusian dilemma; (3) the demographic transition
within developing countries; (4) the theory of evolution and
its social and biological implications; (5) reciprocal effects
of ecological and environmental characteristics on population
health and well-being; and (6) systems theory as an approach
to population complexity. Other approaches to fostering interdisciplinary
investigation between these disciplines include joint course
work, specifically targeted research funding initiatives and
collaborative development of new population theory. The latter
may be particularly important from several perspectives: uniting
disciplines to jointly approach common and important scientific
problems, providing existing frameworks with which to generate
new scientific questions, and promoting enhanced scientific
rigor by more tightly linking methods with hypotheses.
