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.. date: 2013/07/03 09:16:24
.. title: Big data: how can it help to expand epidemiological investigation? 
.. slug: mauricio_barreto

**Mauricio Barreto**

*Mauricio L. Barreto*

*Instituto de Saúde Coletiva*

*Universidade Federal da Bahia*



The health conditions of a population are defined by a complex set of factors and interventions acting upon this population. Epidemiology is focused on the study of health determinants at population level using observational, but eventually experimental approaches. In recent times, it has dedicated part of its effort to study the impact on health of health and non-health related interventions. The availability of large data bases, frequently not connected, create new possibilities to conduct large population based studies with a great deal of generalizability. Using example from the Family Health Programme and the Bolsa Familia Programme (the Brazilian Conditional Cash Transfer Programme) the concept is presented in great detail.