A framework for One Health research

Lebov, J.; Grieger, K.; Womack, D.; Zaccaro, D.; Whitehead, N.; Kowalcyk, B.; MacDonald, P.D.M.

Determining the study design informs the selection of data collection and data analysis methods. The OH approach may draw from a range of study designs which are utilized in multiple disciplines, including, for example, prospective and retrospective cohort, case-control, genome-wide association, randomized control trial, case series, natural experiments, twin studies, risk assessment or risk analyses, experimental studies, and ecological studies. Due to the complexity of the OH research approach, the overall study design may be a combination of these. For example, a retrospective ecological evaluation of arboviral disease incidence in relation to deforestation patterns could be combined with a prospective natural experiment to assess changes in arboviral disease trends in reforested areas compared to those with continued deforestation. The integrated nature of the OH approach to research also lends itself to mixed data collection methodologies, including qualitative and quantitative human data, environmental samples, and animal behavior observational records. For example, a study of the impacts of groundwater contamination may combine serial readings from groundwater monitoring wells, geospatial modeling of contaminant plumes, evaluation of toxin concentration levels in fish, interviews with residents about perceived drinking water quality, aerial satellite imagery, and longitudinal surveys of residents or health registry data to evaluate health impacts associated with groundwater contamination.