Collaboratively building teaching resources for EDI in epidemiology and biostatistics

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this workshop was to collaboratively co-create concrete, practical teaching resources that embed equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) concepts into epidemiology and biostatistics teaching in Canada. METHODS: The 3-h interactive session developed four examples of the inclusion of EDI considerations in epidemiology and biostatistics teaching based on commonly used textbooks. Participants, in small breakout groups, critically reviewed examples from two common textbooks (Modern Epidemiology and Fundamentals of Biostatistics). Groups of four participants selected two examples each from a list of core concepts (e.g., confounding, regression). The groups then integrated EDI considerations into the core examples from the textbooks by addressing focus areas like sex and gender or race and ethnicity, and presented their revised materials. RESULTS: Two groups of four participants selected two topics each. Group 1 selected regression and missing data, while group 2 selected interaction/effect measure modification and hypothesis testing and two-way ANOVA. For a regression model example from Modern Epidemiology, participants recommended changing "pregnant women" to "pregnant person" for gender inclusivity and reframed "normal" to highlight social and structural determinants. In a missing data example, they replaced ageist and judgment-laden terminology ("elderly," "unwilling") with "older adults" and "unable." Group 2 discussed the importance of including biological plausibility and measurement considerations when using sex, defined as male/female, as an effect measure modification in potential analyses. CONCLUSION: This workshop and concomitant paper demonstrate the need for integrating EDI into epidemiology and biostatistics teaching. It also provides concrete examples of how this can be done using common textbooks. Integrating EDI into the curriculum not only improves student understanding of EDI, but can also strengthen understanding of, and interest in, epidemiology and biostatistics.