Abstract
dc:description.abstractDr. Jan Sargeant once said, "the difference between statisticians and epidemiologists is that statisticians are concerned with random error, while epidemiologists are concerned with systematic error." The purpose of this thesis is to identify common causes of systematic error in canine nutrition research, especially studies conducted in large populations of dogs, to exemplify such examples through several analyses, and to provide contrasting examples of how to conduct population-based studies which minimize bias, and to further describe best practices specific to dietary exposures and health outcomes research in companion dogs. Owner factors are identified as likely confounders for diet and health outcomes, which are difficult to control for outside of randomized dietary assignment. Reverse-causation bias is also demonstrated to be a significant factor limiting the validity of cross-sectional analyses conducted here, therefore repeated measures analyses should be strongly considered in the field of companion dog nutrition epidemiology.
Degree
thesis:*- Name thesis:degree_name
- Doctor of Philosophy
- Level thesis:degree_level
- doctoral
- Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
- Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences
- Department dc:contributor.department
- Biomedical and Veterinary Sciences
- Grantor dc:publisher
- Virginia Tech
- Year dc:date.issued
- 2026
Author and committee
dc:creator, dc:contributor.*- Author dc:creator
-
- O'Brien, Janice Susan
- Chair dc:contributor.committeechair
-
- Ruple, Audrey
- Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember
-
- Volpe, Stella Lucia
- Tolbert, Katie
- Lee, Lisa M.
Subjects
dc:subject × 6Rights
dc:rights- Statement dc:rights
-
- In Copyright
- Licence dc:rights.uri
- Language dc:language.iso
- en
Identifiers
dc:identifier.*- Dc Identifier Other
- vt_gsexam:46410
- OAI identifier oai:identifier
- oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/143617