Every week of 2025 seems to bring a new health headline, whether it’s about climbing autism rates , changing vaccination recommendations or unexpected cancer risks .

For people trying to make informed choices about their own health and that of their families, it can be tough to make sense of it all. The science can feel contradictory and confusing. Human data is messy, and studies often yield conflicting results.

Sparring between government officials and scientists can muddy the picture further.

As professors who teach epidemiology and research methods to public health students, we start our students off with a few key questions that can help make sense of the evidence. We’ve come to realise that these lessons aren’t just for public health experts – they are tools that anyone

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