chapter 1 (individual & population health) Flashcards
ecological fallacy
logical error that arises when conclusions are drawn about individuals based on characteristics of the population to which those individuals belong.
biomedical variant
version of the risk factor model that emphasizes agent and biological variables as key determinants of health.
host and agent
the relevant host in the case of human health is us, the person. agents are the things that operate upon us, such as toxins and pathogens. some forms of epidemiology treat the context in which the host lives as “an agent.” ex: treat workplace as toxins because of strain on workers.
behavioural variant
version of risk factor model that emphasizes behaviour and lifestyle factors as key determinants of health.
epigenetics
study of differences in gene expression that arise from factors other than changes in the underlying dna sequence; the attempt to answer questions as to why the phenotype (observable characteristics) may differ even if dna remains stable.
social patterning of behaviour
the (usually unconscious) determination of behaviour by contextual factors such as place in a social network; the characteristics of one’s neighbourhood; and the norms and structures of one’s workplace, class, and social position.
relative risk
the ratio of the risk of disease in populations exposed to a factor to the risk of unexposed populations.
secular change
long-term trends (more than five years) in beliefs, values, and behaviour.
social facts
values, norms, and social structures that are capable of constraining individual behaviour.
demographic transition
falling death rates in a population associated with rising affluence yielding first rapid population growth followed by declining birth rates, eventually, as wealth continues to rise, death and birth rates will come into balance, both at very low levels.
epidemiologic transition
falling rates of infectious, parasitic, and nutritional diseases and rising prominence of chronic diseases associated with growing affluence.
morbidity
any departure from a normal state, such as illness or disability.
incidence
number of new cases that arise in a specified population in a specific period of time. number of new cases arising divided by the duration of the defined period. expression of disease risk in population.
prevalence
a simple count of the number of cases in a population at a point in time. may be expressed as number of cases divided by the population. not a rate! risk cannot be inferred.
crude death rate
estimate of the proportion of people who died within a given period, usually a year, normally calculated by counting all deaths over the year and dividing the mid-year population.
