Chapter 3: Epidemiology Flashcards
Cases
People afflicted with a disease
Rate:
The number of events that concur in a given population in a given amount of time
Natality Rate:
Number of live births/ population
Morbidity Rate:
The number of people who were being sick/ total population at risk
Mortality or Fatality Rate:
Number of deaths in a population/ population
Population at risk:
People who are susceptible to a particular disease or condition
Incidence rate:
The number of new health-related events or cases of a disease/ total number in the population at risk
Acute diseases
When they became afflicted
( does not previously ill people)
Acute disease:
An illness that lasts 3 months or less
Attack Rate:
An incidence rate caluclated for a particular ppulationn for a single disease outbreak and is expressed as a percentage
Ex. illness on flight/ passengers on flight
Prevalence Rate:
The number of new and old cases of a disease in a population in a given period of time/ total number in that population
(counts all old and new cases)
Chronic disease
More usefule in planning new programs, personnel needs, and facilities
Chronic Disease
A disease or condition that lasts longer than 3 months
John Snow:
Father of Epidemiology
Cohort:
A specific category
Placebo:
Blank treatment
Epidemiology:
the study of the distribution & determinants of health-related states or events in specified populations and the application of this study to control health problems.
Endemic:
a disease that occurs regularly in a population as a matter, of course,
Heart Disease in America and Malaria in Africa
Epidemic:
An unexpectedly large number of cases of an illness, specific health-related behavior, or other head-related events in a particular population
Gun Violence (America)
Why are epidemiologists concerned with numbers?
Compare events that occur at different times and places.
Why are some epidemiologists concerned with zoology?
Disease may start in animals which then can transfer to humans.
Notifiable Diseases:
diseases for which health officials request or require reporting for public health needs
Diseases can become an epidemic cancer, HIV, Lyme disease, Anthrax, etc.
What is tje noyifable disease reporting procedure?
Local→ State→ National
National Electronic Telecommunications System:
electronic reporting system used by state departments and CDC
Why is the information reported by the local offices sometimes isn’t the best?
Reported by doctors’ offices and hospitals ( I think)
Some places could be busy to keep up with reporting, unfamiliar with reporting, patients recover before a diagnosis is confirmed, and don’t seek care.
Mortality Statistics:
Most reliable
depends age, sex, race and ethnicity
Shifted from communicable to non-communicable
