Epidemiology Flashcards
Who is the World Health Organization (WHO), and what is their role?
The World Health Organization (WHO) is the public health arm of the United Nations. Their main role is to direct and coordinate global health. Their work covers communicable diseases, noncommunicable diseases, health systems, health promotion, and surveillance.
What is epidemiology?
Often called the ‘cornerstone’ of public health, epidemiology is the study of the distribution and determinants of diseases among populations.
Why is epidemiological information important?
Epidemiological information is used to plan and evaluate strategies to prevent illness and as a guide to the management of patients in whom disease has already developed.
Define public health.
Public health is the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life, and promoting health through the organised efforts and informed choices of society, organisations, and individuals.
List the steps of the public health model.
- define the problem
- identify risk and preventive factors
- develop and test prevention strategies
- assure widespread adoption
List the steps of the public health model.
- define the problem
- identify risk and preventive factors
- develop and test prevention strategies
- assure widespread adoption
What is the goal of a public health approach?
Public health aims to provide maximum benefit for the largest number of people and seeks to improve the health and safety of all individuals by addressing underlying risk factors that increase risk of disease.
What are the three tiers of prevention?
- primary prevention (pre-pathologic, reduce disease incidence and prevalence)
- secondary prevention (screening and treatment, find and treat disease early)
- tertiary prevention (rehabilitation, reduce suffering, prevent complications, help people get better)
What does the scope of public health cover?
- health promotion (health education, supportive environments, behaviour change interventions)
- health protection (occupational health, environmental health, infectious diseases)
- health services (healthcare systems, health policy, evidence based medicine)
What is epidemiology concerned with?
Epidemiology is concerned with the frequency and pattern of
health events in a population.
What does frequency mean in an epidemiological context?
Frequency refers to the number of health events, and the relationship of that number to the size of the population. The resulting rate allows epidemiologists to compare disease occurrence across different populations.
What is an epidemic curve?
An epidemic curve is a graph in which the number of new cases of a disease is plotted against an interval of time to describe a specific epidemic or outbreak.
What does rate mean in an epidemiological context?
Pattern refers to the occurrence of health related events by time,
place and person.
