epidermology Flashcards
epidemiology
is the study of how diseases often occur in different people and why.
identify the core epidemiology functions
> it is the science that looks at health of the population not individual.
it is the fundamental science of public health
its epidemiological information is used to plan and evaluate strategies to prevent illness
list the practice goals of epidemioloy
understand
implement
monitoring
list the practice goals of epidemioloy
understand
implement
monitoring
why there is a need for these goals
it is needed to identify emerging problems and also to assess the effectiveness measure to control old problems
5 Ws
who
what
where
when
why
definition of epidemiology
the study of the distribution and determinants of health-related events in specific population and the application of this study to the control of the health problems.
main guiding principle about epidemiology
all the findings must relate to a defined population
orientated to groups than individuals
conclusion is based on comparisons.
the father of epidemiology
John snow was the first to use maps and data to work out the origin of disease- cholera
what is cholera
vibrio cholera is a bacterium that causes a profuse watery diarrhea
all findings must relate to defined population
> is the measurement of a disease outcome related to a group/ population
population at risk refers to a group of individuals susceptible to the events that interest
population at risk is used as a denominator in calculations of measure disease frequently
point 2: orientated to groups rather than individuals7t
> clinical observation- make decision about an individual
epidemiological observation- also make decision about an individual but relate to a group of people
point 3: conclusion is based on comparison
Aetiology what causes the disease.
conclusion came from comparison of disease rates in groups with different levels of exposure.
epidemiological triangle
is a model for studying health problems that is useful in analytic studies.
3 sides of the triangle are formed by?
by the interactions between
>agents
>host
>environment
aim of epidemiology
to break at least one of the triangles, to stop the continuation of the disease
Measurements
of Disease
frequency
- Counts cases or health events, and describes
them in terms of time, place, and person; - Divides the number of cases by an appropriate
denominator to calculate rates; and - Compares these rates over time or for different
groups of people Measuring
Measuring Disease frequency
Population at risk
When calculating disease frequency, it is =important to have a
correct estimate of the number of people being studied.
Only people who are potentially susceptible to the diseases
being studied should be included. (eg. Don’t include men
when calculating frequency of cervical cancer.
prevalence
is the proportion of a population that has a condition at a specific time.
RR- relative risk
RR= EXPOSED/UNEXPOSED
