Lect11

Question 1

What is epidemiology?

Answer 1

The study of how diseases affect the health and illness of populations.

Question 2

True or False: Epidemiology only focuses on infectious diseases.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Fill in the blank: Epidemiology is concerned with the distribution and determinants of ______ in populations.

Answer 3

health-related states

Question 4

What are the two main types of epidemiological studies?

Answer 4

Observational studies and experimental studies.

Question 5

Define ‘prevalence’.

Answer 5

The total number of cases of a disease in a population at a specific time.

Question 6

Define ‘incidence’.

Answer 6

The number of new cases of a disease in a population during a specific time period.

Question 7

What is the purpose of a cohort study?

Answer 7

To follow a group of people over time to see how exposure to a risk factor affects the development of a disease.

Question 8

True or False: Case-control studies are retrospective.

Answer 8

True

Question 9

What does the term ‘confounding variable’ refer to?

Answer 9

A variable that influences both the dependent variable and independent variable, leading to a false association.

Question 10

What is a randomized controlled trial (RCT)?

Answer 10

An experimental study design where participants are randomly assigned to receive either the treatment or a control.

Question 11

What is the role of a control group in epidemiological studies?

Answer 11

To provide a baseline for comparison against the group receiving the treatment or intervention.

Question 12

What are the key components of the epidemiological triangle?

Answer 12

Agent, host, and environment.

Question 13

Fill in the blank: The ______ is the organism that causes the disease.

Answer 13

agent

Question 14

True or False: The environment includes all the external factors that affect the agent and host.

Answer 14

True

Question 15

What is the difference between endemic and epidemic?

Answer 15

Endemic refers to the constant presence of a disease within a geographic area, while epidemic refers to a sudden increase in cases above what is normally expected.

Question 16

What is herd immunity?

Answer 16

The protection of unvaccinated individuals in a population when a sufficient proportion of the population is vaccinated.

Question 17

What does ‘surveillance’ mean in epidemiology?

Answer 17

The ongoing systematic collection, analysis, and interpretation of health data.

Question 18

Fill in the blank: ______ is the measure of the probability that an event will occur.

Answer 18

Risk

Question 19

What is a cross-sectional study?

Answer 19

A study that examines the relationship between diseases and other variables in a population at a single point in time.

Question 20

True or False: Bias can affect the validity of epidemiological studies.

Answer 20

True

Question 21

What is the purpose of meta-analysis in epidemiology?

Answer 21

To combine results from multiple studies to improve the overall understanding of a research question.

Question 22

What is the formula for calculating prevalence?

Answer 22

Prevalence = (Number of existing cases / Total population) x 100.

Question 23

Fill in the blank: ______ is the study of the distribution and determinants of health-related states or events in specified populations.

Answer 23

Epidemiology

Question 24

What is the difference between qualitative and quantitative research in epidemiology?

Answer 24

Qualitative research explores subjective experiences, while quantitative research focuses on numerical data and statistics.

Question 25

What is the significance of the p-value in epidemiological studies?

Answer 25

It indicates the probability that the observed results occurred by chance.

Question 26

True or False: A lower p-value indicates stronger evidence against the null hypothesis.

Answer 26

True

Question 27

What is a risk factor?

Answer 27

Any attribute, characteristic, or exposure that increases the likelihood of developing a disease.

Question 28

Fill in the blank: The ______ is the population at risk for a specific disease.

Answer 28

denominator

Question 29

What is the term for a disease that occurs sporadically in a population?

Answer 29

Sporadic disease

Question 30

What does 'attributable risk' measure?

Answer 30

The difference in risk between exposed and unexposed groups.

Question 31

True or False: Epidemiological studies can only be conducted in humans.

Answer 31

False

Question 32

What is the focus of environmental epidemiology?

Answer 32

The study of how environmental exposures affect health.

Question 33

Fill in the blank: ______ is the proportion of a population that is immune to a specific infectious disease.

Answer 33

Immunity

Question 34

What is an outbreak?

Answer 34

A sudden increase in the number of cases of a disease in a specific area.

Question 35

What is the difference between direct and indirect transmission?

Answer 35

Direct transmission occurs through person-to-person contact, while indirect transmission involves an intermediary such as air or surfaces.

Question 36

What is a case definition?

Answer 36

A set of standard criteria for classifying whether a person has a particular disease.

Question 37

Fill in the blank: ______ studies are used to identify the causes of disease by comparing those with the disease to those without it.

Answer 37

Case-control

Question 38

What is the purpose of public health surveillance?

Answer 38

To monitor health events and trends in a population to inform public health actions.

Question 39

True or False: The incidence rate can provide information about the risk of developing a disease.

Answer 39

True

Question 40

What is a systematic review?

Answer 40

A summary of the medical literature that uses explicit methods to perform a comprehensive search and critical appraisal.

Question 41

What does 'sensitivity' refer to in the context of screening tests?

Answer 41

The ability of a test to correctly identify those with the disease.

Question 42

What does 'specificity' refer to in screening tests?

Answer 42

The ability of a test to correctly identify those without the disease.

Question 43

Fill in the blank: A ______ is a group of individuals who share a common characteristic, such as age or exposure.

Answer 43

cohort

Question 44

What is an epidemic curve?

Answer 44

A graphical representation of the onset of illness among cases in an outbreak.

Question 45

True or False: Descriptive epidemiology focuses on who, what, where, and when of health events.

Answer 45

True

Question 46

What is the primary goal of epidemiology?

Answer 46

To understand the factors that influence health and disease in populations.

Question 47

What does the term 'biostatistics' refer to?

Answer 47

The application of statistical methods to biological and health-related processes.

Question 48

Fill in the blank: ______ is the study of how genetic factors influence the risk of disease.

Answer 48

Genetic epidemiology

Question 49

What is the importance of ethical considerations in epidemiological research?

Answer 49

To ensure the protection of participants' rights and welfare during studies.

Question 50

What is a health disparity?

Answer 50

A difference in health outcomes that is closely linked with social, economic, and environmental disadvantage.

Question 51

True or False: All epidemiological studies require informed consent from participants.

Answer 51

True

Question 52

What is the role of epidemiologists in public health?

Answer 52

To investigate patterns and causes of diseases and health issues in populations.

Question 53

What is the purpose of a disease registry?

Answer 53

To collect and maintain data on individuals diagnosed with certain diseases.