Causes and Risk Factors of Cholera

Play an AI-generated podcast conversation about this lesson

What is a major focus of epidemiology?

Studying the history of medicine

Exploring philosophical concepts

Informing efforts to prevent and control disease (correct)

Analyzing social media trends

Why is understanding the causes of disease or injury important?

For marketing health products

For increasing insurance premiums

For prevention, diagnosis, and treatment (correct)

For academic research purposes

What does a cause express in terms of disease or outcome?

A secondary aspect with no real impact

Something that contributes to a causal mechanism (correct)

A temporary factor without any consequence

A random occurrence with no specific effect

What is meant by complementary components of a causal factor?

Necessary elements for expressing a cause Signup and view all the answers

When does a cause express itself in relation to a causal mechanism?

When a sufficient causal mechanism is complete Signup and view all the answers

What does it mean when factors work together in a given causal mechanism?

They interact causally or causally interdependent Signup and view all the answers

Which criterion refers to the necessity that the cause must precede the disease in time?

Temporal sequence Signup and view all the answers

What does the strength of association measure?

The relative risk Signup and view all the answers

Which criterion refers to changes in exposure being related to a trend in relative risk?

Biological gradient Signup and view all the answers

What does coherence imply in the context of causal relationships?

It does not conflict with what is known of the natural history and biology of the disease. Signup and view all the answers

What does specificity of association mean?

An exposure leads to a single or characteristic effect. Signup and view all the answers

Which criterion refers to evidence from laboratory experiments on animals or from human experiments?

Experimental evidence Signup and view all the answers

What does biological plausibility refer to?

Is there a logical mechanism by which the supposed cause can induce the effect. Signup and view all the answers

What is necessary for establishing temporality in time?

'Temporality refers to the necessity that the cause must precede the disease in time.' Signup and view all the answers

What does consistency refer to in the context of causal relationships?

Consistency refers to the repeated observation of an association in different populations under different circumstances. Signup and view all the answers

What is coherence's implication for causal relationships?

Coherence implies that a cause-and-effect interpretation for an association does not conflict with what is known of the natural history and biology of the disease. Signup and view all the answers

What type of relationship does biological gradient (dose-response relationship) refer to?

Changes in exposure being related to a trend in relative risk. Signup and view all the answers

What is a direct cause in epidemiology?

A causal factor very close to the pathogenic event Signup and view all the answers

What is a necessary cause in epidemiology?

A factor without which the disease would not have occurred Signup and view all the answers

What is a sufficient cause in epidemiology?

A factor that makes disease inevitable in an individual Signup and view all the answers

Which term refers to a set of factors that makes disease inevitable in an individual?

Sufficient causal constellation Signup and view all the answers

What is causal inference?

The term used for the process of determining observed associations Signup and view all the answers

What does an observed association between two factors NOT imply?

The presence of cause and effect relationship Signup and view all the answers

What is a confounder in epidemiology?

A third factor that affects the outcome when present with exposure Signup and view all the answers

What does a necessary cause mean in epidemiology?

It must be present for disease to occur, disease never develops in the absence of that factor Signup and view all the answers

What do sufficient causes refer to in epidemiology?

They are a minimum set of conditions, factors, or events needed to produce a given outcome Signup and view all the answers

What does an association in epidemiology refer to?

It refers to the statistical dependence between two variables Signup and view all the answers

What are necessary causes often described as?

Component causes that are members of every sufficient cause Signup and view all the answers

What is the term used to describe factors that are associated with the risk of development of a disease, but are not sufficient to cause the disease?

Risk factors Signup and view all the answers

Which factor refers to repeated exposure, environmental conditions, and hard work that may aggravate an established disease or injury?

Reinforcing factors Signup and view all the answers

According to Koch's postulates, what must be present in every case of the disease caused by a specific living organism?

All of the above Signup and view all the answers

What is the term used to describe the effect of two or more causes acting together, often resulting in a greater effect than expected?

Interaction Signup and view all the answers

Which factor may be necessary but is rarely sufficient to cause a particular disease or state?

Predisposing factors Signup and view all the answers

What type of factors such as low income, poor nutrition, bad housing, and inadequate medical care may favour the development of disease?

Enabling (or disabling) factors Signup and view all the answers

What term is used to describe factors that are positively associated with the risk of development of a disease but are not sufficient to cause the disease?