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Questions and Answers
What is the primary goal of epidemiology?
What is the primary goal of epidemiology?
Which component of epidemiology focuses on understanding the causes or factors associated with increased disease risk?
Which component of epidemiology focuses on understanding the causes or factors associated with increased disease risk?
How do epidemiologists use descriptive epidemiology?
How do epidemiologists use descriptive epidemiology?
What distinguishes epidemiology from other fields of medicine?
What distinguishes epidemiology from other fields of medicine?
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Which of the following is NOT a use of epidemiology?
Which of the following is NOT a use of epidemiology?
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What factor does NOT contribute to changes in health risks within a population?
What factor does NOT contribute to changes in health risks within a population?
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Which of the following is MOST important for the early detection of subclinical cases?
Which of the following is MOST important for the early detection of subclinical cases?
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Which of these changes in causes of death is least likely due to modern medical advancements?
Which of these changes in causes of death is least likely due to modern medical advancements?
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What is the primary aim of estimating individual risks in epidemiology?
What is the primary aim of estimating individual risks in epidemiology?
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Which of the following is a characteristic of a syndrome?
Which of the following is a characteristic of a syndrome?
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Study Notes
Epidemiology Definition
- Epidemiology is the study of the distribution and determinants of health-related states in populations, and its application to control health problems.
- It's based on principles of statistics and research methodologies.
Components of the Definition
- Study: A basic public health science.
- Distribution: Describes patterns of health events by person, place, and time.
- Determinants: Identifies factors associated with increased disease risk; differentiates between "who, what, where, and when" to "how and why" (analytical epidemiology).
- Health-related states: Covers a broad range of health-related events including chronic diseases, environmental issues, behavioral problems, injuries and infectious diseases.
- Populations: Focuses on groups of people, rather than individuals.
- Control: Uses data to guide decision-making and evaluate public health interventions. Employs disciplines of biostatistics, social and behavioral science, toxicology, pathology, virology, microbiology, genetics, and clinical medicine.
Uses of Epidemiology
- Study the history of health of populations: Analyzing historical trends in disease and conditions within populations.
- Diagnose the health of the community: Assessing the health status of a community.
- Study the functioning of health services: Evaluating the effectiveness and efficiency of health services.
- Estimate the individual risks: Evaluating risks of developing a disease, accident or defect.
- Complete the clinical picture of diseases: Gathering all kinds of relevant information about a given disease (clinical & non-clinical).
- Identify syndromes: Understanding disease patterns that occur together to characterize a condition.
- Search for causes: Identifying causes of health and disease.
Changes in Causes of Death
- Leading causes of death have shown marked changes due to: diagnosis improvements, better treatment/drugs, and aging populations.
Diagnosing Community Health
- Identifying problems, and needs for health services.
Studying Health Services
- Assessing health service functioning, need, coverage and utilisation.
Estimating Individual Disease Risks
- Evaluating risks of suffering diseases, accidents, or defects and how to avoid them.
Completing Clinical Pictures of Diseases
- Identifying all types of patients, with or without symptoms, to fully understand disease characteristics
Identifying Syndromes
- Identifying groups of signs and symptoms that together characterise a particular abnormality.
Searching for Disease Causes
- Investigating causes to understand disease and to improve people's health.
Important Epidemiological Definitions
- Health: Complete physical, mental, and social well-being.
- Public Health: Prevention of disease and promotion of health.
- Disease: Deviation from normal health.
- Sporadic Cases: Occurring occasionally.
- Endemic: Constant presence of a disease/agent
- Epidemic: Cases of illness clearly exceeding normal expectancy.
- Pandemic: Worldwide epidemic.
- Outbreak: Localized epidemic.
- Contamination: Presence of an infectious agent.
- Pollution: Presence of harmful materials in the environment.
- Infection: Entry, growth, and multiplication of an infectious agent.
- Infectious Disease: Disease caused by infection.
- Communicable Disease: Illness due to specific infectious agents or their products.
- Incubation Period: Time between exposure and disease symptoms appearing.
- Period of Communicability: Time infectious agent can be transmitted.
- Non-Communicable Disease: Illness not caused by infection (e.g., hypertension, cardiovascular disease).
- Risk Factor: Aspect of behavior, exposure, or characteristic linked to increased disease probability.
- Latent Period: Time between infection and disease appearance.
- Chemoprophylaxis: Treatment to prevent infection.
- Chemotherapy: Treatment to cure or progress disease.
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Description
This quiz explores the fundamental definition of epidemiology, detailing its core components such as distribution, determinants, and health-related states. Learn how epidemiology applies research methodologies to control health problems within populations and the significance of data in public health decision-making.
