17 Questions
What is one advantage of ecological studies?
They provide a broad overview of the population and can identify potential associations.
What is one disadvantage of ecological studies?
They may suffer from the ecological fallacy, where associations observed at the group level may not hold true for individuals.
Why are cohort studies effective for examining multiple outcomes from exposure to a single risk?
Cohort studies follow individuals over time, allowing for the observation of various outcomes resulting from the same exposure.
Give an example of a situation where cohort studies are useful to the researcher.
Cohort studies are useful for investigating the long-term effects of smoking on various health outcomes, such as lung cancer, heart disease, and respiratory conditions.
List two criteria for establishing causality in epidemiological studies.
Consistency of findings across different studies and strength of association.
What are two examples of problems that might arise in establishing a causal link in a case-control study investigating the relationship between eating oily fish and cognitive decline in old age?
Selection bias and recall bias.
Complete the table using the given data.
Disease present: 100, Disease absent: 500, Total: 600, Test positive: 200, Test negative: 400, Total: 600
What is the importance of screening tests for population health?
Screening tests help in detecting diseases early, before they become symptomatic, thereby enabling early intervention and prevention. This is important for improving population health outcomes.
What is 'length-time bias' in the context of screening tests, and why is it important?
'Length-time bias' refers to the tendency of screening tests to detect slow-growing or less aggressive forms of the disease, leading to an overestimation of the benefits of early detection. It is important in screening because it can result in overdiagnosis and unnecessary treatment.
What is 'Primary prevention' of disease?
'Primary prevention' involves interventions aimed at preventing the occurrence of disease by minimizing exposure to risk factors and promoting healthy behaviors and environments.
Briefly describe the 'population approach' to disease prevention, and give one advantage and one disadvantage.
The 'population approach' involves implementing interventions at the community or population level to promote health and prevent disease. One advantage is that it can lead to widespread impact, but a disadvantage is that it may not address individual-level variations in risk factors and needs.
Give one example each of a primary and a secondary prevention approach for cardiovascular disease for each intervention level.
Individual - Primary prevention: Regular exercise; Secondary prevention: Cardiac rehabilitation. Population - Primary prevention: Public health campaigns promoting healthy diet; Secondary prevention: Community-based blood pressure screening programs.
Calculate the incidence of Type-1 diabetes per 1000 person-years for each group based on the given data.
Regular: 0.24, Irregular: 0.33, None: 2.04
Calculate and interpret the Relative Risk of Type-1 diabetes in those given no vitamin D supplementation compared to those given regular supplements.
Relative Risk: Irregular - 1.38, None - 8.50. Interpretation: Individuals with no vitamin D supplementation have a significantly higher risk of Type-1 diabetes compared to those with regular supplementation.
Calculate the attributable risk for Type-1 diabetes of NOT supplementing with Vitamin D.
Attributable Risk: 0.198
How would you interpret the attributable risk measure?
The attributable risk of 0.198 indicates that a substantial proportion of the risk of Type-1 diabetes is associated with not supplementing with Vitamin D, highlighting the potential impact of Vitamin D supplementation on disease prevention.
What is the purpose of age standardization in public health research?
Age standardization is used to compare disease rates across different populations or time periods, by adjusting for differences in age distributions. It enables a more accurate comparison of disease burden and risk factors.
Take this 90-minute mock paper to test your understanding of epidemiology study designs. The paper covers topics like ecological studies, cohort studies, and their strengths and weaknesses. Challenge yourself with questions on the effectiveness of different study designs in examining outcomes from exposure to risks.
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