Epidemiology

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Questions and Answers

Which of the following conditions is an example of an idiopathic disease?

Strep throat

Fungal nail infection

Idiopathic scoliosis (correct)

Common cold

What is the term used for a disease or condition whose cause is unknown?

Cryptogenic (correct)

Epidemiological

Pathogenic

Endemic

Which of the following is NOT a common risk factor for developing health problems?

Obesity

Genetics

Smoking

Physical activity (correct)

Which of the following conditions is NOT caused by a virus?

Gonorrhea (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a determinant of disease that is generally difficult for an individual to control?

Ethnicity (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary focus of epidemiology?

Understanding the causes of disease outbreaks in specific populations (B) Signup and view all the answers

What does the term "demos" in the word "epidemiology" refer to?

People (A) Signup and view all the answers

What type of diseases did epidemiologists primarily focus on during the early 1800s?

Infectious diseases (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a benefit of epidemiological information?

Developing new surgical techniques for treating diseases (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the difference between contagious and non-contagious diseases?

Contagious diseases can be spread from person to person, while non-contagious diseases cannot. (B) Signup and view all the answers

What are two possible causes of injury to the body?

Accident and overuse (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the definition of an abnormal condition that affects the structure or function of the body?

Disease (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which of these is NOT a characteristic of epidemiology?

Analyzes individual patient medical records (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following factors can be classified as an agent factor that contributes to disease development in the pre-pathogenic phase?

Air pollution (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is the difference between point prevalence and period prevalence?

Point prevalence measures cases at a specific time, while period prevalence measures cases over a period of time. (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a factor that can be classified as a host factor in the pre-pathogenic phase?

Climate (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is an example of an intrinsic aetiology?

A genetic predisposition to a specific disease (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary difference between the pre-pathogenic phase and the pathogenic phase in the natural history of a disease?

The pre-pathogenic phase is characterized by the absence of disease, while the pathogenic phase is characterized by disease development. (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary goal of studying the natural history of a disease?

To understand the course of the disease and identify key stages for intervention. (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes the concept of incidence?

The number of new cases of a disease in a population over a specific period. (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is considered an example of an extrinsic aetiology?

A car accident resulting in a fracture. (A) Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Introduction to Epidemiology

Epidemiology is derived from Greek words: epi (on or upon), demos (people), and logos (study of).
It's the study of what happens to populations, specifically regarding health, including negative issues.

Definition of Epidemiology

Epidemiology investigates diseases in different age groups and explores how, when, and why they occur in populations.

Background of Epidemiology

Epidemiological methods emerged in the early 1800s to study disease occurrences.
Early focus was on infectious (contagious) diseases.
In the 1940s and 1950s, the study expanded to non-communicable diseases like heart attack and lung cancer.

Benefits of Epidemiological Information

It helps plan and evaluate strategies to identify and prevent disease in at-risk individuals.
It assists in managing patients who already have diseases.

Disease

Disease is an abnormality affecting body structure or function, often associated with specific signs and symptoms.
Two types: contagious (communicable) and non-contagious (non-communicable).

Injury

Injury is physical harm or damage to the body.
Injuries can be caused by accidents or overuse (repetitive) stress on body parts.
Types include acute and overuse injuries.

Measuring Disease and Injury Occurrence

Incidence: The number of new cases in a defined population during a specific time period. Measured by rate and proportion.
Prevalence: Measures the total number of cases (old and new) in a population at a particular time. It has two types:
- Point prevalence: The number of cases at a single point in time.
- Period prevalence: The number of cases within a specified time period (e.g., a year).

Natural History of Disease

Natural history describes the progression of a disease without treatment.
It spans from the initial onset (inception) to recovery, disability, or death.
Two phases: pre-pathogenic and pathogenic.

Pre-Pathogenic Phase

During this phase, the individual isn't yet ill.
The disease agent is present in the environment, but the host hasn't developed the disease yet.
Epidemiological triad interaction (agent, host, environment)

Pathogenic Phase

The disease agent enters the body, leading to clinically obvious or subtle disease.
The natural history may lead to recovery, disability, or death.

Agents

Agents can be living (e.g., bacteria, viruses, fungi) or non-living (e.g., chemicals, physical factors such as crushing, dislocation from accidents, nutritional factors such as excessive or deficient amounts of certain foods).

Host Factors

Host factors include socio-demographic characteristics (e.g., age, gender, ethnicity, race), biological, social, and economic factors, life style.

Environmental Factors

Environmental factors include physical aspects (e.g., air, soil, water), biological (e.g., co-existence with the ecosystem), and psychosocial (e.g., customs, habits, beliefs, religion).

Aetiology

Aetiology is the study of the causes of diseases.
It's divided into: intrinsic, extrinsic, and idiopathic (causes unknown).

Infectious Diseases

Caused by viruses, bacteria, or fungi.
Examples: common cold, flu, COVID-19, strep throat, whooping cough, gonorrhoea

Non-Infectious Diseases

Not caused by external organisms, but related to genetics, anatomy, age, lifestyle. Examples include cardiovascular diseases, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases, diabetes.

Idiopathic

Idiopathic refers to diseases with unknown causes.
Also known as cryptogenic. Examples include scoliosis and frozen shoulder.

Risk Factors

Risk is the probability of getting a disease.
Understanding risk factors helps prevent diseases.
Examples of common risk factors include obesity (risk of diabetes, heart attack, osteoarthritis), smoking (risk of cancers), and high blood pressure (risk of chronic pain, chronic obstructive lung disease).

Determinants of Disease

Determinants are factors contributing to disease. Examples include age, gender, ethnicity, poverty, location, and occupation. These are often difficult for an individual to control.

Risk vs. Vulnerability

What's the difference?

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Description

Explore the fundamentals of epidemiology, including its definition, historical background, and benefits in public health. This quiz delves into the study of diseases and their occurrence in populations, focusing on both infectious and non-communicable diseases.

Epidemiology - L1

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