Public Health and Epidemiology Quiz

Introduction to Public Health & Epidemiology

• Course title: Public Health (PM 906)
• Department: Microbiology & Immunology
• Semester: Fall 2024
• Lecture: 1

Overall Aim of the Course

• Understand scientific disciplines for health education and promotion
• Understand epidemiology as the basis of public health actions
• Control communicable and non-communicable diseases
• Improve mental, environmental, occupational, geriatric, and family health
• Improve healthy food and nutrition, safe drinking water, and waste disposal

Course Content

• Introduction to disease epidemiology
• Epidemiological studies
• Communicable disease control and prevention
• Non-communicable disease control and prevention
• Waterborne diseases
• Food and milk microbiology
• Pollution, environmental health & sustainable development
• Family health
• Mental health
• Occupational health
• Nutrition

Course Assessment

• Class work (25%):
  • Quizzes (2 quizzes, 10%)
  • Assignments (10%)
  • Attendance (5%)
• Final written exam (75%)

What is Public Health?

• The art and science of disease prevention, health promotion, and prolonging life through organized societal efforts
• Concerned with promoting the health of the entire population and preventing diseases affecting it
• According to the WHO, health encompasses physical, mental, and social states, not just the absence of disease
• Pharmacists play a vital role in public health promotion.

The Pandemic of COVID-19

• COVID-19 continues to spread regionally and globally.
• Global cumulative incidence of COVID-19 reached 770,090,297 reported cases as of September 2023
• 6,972,616 associated deaths reported
• Case-fatality ratio (CFR) of 0.91% globally
• Eastern Mediterranean Region reported 23,389,586 cases (3.04% of the global count)
• 351,405 associated deaths in EMR (CFR 1.5%)

Epidemiology

• A broader concept than just fighting epidemics, encompassing:
  • epi (upon), demos (people), logos (study)
• The study of the distribution and determinants of health-related states/events in human populations
• Application of this study towards controlling health problems
• Uses quantitative methods to study disease and risk factors in human populations
• Focuses on observation, identification, description, experimental investigation, and theoretical explanation of natural phenomena.
• Tool to improve public health, relying on a systematic and unbiased approach to data collection, analysis, and interpretation.

Role of Epidemiologist vs. Clinician

Objectives of Epidemiology

• Identify factors causing disease (disease etiology)
• Identify risk factors affecting disease spread
• Explain disease and epidemic occurrence
• Determine disease extent and health needs in a community
• Establish a clinical disease diagnosis
• Study disease prognosis and predict future health needs
• Evaluate health program effectiveness
• Evaluate preventive and therapeutic measures effectiveness
• Provide foundation for public policy and regulatory decisions related to environmental and health problems

Theories of Disease Causation

• Miasma Theory: Diseases caused by malodorous/poisonous particles from decomposing organic matter.
• Contagion/Germ Theory: Diseases spread by contact with an infected individual.

Pharmacoepidemiology

• The application of epidemiological knowledge, methods and reasoning to study effects (beneficial and adverse) of drugs in populations.
• Used to describe, measure, explain, control, and predict the uses/effects of drugs in a defined time, place, and population.

Role of Pharmacoepidemiology

• Discover drug benefits and hazards (e.g., aspirin reducing cardiovascular risk)
• Measure illegal drug use and misuse outbreaks
• Inform drug development and approval processes
• Detect and measure adverse drug reactions post-market release

Sources of Pharmacoepidemiological data

• Spontaneous Reporting (USA, FDA)
• Global Drug Surveillance (WHO)
• Automated databases

Pharmacists' Role in Public Health

• Responsible for monitoring diseases and drug use
• Duties vary, some serving patients directly, others working for the FDA serving millions.
• Roles include monitoring disease/drug utilization, guiding drug distribution, providing risk/benefit drug information.

The Epidemiologic Triangle

• Disease occurs when agent encounters a susceptible host, facilitated by environmental factors.
• Host: Biological/social traits, e.g., genetic characteristics, race, sex, lifestyle, diet, residence
• Agent: Biological, chemical, nutritional, physical forces, e.g., microorganisms, toxins, excess/lack of food, energy radiation
• Environment: Physical and social, e.g., temperature, moisture, pollution, overcrowding, poverty, drug abuse

Preventive Medicine

• Primarily focuses on preventing physical, mental, and emotional diseases/injuries.
• Levels of Prevention:
  • Primordial Prevention: Preventing risk factors (e.g., obesity)
  • Primary Prevention: Preventing emergence of disease if risk factors present (health ed., immunizations, environmental controls).
  • Secondary Prevention: Early detection and treatment of disease during preclinical stages (e.g., neonatal screenings).
  • Tertiary Prevention: Limiting disease disability and rehabilitating from disease.

Screening Tests

• Identify people at risk of a disease to justify further diagnostic tests/procedures and/or interventions.
• Tests must be reliable (consistent upon repetition) and valid (actually measure what they claim to).
• Validity measures:
  • Sensitivity: Ability to identify true positives (disease is present)
  • Specificity: Ability to identify true negatives (disease is absent)
• Screening tests can have high sensitivity, low specificity, vice versa or both.

Role of Pharmacist in Public Health

• Question posed, role of pharmacists in public health.

Test your knowledge on the fundamental concepts of public health and epidemiology. This quiz covers topics such as test sensitivity, screening validity, and the aims of public health. Ideal for students and professionals looking to refresh their understanding of these crucial health areas.