1 - Diseases and epidemiology Flashcards
what are the 2 main categories for disease?
communicable and non-communicable diseases
communicable disease
passed from 1 living thing to another by pathogens
noncommunicable disease
cannot be transmitted by contact, not spread from 1 person to another
what is the leading cause of death in males?
intentional self harm - 25.6%
what is the leading cause of death in females?
dementia and alzheimers - 21.4%
Epidemiology
study of the distribution and determinants of health-related states or events, and the application of this study to the control of diseases and other health problems
simple epidemiology definition
study and management of health in the population scale
Objectives of Epidemiology
- identify causes of disease and possible risk factors
- determine the extent of disease in a population
- study the natural history of diseases
- evaluate treatments and other healthcare deliveries
- provide evidence to develop new policies and treatments
Epidemiology Questions
- How do health outcomes differ in different population groups?
- How do risk factors vary in different populations
- Why do some populations have higher risk of disease than others?
what 3 things does epidemiology study?
- distribution
- determinants
- control
what do the determinants take into account?
- what puts people at higher risk of the disease?
what does control take into account?
- how can the spread of the disease be controlled?
Factors of Epidemiology
demographic, social, economic, genetic, environment
Association between disease and factors
- association strength
- association consistency
- temporal correctness of the association
disease determinants : mexico pork tapeworm
Human infection more common in those who: - Frequently eat pork - Have poor sanitation Pig infection more common where: • Pigs are "free ranging" • Pigs have access to human waste
endemic
native or confined to a particular region or people
epidemic
A widespread outbreak of an infectious disease.
Pandemic
Disease that occurs over a wide geographic area and affects a very high proportion of the population.
what does studying disease control help with?
- information and understanding
- advocacy and resource allocation
questions surrounding disease control
- who should control be targeted to?
- where should control be targeted to ?
what time of year should we intervene? - what are the risk factors
- does intervention X work?
- how does intervention X compare to intervention Y?
