Active Learning Modules Flashcards
Define “epidemiology”
The study of distribution and determinants of health-related states among specified populations and the application of that study to the control of health problems
What is the difference between “prevalence” and “incidence”?
Incidence is a measure of the number of NEW CASES of a characteristic that develop within a population in a specified time period
Prevalence is the PROPORTION of a population who has a specific characteristic in a given time period (regardless of when they first developed the characteristic)
What are 4 observational study designs that are fundamental to epidemiology?
Case reports
Cross-sectional studies
Case-control studies
Cohort studies
What is a case report?
A detailed description of disease occurrence in a single person
What is a cross-sectional study?
A sample of people from a population who are enrolled and their exposures and health outcomes are measured simultaneously
What is a case-control study?
A study that compares two groups of people:
-Those with the disease or condition under study (cases)
-And a very similar group of people who do not have the disease or condition (controls)
What is a cohort study?
A study in which a group of people with a common characteristic is followed over time to find how many reach a certain health outcome of interest
(disease, condition, event, death, or a change in health status or behavior)
What are health screenings?
Public health interventions intended to improve the health of a precisely defined target population
What are two risks associated with health screening test results?
-False negatives (can cause a false sense of security and lead to worsening of the condition or disease)
-False positives (can lead to unnecessary additional tests and cause alarm)
