BIOL 437 Week Four Part 1 Flashcards
what does descriptive epidemiology allow us to do
- describe problem to person, place and time
- communicate usting tables and graphs
- identify who is at greatest risk
- use surveillance methods
- clues to causes of diseases
comprehensive characterization
-time, place, person focus
-assessing data with the 3 in mind allows for:
>increased familiarity
>identify limitations
>identify problems
>identify groups at high risk
>communicate in understanding manner
5 W’s
- what
- who
- when
- where
- why/how (analytical)
person
- answers the ‘who’
- various characteristics
- activities
- living conditions
- age
desriptions of people include
- age
- sex
- race/ethnicity
- marital and family status
- occupation
- education
various characteristics
- inherent: age, sex, ethnicity
- biologic: immune status
- acquired: marital status
activities
- occupation
- leisure
- medications and drugs
living conditions
- socioeconomic status
- access to medical care
age
-single most important attribute
factors that tend to vary with age
- susceptibility
- exposure opportunity
- incubation period (latency)
- physiologic response (effects)
age groups
- usually 10-year age groups for chronic diseases
- trying to identify age-related patterns if there are patterns
sex vs. gender
- sex: biologically founded
- gender: social construct
males vs. females
-often males have higher rates of illness
>genetic
>hormonal
>anatomic
*differences is due to differences in opportunity or level of exposure
ethnicity and race
-race
-nationality
-religion
-social groups
>differences in susceptibility
>socioeconomic status
>access to health care
socioeconmic status
- occupation
- family income
- educational level
- living conditions
- social standing
types of population pyramids
- expansive
- stationary
- constrictive
expansive
- broad base
- tall, pointed shape
- represents rapid rate of population growth and low proportion of older people
stationary
- block-shaped
- indicating low fertility and low mortality
constrictive
- lower number or percentage of younger people
- generally older
- low death rate, but also a low birth rate
dependency ratio
- population under 15 and 65+ divided by population 15-65
- _____dependents per working person
place
-addresses the “where”
-involves comparisions
>geographic regions
>between twins
-maps and spot maps
-may just be at risk due to personal characteristics, pathogen factors or environment
pathogen factors
- virulent strain
- hospital
- available vector for transmission
environment
- crowding in urban areas
- homes built in wooded areas near dear
short-term disease incubation
- few hours
- as important as long-term latency periods
