BIOL 437 Week Four Part 1

Question 1

what does descriptive epidemiology allow us to do

Answer 1

• 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

Question 2

comprehensive characterization

Answer 2

-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

Question 3

5 W’s

Answer 3

• what
• who
• when
• where
• why/how (analytical)

Question 4

person

Answer 4

• answers the ‘who’
• various characteristics
• activities
• living conditions
• age

Question 5

desriptions of people include

Answer 5

• age
• sex
• race/ethnicity
• marital and family status
• occupation
• education

Question 6

various characteristics

Answer 6

• inherent: age, sex, ethnicity
• biologic: immune status
• acquired: marital status

Question 7

activities

Answer 7

• occupation
• leisure
• medications and drugs

Question 8

living conditions

Answer 8

• socioeconomic status

- access to medical care

Question 9

age

Answer 9

-single most important attribute

Question 10

factors that tend to vary with age

Answer 10

• susceptibility
• exposure opportunity
• incubation period (latency)
• physiologic response (effects)

Question 11

age groups

Answer 11

• usually 10-year age groups for chronic diseases

- trying to identify age-related patterns if there are patterns

Question 12

sex vs. gender

Answer 12

• sex: biologically founded

- gender: social construct

Question 13

males vs. females

Answer 13

-often males have higher rates of illness
>genetic
>hormonal
>anatomic
*differences is due to differences in opportunity or level of exposure

Question 14

ethnicity and race

Answer 14

-race
-nationality
-religion
-social groups
>differences in susceptibility
>socioeconomic status
>access to health care

Question 15

socioeconmic status

Answer 15

• occupation
• family income
• educational level
• living conditions
• social standing

Question 16

types of population pyramids

Answer 16

• expansive
• stationary
• constrictive

Question 17

expansive

Answer 17

• broad base
• tall, pointed shape
• represents rapid rate of population growth and low proportion of older people

Question 18

stationary

Answer 18

• block-shaped

- indicating low fertility and low mortality

Question 19

constrictive

Answer 19

• lower number or percentage of younger people
• generally older
• low death rate, but also a low birth rate

Question 20

dependency ratio

Answer 20

• population under 15 and 65+ divided by population 15-65

- _____dependents per working person

Question 21

place

Answer 21

-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

Question 22

pathogen factors

Answer 22

• virulent strain
• hospital
• available vector for transmission

Question 23

environment

Answer 23

• crowding in urban areas

- homes built in wooded areas near dear

Question 24

short-term disease incubation

Answer 24

• few hours

- as important as long-term latency periods

Question 25

temporal

Answer 25

• time

- time-related elements or issues

Question 26

time

Answer 26

• occurence changes with time

- regularity vs. unpredictability

Question 27

predictable occurrence

Answer 27

-allows for prevention strategies
>vaccinations
>mosquito spraying
-use a basic line graph
-timing can help determine causes
>period of exposure
>implementation of control measures

Question 28

long-term trends

Answer 28

• graph over several years
• evaluation of programs
• policy decisions
• past trends as predictors

Question 29

seasonality

Answer 29

• by week/month over a year
• patterns can suggest hypothesis
• day of week and time of day