Chapter 4 - Epidemiology: The Basic Science of Public Health

Question 1

What is the Greek meaning of the word epidemic?

Answer 1

upon the people

Question 2

Epidemic

Answer 2

An increase in the frequency of a disease above a usual and expected rate (the endemic rate)

Question 3

What is the ultimate goal of epidemiology?

Answer 3

to control and prevent the spread of disease

Question 4

What are the three main questions posed in “shoe leather epidemiology”?

Answer 4

1. Who is getting the disease?
2. Where?
3. When?

Question 5

John Snow

Answer 5

Father of modern epidemiology

Cholera

Question 6

Epidemiologic Surveillance

Answer 6

Government system requiring that certain “notifiable” disease be reported as soon as they’re diagnoses.

Question 7

What are some “notifiable” diseases? (There are 60 on the federal level)

Answer 7

Tuberculosis, hepatitis, measles, syphilis…

Question 8

Are signs of bioterror attacks reported?

Answer 8

Yes

Question 9

Can physicians report questionable illnesses to the CDC?

Answer 9

Yes; this helped start the investigation into AIDS

Question 10

Prospective Cohort Study

Answer 10

Following large numbers of people over extended periods of time.

Question 11

What is the most reliable kind of epidemiologic study for investigating causes of chronic diseases?

Answer 11

Prospective cohort studies

Question 12

What does epidemiology study?

Answer 12

the patterns of disease occurrences in populations and the factors that influence these patterns