Definitions

Question 1

Epidemiology:

Answer 1

Study of distribution and determinants of health and disease

Question 2

Public Health:

Answer 2

Science and art of prolonging life, preventing disease and promoting health

Question 3

Cause:

Answer 3

Factor which of itself increases risk of disease occurring

Question 4

Incidence Rate:

Answer 4

Occurrence of new cases of disease

Question 5

Prevalence Rate:

Answer 5

Presence of disease (new + old)

Question 6

Mortality Rate:

Answer 6

Occurrence of death per population per unit time

Question 7

Descriptive Epidemiology:

Answer 7

Describes disease distributions by place, time, and person

Question 8

Ecological Study:

Answer 8

Unit of observation is population or community

Question 9

Ecological Fallacy:

Answer 9

Assumption that exposure and outcome are related in individuals

Question 10

Risk:

Answer 10

Probability of an event (n cases/ N population at risk)

Question 11

Relative Risk:

Answer 11

Risk in exposed group/risk in unexposed group

Question 12

Attributable Risk:

Answer 12

Risk of exposed – risk of unexposed (excess risk)

Question 13

Risk Factor:

Answer 13

Any characteristic that identifies a group of increased or decreased risk of disease

Question 14

Random Error:

Answer 14

Random imprecision, but without systematic inaccuracy

Question 15

Systematic Error:

Answer 15

Bias in selection and collection of information

Question 16

Odds Ratio:

Answer 16

Odds of being a case in exposed vs odds of being a case in unexposed

Question 17

WHO definition of health

Answer 17

‘Heath is a state of complete mental, physical and social wellbeing – not merely the absence of disease or infirmity’