Epi Flashcards
- Overarching epi concept
The cause of health and diseases are discover-able by systematically and rigorously identifying their patterns of each in populations, formulation the causal hypotheses, and testing those hypotheses by making group comparisons. These methods lie at the core of the science of epi.
2: identifying patterns of health and disease and formulating hypotheses.
- Healthy and disease are not distributed randomly or uniformly in a population. There are patterns to their occurrence. These patterns can be identified through the surveillance of populations.
3: identifying patterns of health and disease and formulating hypotheses.
Analysis of these patterns of distribution can help formulate hypotheses about the possible causes of health and disease.
- Making group comparisons and identifying Associations.
A hypothesis can be tested by comparing the frequency of disease in selected groups of ppl with and without an exposure to determine if the exposure and the disease are associated.
- Making group comparisons and identifying Associations.
When an exposure is hypothesized to have a beneficial effect, studies can be designed in which a group of ppl is intentionally exposed to the hypothesized cause and compared to a group that is not exposed.
- Making group comparisons and identifying Associations.
When an exposure is hypothesized to have a detrimental effect, it is not ethical to expose a group of people, In these circumstances studies can be designed that observe groups of free-living ppl as they go about their daily lives with and without the exposure.
- Explaining associations and judging causation
One explanation for finding an association is the exposure causes the outcome (causation). Because studies are complicated by factors not controlled by the observer, other explanations must also be considered, including Confounders, chance and bias.
- Explaining associations and judging causation
Judgments about whether an exposure causes a disease are developed by examining a body of epidemiological evidence as well as evidence from other scientific disciplines and study designs.
- Explaining associations and judging causation
While a given exposure may be necessary to cause an outcome, the presence of a single factor is seldom sufficient. Most outcomes are caused by a combination of exposures that may include genetics, behaviors, social, economic, and cultural factors, and environment.
10: Improving health and preventing disease.
Individual and societal health-related decisions to improve health and prevent diseases are based on more than scientific evidence. Social, economic, ethical, environmental, cultural, and political factors may also be considered in decision-making.
- Improving health and preventing disease.
The effectiveness of a health related (prevention) strategy can be evaluated by comparing the frequency (rates) of disease in selected groups of ppl who were and weren’t exposed to the strategy. Costs, trade-offs, and alternative solutions must be also considered in evaluating the strategy.
- Understanding Non-health related phenomena
An understanding of non-health related phenomena can be developed through epi thinking, by identifying their patterns in populations, formulating causal hypotheses, and testing those hypotheses by making group comparisons.
