Epidemiology Flashcards
Define epidemiology
distribution and determinants of health related states and the application of this study to the control of health problems
Distribtion
relationship between the health problem or disease and the population in which it exists
Determinants
causes and factors that affect the risk of disease
Risk
likelihood that people who are without a disease, but exposed to certain risk factors will acquire the disease
Relative Risk
a comparison of the risk of an event (disease or death) in two or more groups
RR equation
risk of disease or death in exposed/ risk in unexposed
RR=1
RR>1
RR
=1 : no association, risk is same in both groups
>1 : exposed group is at risk, there is an association
incidence
number of new cases of a disease
prevalnce
number of existing cases of a disease
Ecological or correlational studies
compare the frequency of events in different populations with the per capita consumption of certain dietary factors
Cross sectional or prevalence studies
examine relationships among dietary intake, diseases, and other variable as they exist in populations at a particlar time
Cohort Studies
group of people, free from the disease is identified and examine and then followed for months or even years. Followed to see who develops disease and who does
Epidemiological method
observing, counting cases, relating to population at risk, making comparison, test hypothesis, scientific inferences, conduct experimental studies, intervening and evaluating
Case control studies
group of persons with the disease is compared with a group without the disease to compare previous exposure between cases and controls
controlled trials
most rigorous evaluation of a dietary hypothesis is the double blind randomized controlled trial
Chronological relationship
exposure to a factor must occur before disease onset
Strength of association
most of those with disease have exposure and few without the disease have exposure
Dose response relationship
the greater the exposure the more severe the disease
specificity of association
the removal of the factor leads to a reduction in disease
consistency of findings
consistent results in different populations, by different investigators
plausibility
the association is biologically plausible based on disease mechanisms, animal and in vitro studies
Nutrition Transition
collecting food, famine, receding famine, nutrition related non communicable disease, behavioural change
