Epidemiology Flashcards
What is epidemiology?
Study of the distribution of factors that determine health-related states or events in a population, and the use of this information to control health problems (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2017).
What are the components of epidemiology?
Illness and disease are not randomly distributed in the population.
People have characteristics that predispose them or protect them.
Determinants of Health
Health surveillance/monitoring
What is the overall goal of epidemiology?
Maintaining health and preventing illness and injury and other.
What is the difference between epidemiology and clinical medicine?
Epidemiology studies populations and the determinants of health that influence the health state/disease. Seeks to understand the context of peoples' lives.
What are the key concepts of epidemiology? (3)
Causality
Risk
Rates of occurrence
What is the purpose of epidemiology?
To identify origin and causal links between contributing factors and resulting states of health and illness.
What are the uses of epidemiology? (6)
Understanding of the factors contributing to health and disease.
Develop health promotion and disease prevention measures.
Detect and characterize emerging infectious agents.
Evaluate health services and policies.
Community health nursing practice.
To diagnose the health status of a population
What is causality?
Causality: one event is the result of another event.
What is risk?
The likelihood/probability that the event will likely occur. Looked at within a particular time frame.
What is “rates of occurrence”?
Statistical measures that indicate the extent of a health problem in the population.
Who was John Snow?
The first epidemiology, look at the cholera epidemic in the 1850s in London, mapped where the outbreak was most prevalent, why was that, what was the sources of the cholera, and conducted that the water was the source.
What role did Florence Nightingale play in epidemiology?
Looked at the environmental conditions, morbidity/death rates, disease rates
What are four models used in epidemiologic investigation?
Epidemiologic Triangle
Web of Causation
Iceberg Model
Life Course Approach
What is the Epidemiologic triangle? (model used in epidemiologic investigation)
Seeks to explain the relationship between the host, the agent and the environment
What is the Web of Causation? (model used in epideiologic investigation)
Explores the interplay of multiple factors and identifies direct and indirect causes of disease.
What is the Iceberg Model? (model used in epidemiologic investigation)
Completes the clinical picture to gain understanding of the complete picture
What is the Life Course Approach?
Early life factors influence health in adulthood.
What are the three components of the epidemiological triangle?
Host
Agent
Environment
What is a host (part of the epidemiologic triangle)?
The person or animal (living species). Can be a group.
What is an agent (part of the epidemiologic triangle)?
Animate or inanimate factor which must be present for the disease/condition to develop.
What are some examples of different types of agents?
Chemical agent (mercury, asbestos, lead, tobacco) Infectious agent (virus, bacteria, fungi, parasites) Physical agent (heat, cold, radiation, trauma)
What is the environment (part of the epidemiologic triangle)?
External to the host, influences host and agent.
What are some factors/examples of environment (as part of the epidemiologic triangle)?
Physical (climate, rainfall, pollution)
Biological (water resservoir/habitats)
Social (working conditions, socioeconomic conditions (housing), access to healthcare)
What are the three parts of the course of the disease/condition from onset to resolution?
Preceding events
Events throughout
Outcomes
What are the stages of a disease/condition?
Pre-exposure (primary prevention)
Pre-clinical (secondary prevention)
Clinical
Resolution
What is the concept of causality or causation?
The notion that one event is the result of another event.
What are the four eras of perspectives on what causes diseases?
Religious era (2000 BC to 600 BC) Environmental era (~400 BC) Bacteriologic era (mid 1800's) - beginning of epidemiological study (scurvy, cholera) Era of multiple causation (current perspective) with focus on social determinants of health
What are the seven criteria for causality?
- Strength of association
- Coherence/plausability
- Temporality
- Consideration of alternate explanations
- Dose-response relationship
- Consistency of the association
- Specificity of association