Epidemiology as Cornerstone of Public Health

Question 1

What is descriptive epidemiology?

Answer 1

examines the distribution of a disease in a population and describes its distribution in terms of person, place and time

Question 2

what is analytic epidemiology?

Answer 2

Tests a specific hypothesis about the relationship of a disease to possible cause - by conducting an epidemiological study that measures the association of a risk factor of interest to a disease

Question 3

what is the difference between an endemic, epidemic and pandemic?

Answer 3

Endemic =The constantpresence of a disease within a given geographic area (normal expectancy or usual prevalence of a disease)

Epidemic = the occurrence of more casesof disease, injury, or other health condition than expected in a given area or among a specific group of persons during a particular period. Usually, the cases are presumed to (see also outbreak) have a common cause or to be related to one another in some way

Pandemic = an epidemic occurring over a widespread area (multiple countries or continents) and usually affecting a substantial proportion of the population

Question 4

Define the following time periods

sporadic

epidemic

seasonality

cyclic trend

secular trend

Answer 4

sporadic= unrelated scattered cases

epidemic = unusual increase in incidence

seasonality = change in physiologic status or in occurrence of a disease - influenced by seasonal factors = always fixed/known period

cyclic trend = recurrent alterations in occurrence, interval or frequency of disease - but not a fixed period

secular= long term changes over years or decades