Epidemiology Introduction

Question 1

What does epidemiology mean?

Answer 1

The study of the pattern (distribution)of a disease or a physiological condition in human populations and the factors that influence this distribution.

Question 2

What does the term population mean?

Answer 2

Epidemiologically it means a defined group,including both sick and healthy,about their health some statement is to be made.

Question 3

What does causal inference in epidemiology?

Answer 3

This is an exercise in measurement of an effect

Question 4

What does rates mean?

Answer 4

a rate is a measure of the frequency with which an event occurs in a defined population over a specified period of time

Question 5

What are crude rates?

Answer 5

Crude rates-are summary rates based on the actual number of events e.g births,deaths or diseases)in a total population over a given period.

Question 6

What are adjusted rates?

Answer 6

Adjusted rates-are summary rates that have undergone statistical transformation to permit fair comparison between groups differing in some characteristics that may affect risk of disease. It removes variables such as sex and age.

Question 7

What are specific rates?

Answer 7

Specific rates- these are detailed rates specific for age and other demographic components, such as sex race.

Question 8

What does the term counts mean?

Answer 8

Counts cases or health events and describes them in terms of time ,place and person.

Question 9

How do you handeling a changing denominator population?

Answer 9

you use the population size at the midpoint of the time interval as an estimate of an average population risk

Question 10

What does the term denominator mean in reference to epidemiology?

Answer 10

This denominator represents the total time the population was at risk of and being watched for disease.