Epidemiology: The Study of Disease, Injury, and Death in the Community Flashcards
Diseases and health problems can be classified in
several meaningful ways.
– Communicable vs. non-communicable diseases
– Acute vs. chronic diseases and illnesses
– caused by pathogenic agents which can be transmitted from
an infected host to a non-infected but susceptible host
Communicable diseases
– cannot be transmitted from a diseased host to a susceptible
one.
Non-communicable diseases
- Duration (3 months or less)
- Peak severity of symptoms occur & subsides within 3
months or sooner
Acute diseases
- Duration (longer than 3 months)
- Recovery is slow and often incomplete
Chronic diseases
The communicable disease
model includes three basic
elements.
disease agent
the host, and
the environment.
– model that conceptualizes the
transmission of a
communicable disease from
its source to a new susceptible
host.
Chain of Infection
can best be visualized by the multi-causation
disease model
Non-communicable disease
Non-communicable diseases
Contributing factors:
- Genetics
- Environmental
- Behavior
PHIL. = 4 major non-communicable
diseases (chronic diseases or lifestyle
related diseases):
– Cardiovascular diseases (CVD)
– Cancer
– Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
(COPD)
– Diabetes Mellitus
- Number 1 killer of Americans
– Heart disease
- 3rd leading cause of death
- Blood supply to brain is interrupted
– Stroke
- 2nd cause of death
- Common cancer sites: breast, prostate but
can occur in other sites
– Cancer
(4th leading cause of death)
COPD - Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
(7th leading cause of death)
Diabetes-type II