Epidemiology Topics

Question 1

Define and distinguish between incidence and prevalence?

Answer 1

• Incidence measures the occurrence of new disease

* Prevalence measures the existence of current disease

Question 2

Define and explain epidemiology

Answer 2

Epidemiology is the study about distribution and origins of a disease that occurs in human populations and how it applies to make it manageable and controllable. Epidemiology also studies, where the disease comes from, what is the disease’s variants, investigating statistics, causes and its consequences and lastly conducting clinical trials to treat a disease

Question 3

Discuss important figures in the history of epidemiology:

John Graunt

Answer 3

Born: 1820
Died: 1874
(53 years old)

Born and Died in London, UK

Plague occurred in 1636 in London

He was responsible for summarising mortality patterns during through the Bills of Mortality in 1662

Question 4

Discuss important figures in the history of epidemiology:

James Lind

Answer 4

Born: 1716
Died: 1794
(77 years old)

Born in Edinburgh and Died in Gosport, Hampshire
Cause and treatment of Vitamin C Deficiency ‘Scurvy’

Improved the field of preventative medicine and nutrition. Making a big impact to global clinical trials.

Question 5

Discuss important figures in the history of epidemiology:

William Farr

Answer 5

William Farr
Born: 1807
Died: 1883
(76 Years Old)

Finding out population density and mortality rates.

Classified causes of death. He also tallied deaths, observed potential outbreaks and developed a categorisation system.

Question 6

Discuss important figures in the history of epidemiology:

John Snow

Answer 6

John Snow
1813-1858
York (Born)
London (Died)

Found out that Cholera was spread by water – the start of a pandemic in 19th Century

Counted and tallied cases of Cholera in London when an outbreak occurred. Also, responsible for the study of health outcomes in populations.

Question 7

List the key components of epidemiology:

Answer 7

Population, Distribution, Determinants, Disease Control

Question 8

Describe the key components of epidemiology:

population

Answer 8

Population – refers to a group of people containing a common viewpoint could be like race, gender, age or class from an individual. They are this crucial to every disease that exist and how it could impact various age groups but not themselves.

Question 9

Describe the key components of epidemiology:

Frequency

Answer 9

Disease Frequency is different because it refers to quantitatively count how many cases of a specific disease. It must include three steps from defining what is that disease and where it comes from, organising a tabulating system on how cases of a disease are spread globally

Question 10

Describe the key components of epidemiology:

Distribution

Answer 10

Disease Distribution analyses the patterns and formulae of a specific disease ranging from who will get the disease, where it is most infectious and finding out if there are any variants that are more infectious than the original variant of the disease. This provides very crucial information for the epidemiologist to apply solutions to any variants of concern, devise hypotheses if a variant is infectious and to assess solutions to new variants.

Question 11

Describe the key components of epidemiology:

Determinants

Answer 11

Disease Determinants are factors that investigates a person’s chance if he/she is at risk of getting that condition. Determinants consist of both preventative and casual factors (such as Family history, gender, age, immunity level and lifestyle) could also include environmental and societal determinants (such as presence of infectious diseases, poor living conditions, incompetent governments and other social factors.

Question 12

Describe the key components of epidemiology:

Control of Disease

Answer 12

Disease Control aims for epidimiologists to abolish its specific disease to reduce infection and reduce economic and social harm to a society.

Question 13

Significance of the research for epidemiology:

Streptomycin & Tuberculosis Trial

Answer 13

1. Occurred in the late 1940’s, conducted the first experimental study whether streptomycin can be used as a treatment to Pulmonary Tuberculosis
2. Participants were patients with Acute Progressive Bilateral Pulmonary Tuberculosis

3, This was innovative because it made use of:

i. Randomise patients in certain groups (Streptomycin and Control Groups)
ii. Restrictions on who is eligible to participate in a clinical trial

Question 14

Significance of the research for epidemiology:

Doll and Hill’s studies on smoking and lung cancer

Answer 14

1. Had included several thousands of participants relating to study on Chronic Diseases based from Environmental Origins
2. Paid close attention to subjects for a long period of time.
3. Applied changes that smoking was indeed dangerous to an individual, whether young or old

Question 15

Significance of the research for epidemiology:

Framingham Study

Answer 15

1. Notable for bringing about a shift focus to all diseases. Became an epitome of a successful research about epidemiology.
2. Determining latent cardiovascular diseases (also including cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease)
3. Participants had undergone testing and interviews which left a legacy on numerous health topics of concern.