Final Review Questions--First Half Flashcards
- What are some the things that epidemiology seeks to do?
a. To provide a basis for developing disease control and prevention measures for groups at risk. This translates into developing measures to prevent or control disease.
b. Basis of study is populations, not individuals
c. Towards this purpose, epidemiology seeks to
i. describe the frequency of disease and it’s distribution in a given population
ii. consider person, place, time factors
iii. assess determinants or possible causes of disease
iv. consider host, agent, environment
- What is the basic question in analytic epidemiology?
a. Look to link exposure and disease
i. What is the exposure?
ii. Who are the exposed?
iii. What are the potential health effects?
iv. What approach will you take to study the relationship between exposure and effect?
- What properties should a good epidemiological variable have?
a. Have an impact on health
b. Be measureable
c. Differentiate populations
d. Generate testable hypotheses
e. Help to prevent or control disease
- In epidemiology, what is the difference between association and causation?
a. Epidemiology does not determine the cause of a disease in a given individual
b. Instead, it determines the relationship or association between a given exposure and frequency of disease in populations
c. We infer causation based upon the association and several other factors
Association - an identifiable relationship between an exposure and disease
d. implies that exposure might cause disease
e. exposures associated with a difference in disease risk are often called “risk factors”
f. Most often, we design interventions based upon associations
Causation - implies that there is a true mechanism that leads from exposure to disease
g. Finding an association does not make it causal
h. Direct causal pathway
- Describe the concept of a “web of causation”
a. There is no single cause
b. Causes of disease are interacting
c. Illustrates the interconnectedness of possible causes
- What are Hills criteria? Why are they important? List six.
a. Consistency of findings
b. Strength of association
c. Biological gradient (dose-response)
d. Temporal sequence
e. Biological plausibility
f. Coherence with established facts
g. Specificity of association
h. Experimentally testable
- What is perception/risk perception?
a. Perception – Outrage + Risk (?)
- How has an “outrage” influenced risk perception?
a. People exaggerated and through group the magnitude. (?)
- List 10 common “outrage” factors.
HIGH OUTRAGE LOW OUTRAGE
Involuntary Voluntary
Artificial/Industrial Natural / Act of God
Unfamiliar Familiar
Low Control High Control
Affects children more Does not affect children more
Dreaded Not dreaded
Catastrophic in time & space Diffuse in time & space
Unknowable / Uncertainty Knowable / Well-known
Delayed effects Immediate effects
No direct benefits Direct benefits
Unfair Fair
Unavoidable Avoidable
- What is risk communication? What is it not?
As defined by the Society for Risk Analysis: An interactive process of exchange of information and opinion among individuals, groups, and institutions
Risk Communication is not…
Telling people what we want them to know, in order to get them to behave ‘rationally’, or in other words, the way we think they should behave.
- List 8 rules for effective risk communication.
a. Accept and involve the public as a legitimate partner.
b. Listen to the audience.
c. Be open, frank, and honest.
d. Coordinate and collaborate with other credible sources.
e. Meet the needs of the media.
f. Speak clearly and with compassion.
g. Plan carefully and evaluate performance
h. Objectively present all sides of the issue, and honestly identify and explain any personal opinions or biases that you may have on the subject. Ask and give the audience the opportunity to examine their own biases on the subject.
Effective Risk Communication:
- Involves all stakeholders
- Shares information across groups
- Increases collaboration
- Builds trust and credibility
- Increases understanding of issues
- Leads to better decisions and outcomes
- Saves time and effort over long run
- Elements of industrial hygiene practiced to control workplace hazards in a workplace health and safety program (anticipation, recognition; evaluation; control)
“that science or art devoted to the anticipation, recognition, evaluation, and control of those environmental factors or stresses, arising in or from the workplace, that may cause sickness, impaired health and well-being, or significant discomfort and inefficiency among workers”
ANTICIPATION – this involves identifying potential hazards in the workplace before they are introduced.
RECOGNITION - this involves identifying the potential hazard that a chemical, physical or biological agent - or an adverse ergonomic situation - poses to health.
EVALUATION of the extent of exposure to the chemical hazards, physical or biological agents (or adverse ergonomic situation) in the workplace. This often involves measurement of the personal exposure of a worker to the hazard/agent in the workplace, particularly at the relevant interface between the environment and the body, e.g. breathing zone, hearing zone, and assessment of the data in terms of recommended occupational exposure limits (OELs), where such criteria exist.
CONTROL of the chemical, physical or biological agent - or adverse ergonomic situation, by procedural, engineering or other means where the evaluation indicates that this is necessary.
- Provide a list of different classes of workplace hazards (i.e. chemical, physical, heat……etc.)
a. Chemical hazards
i. gases, vapors, dusts, fumes, mists, and smoke
b. Physical hazards
i. non-ionizing and ionizing radiation, noise, vibration, extreme temperatures and pressures
c. Noise
d. Heat and Cold Stress
i. Heat Cramps
ii. Heat Exhaustion
iii. Heat Stroke
iv. Hypothermia
1. Wind chill
2. Conductive heat loss
3. Hypothermia
e. Environmental factors or stresses
i. Ergonomic hazards
1. workstation design, repetitive motion, improper lifting/reaching, poor visual conditions
f. Biological hazards
1. insects, mold, yeast, fungi, bacteria, and viruses
- What is a Hazard-Communication program?
OSHA standard that requires employers to inform workers of the chemical and physical hazards to which they may be exposed on the job
- What are the employer’s responsibilities under a Hazard Communication Program?
a. Employers must have a written program
b. Identify/ list /communicate all chemical hazards
c. Must have a Material Safety Data Sheet for each chemical used
d. Must have proper labeling of all containers
e. Must provide task/job-specific worker training
i. how to recognize and protect against hazards
