HSC 400: Principles Of Epidemiology Flashcards
What is Epidemiology?
The branch of medicine which deals with the incidence, distribution, and possible control of diseases and other factors relating to health.
By definition, epidemiology is the study (scientific, systematic, and data-driven) of the distribution (frequency, pattern) and determinants (causes, risk factors) of health-related states and events (not just diseases) in specified populations (neighborhood, school, city, state, country, global).
What are the 3 levels of prevention?
Primary, secondary, tertiary
What is the epidemiological triangle?
Agent, host, environment
What are the applications of Epidemiology?
1) surveillance and prevalence: surveillance(# of new cases recorded)
prevalence (# of existing cases)
2) identify cause and effect: ability to look at effect and trace back to the cause
3) assessing program efficacy and efficiency: efficacy(does the program work?) Efficiency(cost effective?)
4) health literacy: educating
5) policy: laws
What is crude death rate?
Total # of deaths/ total population for the same geographic location (usually midpoint year) x M
EX) 12/5000= .0024 x 1000=
2.4 deaths per 1000 persons in happy valley, iowa in 2019
What is crude birth rate?
of live births/ mid year population x M
EX) 413/ 5000= .0826 x 100=
8.26 live births per 100 persons in happy valley, iowa during 2019.
What is Incidence?
of new cases/ total pop. at risk x M
EX) 250/ 2,000 x 100=
12.5 frostbite cases per 100 persons in Minot, North Dakota in 2019.
What is Attack Rate?
How many people are getting sick out of a population/ group
ill/ ill + well x M
What is Primary prevention and its implications for programs and services in Epidemiology?
Activities designed to reduce the occurrence of disease and that occur during the period of prepathogenesis (i.e. before agent interacts with a host); PREVENTING DISEASES FROM HAPPENING
→ includes health promotion and specific protection against disease
→ seeks to lower the occurrence of disease
→ ex: wearing helmets, immunizations
What is Secondary prevention and its implications for programs and services in Epidemiology?
Intervention designed to reduce the progress of a disease after the agent interacts with the host; occurs during the period of pathogenesis; EARLY DETECTION OF A DISEASE
→early diagnosis and prompt treatment
→ex: cancer screening programs (efforts to detect cancer in early stages)
What is Tertiary prevention and its implications for programs and services in Epidemiology?
- tertiary prevention: intervention that takes place during late pathogenesis and is designed to reduce the limitations of disability from disease; FOCUS ON REHABILITATION
→ rehabilitation is needed to restore the patient to an optimal functional level
→ e.g. physical therapy for stroke victims, halfway houses for persons recovering from alcohol abuse
What is Morbidity and Mortality? (Explain and provide an appropriate example)
lecture:
→morbidity: # of cases related to illnesses
→mortality: # of deaths
text:
→morbidity: occurrence of a disease or illness in a population (e.g in 2017, 28.2 million individuals were diagnosed with heart disease)
→mortality: occurrence of death in a population (e.g. approximately 610,000 individuals die from heart disease each year in the U.S.)
Define an Epidemic. (Give an appropriate example)
epidemic: occurrence of a disease clearly in excess of normal expectancy. refers to an excessive occurrence of a disease; attacking many people at the same time, widely diffused and rapidly spreading (e.g. flu )
Define a pandemic. (Give an appropriate example)
Refers to an epidemic on a worldwide scale: during a pandemic, large numbers of persons may be affected and a disease may cross international borders (e.g in 1918, the spanish influenza killed 40-50 million people)
Define an endemic? (Give an appropriate example)
a disease or infectious agent that is habitually present in a community, geographic area, or population group. Often an endemic disease maintains a low but continuous disease (e.g. malaria in Africa)
