intro Flashcards
epidemiology
the study of the distribution and determinants of health-related states and events in populations and the application of this study to control health problems
why is epidemiology needed?
- provide the scientific basis to prevent disease and injury and promote health
- determine the relative importance to establish priorities for research and action
- identify sections of the populations at greater risk
- evaluate the effectiveness of programs
- study natural history of a disease
- conduct surveillance of disease and injury occurrence in populations
- invesitgate disease outbreaks
natural history of disease
fundamental concept got studying and controlling disease
first epidemiological study conducted
1854 cholera outbreak and John Snow conducted an analytic study. he searched for a factor that was making some areas susceptible to developing the disease: spatial statistics; understood that the mortality of cholera was related to the localisation of water supplies
characteristics of populations
dynamic , heterogenous, size, age, sex, place ethnicity, education
medical statistics
focuses on the individual perspective
inductive
sample to population
deductive
population to sample
individual perspective
focuses on health, risk factors, exposures, causal mechanisms
population perspective
focuses on disorders, exposures, and causal mechanisms in people as a group
case fatality rate
the ratio between deaths from a disease and the positive tests
matter of latency
some diseases can be latent a lifetime and then they come out when the immune system is not strong enough eg. HIV
HIV
general immunosuppression
points when looking at populations
mortality
life expectancy
health status
fertility
population reference bureau
provides data on health
