Introduction/ Measures and Frequency of Association. Flashcards
What does a disease determinant result in?
A change in disease status between populations.
Who is widely considered the fist epidemiologist?
Hippocrates (460-370bc).
If a disease is present at stable frequencies what can it be described as?
An endemic.
Acute events rarely occur with a chronic condition. True or False?
False, they can occur.
John Gaunt is widely known for being the first person to systematically collect data, including birth and death rates of populations. What did this collection quantify the death rate of children to be?
What are two other examples of data that were collected?
1/3 dead by the age 5.
This is still the case in developing countries.
- Plague deaths.
- Incidence rate of rickets.
What is a time series?
The distribution and prevalence of something in a population over a period of time.
In the mid 70’s alcohol was linked to colorectal cancer. What chemical compound was responsible for this link and where was this compound specifically found?
Nitrosamine, found in dark beer.
One the link between alcohol and colorectal cancer was made what intervention(s) was made to prevent this link from occurring in the future?
- Gas ovens used to produce beer were replaced by electric (gas was reacting with natural amines producing the nitrosamine).
- Beer was tested from the 1980’s for nitrosamine.
Which is more descriptive/analytical, classical or modern epidemiology?
Classical.
Which is more experimental, classical or modern epidemiology?
Classical.
Which is focused on risk factors opposed to causes, classical or modern epidemiology?
Modern.
Which is focused more on chronic disease, classical or modern epidemiology?
Modern (but classical is also).
What does causal inference aim to do?
Identify determinants of disease and eliminate the casual effects of the exposure of a disease.
Name 3 frequency measures.
Proportion, rate, odds.
Do the two quantities used to calculate a ratio need to be related?
No.
What is the prerequisite for something to be a proportion?
N needs to be in D.
What does the denominator need to be for the measurement need to a rate?
A measure of person time.
What type of prevalence takes into account the entire period of interest?
Period.
What is point prevalence often expressed as?
A percentage.
What needs to be stated when stating a point prevalence?
A given time point.
Why would the prevalence of the common cold be calculated as a point prevalence rather than a period prevalence?
The time course is too short.
What can you not infer from prevalence?
Causation.