Introduction to Epidemiology Flashcards
Define ‘epidemiology’.
Epidemiology is the study of the distribution and determinants of the health-related states or events (including disease), and the application of this study to the control of disease.
List three applications of epidemiological data.
Describe disease patterns in population
Identify aetiology of disease
Aid in public health interventions and policies
True or false: epidemiology and surveillance are not interchangeable.
True
Differentiate between epidemiology and surveillance.
Epidemiology is the study of health and disease in populations. Disease surveillance is the ongoing, systematic collection, analysis, and interpretation of health data
Describe the nine major applications of epidemiology.
To determine which disease factors (‘host’, ‘agent’, and ‘environment’) are important in the occurrence of a specific disease, class of diseases, and to also explore how they interact
To study the occurrence of disease in a population for purposes of community diagnosis and prognosis
To describe the epidemiology of a disease, or class of diseases; facts or events relating to occurrence of a disease (or class) constitute its epidemiology. Occurrence of a disease and its severity and outcome are resultants of complex interacting factors, such as host factors, agents, and environment.
To measure risk, epidemiologists use rates to indicate the probability.
To search for the causes of disease.
Disease prevention and control.
Aids in the identification of clinical syndromes.
Aids in the detection of pre-symptomatic and latent disease, e.g., diseases such as diabetes, TB, and cervical cancer can be detected prior to onset of symptoms or development of serious changes.
Screening programmes, pre-employment health exams, surveys etc..
Administrative medicine and operations research
(evaluation of the success of disease control programs, hospital needs (equipment, personnel etc.), quality of care).
Describe the three tiers of control.
Primary control aims to prevent the initial development of disease. Secondary control focuses on diagnosis and treatment. Tertiary control concerns rehabilitation.
Delineate the five tenets of the public health approach.
Preventing disease, and prolonging life
Promoting physical health and efficiency
Community efforts for the sanitation of the environment, with the control of community infections
Education of the individual organisation of medical and nursing services for the early diagnosis and preventive treatment of disease
Development of social machinery, to ensure to a standard of living adequate for the maintenance of health
