Introduction to Epidemiology

Question 1

What are epidemiological principles essential for understanding?

Answer 1

Spread of disease in population and how to manage

occurrence of complex diseases and productivity problems

impact of disease on populations

Question 2

What is evidence-based veterinary medicine?

Answer 2

use the best available evidence for decision-making in the care of your patient

Question 3

2 sources of evidence

Answer 3

internal evidence

external evidence

Question 4

What is internal evidence?

Answer 4

your own clinical experience and expertise

Question 5

What is external evidence?

Answer 5

evidence from other research

Question 6

What is epidemiology

Answer 6

the study of the distribution and determinants of health related states or events in specified populations, and the application of this study to the control of health problems

study of disease in populations

Question 7

what does veterinary epidemiology investigate?

Answer 7

disease, productivity, and welfare in animal populations

Question 8

what is the goal of veterinary epidemiology?

Answer 8

reduce frequency of disease occurrence, enhance productivity ad improve welfare

Question 9

what are the purposes of epidemiology?

Answer 9

describe the distribution of health-related states/events (who, what, where, when)

identify determinants of health-related outcomes (why)

Question 10

clinical way of thinking

Answer 10

focuses on individual

success depends on: disease being known, correct diagnosis/list of diagnoses

Question 11

epidemiological way of thinking

Answer 11

focuses on groups

success without known the etiological agent

Question 12

which is the best approach?

Answer 12

use both clinical and epidemiological

Question 13

descriptive epidemiology

Answer 13

describes the disease

who, what, where, when

Question 14

analytical epidemiology

Answer 14

attempt to explain differences in patterns of disease by examining associations and identifying possible causes of the disease

why

ultimate goal is to determine if an exposure factor causes the disease

Question 15

what is a case definition

Answer 15

standard criteria for categorizing an individual as a case

avoid subjectivity

Question 16

limitations of descriptive epidemiology

Answer 16

cannot formally identify associations between exposure and outcome

cannot infer causality

can be useful to generate hypotheses for future testing using analytical methods

Question 17

examples of descriptive studies

Answer 17

case report

case series

cross-sectional study (with no comparison between groups)

Question 18

what is an association

Answer 18

when exposure and outcome are dependent on one another

Question 19

independent (not associated) means:

Answer 19

when one quantity changes, nothing happens to the other

Question 20

outcome

Answer 20

result of response, usually a disease or some other change in health status

Question 21

exposure

Answer 21

potential determinant of disease or health status

Question 22

what is a determinant

Answer 22

an exposure that is shown to be associate with the outcome

AKA: risk factors, protective factors

Question 23

T/F epidemiology determines the cause of a disease in a given individual

Answer 23

false

Question 24

T/F epidemiology determine the relationship or association between given exposure and the frequency of disease in populations

Answer 24

true

infer causation based on association as well as other factors

Question 25

association

Answer 25

identifiable relationship between an exposure and an outcome

implies that the exposure might cause the outcome

Question 26

causation

Answer 26

implies there is a true mechanism that leads from the exposure to the disease

Question 27

T/F cause of disease means it is the only cause

Answer 27

false

most diseases are complex, with many causes

Question 28

epidemiological triad

Answer 28

consists of external agent susceptible host, and environment that brings the two together

Question 29

T/F the epidemiological triad is inadequate for diseases that appear to have multiple contributing causes without a single necessary one

Answer 29

true

cardiovascular disease, most cancers

Question 30

what is Rothman’s model (causal pies)

Answer 30

disease is caused by multiple factors- when a host is exposure to all these factors (not necessarily at the same time) disease occurs

Question 31

T/F in Rothman’s model a component can be necessary but not sufficient to cause a disease

Answer 31

true

needs other factors for disease to be present but is present in all cases of disease