Introduction to Epidemiology

Question 1

What is evidence based medicine?

Answer 1

using the best available evidence for decision making in the care of patients.

Question 2

What 2 sources does evidence based medicine combine?

Answer 2

internal evidence (experience/expertise) and external evidence (research)

Question 3

What is epidemiology?

Answer 3

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.

Question 4

With epi, are you studying disease at the individual level, or at the population level?

Answer 4

population level.

Question 5

What is veterinary epidemiology?

Answer 5

deals with the investigation of diseases, productivity, and welfare, in animal populations, and how these things are affected by diseases.

Question 6

Descriptive epidemiology deals with the 4 Ws. What are they?

Answer 6

Who, what, when, where. It describes the px of dx and studies the natural hx of dx.

Question 7

Analytical epi deals with what?

Answer 7

Answers why. It identifies causes and risk factors of dz and evaluates preventative and therapeutic measures.

Question 8

There are 2 different approaches to epi: the clinical approach and the epidemiological approach. Which is the best?

Answer 8

Best: using both! (however, you can have success with the epi approach without knowing etiology, so that’s cool i guess).

Question 9

What is the difference between descriptive epi and analytical epi?

Answer 9

descriptive epi just describes dz, while analytical epi determines if there is an association between an exposure and outcome in a population, and how strong that association is.

Question 10

What are some limitations of descriptive epidemiology?

Answer 10

can’t formally ID associations between exposure and outcome, can’t infer causality, but CAN generate a hypotheses for future testing.

Question 11

What are some examples of descriptive epi studies?

Answer 11

case report, case series, and cross sectional study.

Question 12

What is the goal of analytical epidemiology?

Answer 12

to ID the strength, importance, and statistical significance of associations between exposure and health related outcomes. (establish causation)

Question 13

T/F: a strong association means there is a causal relationship

Answer 13

NO. Correlation does not equal causation.

Question 14

What is a positive association?

Answer 14

when there is an increase (or decrease) in one thing, and a corresponding increase (or decrease) of another thing. They basically move in the same direction.

Question 15

What is a negative association?

Answer 15

when one thing increases/decreases, and the other does the opposite (decreases/increases).

Question 16

What is an outcome?

Answer 16

a result or response, usually dz or some other change in health status.

Question 17

What is an exposure?

Answer 17

A potential determinant of disease or health status.

Question 18

When does an exposure become a determinant?

Answer 18

when is is shown to be associated with the outcome.

Question 19

What is another name for determinants?

Answer 19

risk factors (increased risk) or protective factors (decreased risk)

Question 20

T/F: epi determines the cause of a dz in a given individual.

Answer 20

False. It determines the association between a given exposure and frequency of dz in populations. We infer causation based upon the association.

Question 21

What is causation? If found, does cause of dz mean only cause?

Answer 21

causation - implies that there is a true mechanism that leads from the exposure to the dz. Does NOT mean only cause.

Question 22

When is the epidemiological triad inadequate?

Answer 22

For dzs that appear to have multiple contributing causes, without a single necessary one

Question 23

What is a necessary cause?

Answer 23

it is something that is needed for dz to occur. Won’t occur without it.

Question 24

What is a sufficient cause?

Answer 24

Various component causes that come together to cause dz.

Question 25

Who came up with the causal pies?

Answer 25

Rothman

Question 26

Bradford-Hill Criteria does what?

Answer 26

Gives you guidelines to what is necessary for determining whether an association is causal or not.