Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

MD2001 Week 8 > Introduction to Epidemiology > Flashcards

Introduction to Epidemiology Flashcards

1
Q

What is epidemiology?

A

The study of that which fall upon people.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What are examples of denominators?

A

Health board, city, hospital and disease register.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Why is the denominator important in epidemiological studies?

A

Without a denominator, population and time death rates are meaningless.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Define prevalence.

A

Proportion of population that has the disease.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What does incidence identify?

A

Useful for identifying causes of diseases.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What does prevalence identify?

A

Identifies disease burden.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

When does incidence occur?

A

By definition, only in people without the disease.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Define sporadic.

A

Occasional cases occurring irregularly.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Define endemic.

A

Persistent background level of occurrence.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Define epidemic.

A

Occurrence in excess of the expected level for a given time period.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Define pandemic.

A

Epidemic occurring in or spreading over more than one continent.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What are examples of non-modifiable exposures?

A

Age, sex and genotype.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What are examples of modifiable exposures?

A

Smoking, weight, diet and alcohol consumption.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What are examples of interventions?

A

Drug therapy, surgery and lifestyle advice.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What is the risk equation?

A

(Number of outcomes in a group/number of people in a group) x 100.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What is the relative risk equation?

A

Risk in exposed/risk in unexposed.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

What is the relative risk reduction equation?

A

(1-relative risk)x100.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

What is the absolute risk reduction equation?

A

Risk in unexposed-risk in exposed.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

What is the number needed to treat equation?

A

1/absolute risk reduction.

20
Q

When is the odds ratio used?

A

Commonly used estimate of risk ratio.

21
Q

What is rate ratio?

A

Ratio between two mortality rates, hospitilisation rates.

22
Q

What is the hazard ratio?

A

A special kind of rate ratio (survival analysis).

23
Q

What are confidence intervals?

A

A range of plausible values.

24
Q

What does the confidence interval tell you?

A

Values near the limits are less plausible than those in the middle and the wider the interval the greater the uncertainty.

25
Q

When are confidence intervals useful?

A

Very useful in appraising published research.

26
Q

What would you do in a cross-sectional study?

A

Sample a population.

27
Q

What would you do in a case-control study?

A

Select cases with an outcome, but select controls without an outcome.

28
Q

What would you do in a cohort study?

A

Select people without an outcome.

29
Q

What would you compare in a cohort study?

A

Risk of disease in exposed and unexposed.

30
Q

What would you compare in a randomised controlled trial?

A

Compare risk of outcome in intervention and control groups.

31
Q

What is the objective in a randomised controlled trial?

A

Treatment effect.

32
Q

What is the objective in a cohort study?

A

Cause, prognosis and incidence.

33
Q

What is the objective in a case-control study?

A

Cause.

34
Q

What is the objective in a cross-sectional study?

A

Prevalence

35
Q

Which study designs look into the future?

A

RCT and cohort.

36
Q

What are the 2 types of cohort study?

A

Retrospective an prospective.

37
Q

Which study designs look into the past?

A

Case-control and cross-sectional.

38
Q

When is a causal link more likely?

A

With strong associations, in different studies and different sub-groups.

39
Q

How is specificity linked to causal links?

A

A causal link is more likely when a disease is associated with one specific factor.

40
Q

How is temporality linked to causal links?

A

A CL is more likely if exposure to the putative cause has been shown to precede the outcome.

41
Q

How is a biological gradient linked to causal links?

A

A CL is more likely if different levels of exposure to the putative factor lead to different risk of acquiring the outcome.

42
Q

How is plausibility linked to causal links?

A

A CL is more likely if a biologically plausible mechanism is likely or demonstrated.

43
Q

How does coherence effect causal links?

A

A CL is more likely if the observed association conforms with current knowledge.

44
Q

How does experiment effect causal links?

A

A CL is very likely if removal of the putative factor leads to a reduced risk of acquiring the outcome.

45
Q

How does analogy effect causal links?

A

A CL is more likely if an analogy exists with other diseases, species or settings.

MD2001 Week 8 (11 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions