Lecture 1: Introduction to population health research

Question 1

what is the definition of epidemiology?

Answer 1

the study of the distribution and determinants of health-related states or events in specified populations

Question 2

what does distribution in epidemiology mean?

Answer 2

a description, how disease is distributed

Question 3

what does determinants in epidemiology mean?

Answer 3

analytical, factors causing disease

Question 4

what is exposure/ determinant?

Answer 4

the causation of disease

Question 5

what is an outcome?

Answer 5

the health related states which occur, with many potential outcomes

Question 6

what are the steps involved in a scientific method?

Answer 6

1. observation
2. propose a hypothesis
3. test the hypothesis
4. reject or accept the hypothesis
5. if rejected, modify the hypothesis and re-test

Question 7

what is important about the scientific method?

Answer 7

you can never prove a hypothesis to be correct but you can reject it

Question 8

describe the epidemiology involved in the 1854 cholera outbreak by John Snow:

Answer 8

an example of using distribution of a health related state with an unknown determinant

Question 9

describe the epidemiology involved in 1949 when the medical research council became concerned about men working with tarmac dying of lung cancer finding only 2 were non smokers:

Answer 9

an example of a determinant of a health related state