Lecture 5 (19/7/21) Flashcards
Define Incidence
Measure of the number of new cases of diseases in a population, over a specified period of time.
Example of Incidence
New cases of heart attacks occurring during the specified time of 5 years in a defined population.
Define Prevalence
Measure of the number of current cases (new and preexisting) of diseases in a population, over a specified period of time.
Prevalence is a…
Measure of the burden of disease.
What is the relationship between Incidence and Prevalence?
As new cases are added, INCIDENCE increases;
These new cases add to PREVALENCE (burden of disease) until the patient is cured or dies.
Use rheumatoid arthritis as an example of both Incidence and Prevalence.
Rheumatoid arthritis would have few new cases in a year (LOW INCIDENCE)
BUT
A higher total number of cases (HIGH PREVALENCE), as there will be many more cases diagnosed in previous years.
Prevalence of a particular condition varies with what?
Incidence and duration of the condition.
Define Morbidity
State of being symptomatic for a disease or condition, in a population during a specified period of time.
Define Co-morbidity
The occurrence of 2 or more diseases in one person.
Define Mortality
Number of deaths in a population over a specified period of time.
What is Ratio?
Comparison of any 2 unrelated values.
What are the 2 uses of Ratio? Give examples for each.
Used as:
- Descriptive measure (e.g. Male: Female ratio)
- Analytic tool (e.g. Occurrence of illness, injury, or death between 2 groups)
What is Proportion?
The comparison of a part to the whole.
- type of ratio that relates a part to the whole
Give an example of Proportion.
Fraction of clinic patients tested positive for Chlamydia.
Proportion can be expressed as…
Decimal, Fraction, or Percentage.
Define Proportionate mortality
Decimal, Fraction or Percentage of deaths in a specified population during a period of time that is due to different causes.
The 2 uses of Proportion are:
- Descriptive measure used in all fields
- To describe the amount of disease that can be due to a particular exposure; or the amount of the population that tested positive/negative for a disease; etc.
Define Rate
Measure of the frequency with which an event occurs in a defined population over a specified period of time.
Define Attack rate
Proportion of the at-risk population that develops illness during an outbreak.
Define Case-fatality rate
Proportion of persons with the disease who die from it.
Define Burden of Disease (BOD)
Impact of an illness or health condition on a community or population.
What is the best measure for the Burden of Disease?
Disability Adjusted Life Year (DALY)
DALY combines both…
Years of life lost due to premature mortality and years of life lost due to disability.
What is the aim of Descriptive Epidemiology?
Describing disease distribution by characteristics relating to TIME, PLACE, and PERSON/PEOPLE.