Measuring and describing disease [Epidemiology] Flashcards
Define epidemiology.
study of how often diseases occur in different people and why
Define demography.
the composition of a particular human population
What does DALY stand for? Define it.
Disability Adjusted Life Years
a measure of disease burden that combines years of life lost from ill-health, disability or premature death
What is an ‘exposure’?
the variable that we are trying to associate with a change in health status
What is an ‘outcome’?
The effect of the exposure on the health status of a population
Is ‘exposure’ an independent variable or dependent variable?
independent variable
Is ‘outcome’ an independent variable or dependent variable?
dependent variable
What model do epidemiologist use to demonstrate how populations, health and disease change over time?
Epidemiologic Transition Model
What 3 groups can prevention strategies be divided into?
Primary
Secondary
Tertiary
Define primary prevention. Give an example in the context of hypertension.
BEFORE YOU ARE SICK
the prevention of disease through the control of exposure to risk factors
- Eg. reducing salt in you diet reduces the risk of developing hypertension
Define secondary prevention. Give an example in the context of hypertension.
PREVENT PROGRESSION OF SICKNESS
the application of available measures to detect early departures from
health and to introduce appropriate treatment and interventions
- Eg. controlling hypertension with antihypertensive drugs to progression
Define tertiary prevention. Give an example in the context of hypertension.
ENABLES RETURN TO FUNCTION AFTER BEING SICK
the application of measures to reduce or eliminate long-term impairments
and disabilities, minimising suffering caused by existing departures from
good health and to promote the patient’s adjustments to their condition.
- Eg. rehabilitation for someone who’s had a stroke so that they can return as close as possible to their pre-morbid activities
What is the difference between mortality and morbidity?
Mortality is what kills people
Morbidity is quality of life
What are the 4 measures of frequency?
Odds
Prevalence
Cumulative Incidence
Incidence rate
Define odds and a measure of frequency. What does it show?
PROBABILITY RATIO
The ratio of the probability (P) of an event to the probability of its complement (1-P)