Module 1

Question 1

Numerator

Answer 1

Number of cases of disease

Question 2

Denominator

Answer 2

Number of people in a population

Question 3

Frequency of disease

Answer 3

(N/D)/Time

Question 4

Population

Answer 4

A group of people who share one or more common feature

Question 5

Epidemiology

Answer 5

The study of occurrence and causes of disease in groups or populations at one point or over a period of time

Question 6

PECOT

Answer 6

Population
Exposure group (E.G.)
Comparison Group (CG) 
Outcome 
Timing

Question 7

EGO

Answer 7

Exposure group occurrence

EGO=a/E.G.

Question 8

CGO

Answer 8

Comparison Group Occurrence

CGO=b/CG

Question 9

Incidence

Answer 9

Number of disease events occurring over a period of time

EGO & CGO are called incidence of occurrence

Question 10

Prevalence

Answer 10

The number of people with a disease who are counted at one point in time

EGO & CGO are called prevalence of occurrence

Question 11

Numerical Outcomes

Answer 11

A quantifiable value e.g. Heart rate per minute

Question 12

Categorical Outcome

Answer 12

Specific set of options e.g. Yes/no

Question 13

Period Prevalence

Answer 13

We measure if the event has occurred during a period and not the number of occurrences

Eg. If an asthma attack has happened in the past year

Question 14

Point Prevalence

Answer 14

Measure Prevalence of something at one point right now

Eg. Level of nicotine in blood at one point

Question 15

Ecological Study

Answer 15

Comparing groups of populations rather than groups of individuals

Can be RCT, cross sectional, cohort

Confounding is common

Question 16

Risk Difference - Absolute Inequalities

Answer 16

EGO-CGO

IF RD = 0 then treatment has no effect

Question 17

Risk Ratio

Answer 17

EGO/CGO

If RR = 0 effect of treatments are the same

Question 18

Relative Risk Reduction

Answer 18

If RR is less than 1

Question 19

Relative Risk Increase

Answer 19

If RR is more than 1

Question 20

R (RAMBOMAN)

Answer 20

Recruitment

Are participants a representative sample from the known population?

Question 21

A (RAMBOMAN)

Answer 21

Allocation

Was allocations accurate?
Is confounding involved?

Question 22

Confounding

Answer 22

Difference between EGO and CGO apart from the main difference being studied

To deal with confounding we divide the study into sub studies so participants with the confounded are all in one study

Question 23

M (RAMBOMAN)

Answer 23

Maintenance

If possible we randomise the population otherwise we ask about disease

Need to maintain initial exposure/comparison groups

Question 24

B (RAMBOMAN)

Answer 24

Blind

Unbound study: investigators and patients know who is taking treatment or placebo

Single blind: investigators know, patients do not

Double blind: neither investigator nor patient know

Question 25

O (RAMBOMAN)

Answer 25

Objective Objective outcome as it is easiest to measure E.g. Dead or alive

Question 26

M (RAMBOMAN)

Answer 26

Measurement of Outcomes Everyone has different interpretations of subjective outcomes - Recall Bias

Question 27

Age standardisation

Answer 27

(Disease/study population) x age standardised population (Total of ages of age specific death rates/ age standardised population) x age standardised disease rates

Question 28

Random Error

Answer 28

Extreme events are often chance restarting of these will often produce less extreme results - regression to the mean

Question 29

Random Measurement Error

Answer 29

Identical measures of exposure/outcome in similar people can result in different outcomes over time

Question 30

Random Sampling Error

Answer 30

We can't study everyone only a sample of the population

Question 31

95% Confidence Interval

Answer 31

A measure of the amount of random measurement/sampling error when you've only done one study Reduces random error

Question 32

Cohort Study

Answer 32

Study of individuals allocated to groups over time Observational longitudinal study Involving incidence Used for investigating risk factors for disease Main errors: how accurate is allocation, maintenance error

Question 33

Cross Sectional Study

Answer 33

Study of individuals allocated to groups at the same time Involving Prevalence No maintenance error Main error: confounding, reverse causality

Question 34

Randomised control Trial

Answer 34

Study of individuals randomly allocated to groups and counted over time Involves incidence (sometimes Prevalence) Commonly used for studying effects of drugs - reduces confounding Main errors: having motivated volunteers, random error common

Question 35

Meta Analysis

Answer 35

A study of studies Combining the results of a number of small studies is similar to conducting a larger study and it reduces the amount of random error Only as good as the studies included No effect line: if studies cross this are less statistically significant