Module 3 descriptive epidemiology

Question 1

classifies disease/condition based upon (descriptive)

Answer 1

person
place
time

Question 2

Aims of descriptive epidemiology

Answer 2

provide infor regarding

• prevention
• design of possible interventions
• sets stage for future research

Question 3

descriptive epidemiology sets stage for this research

Answer 3

analytic epidemiology

- does this by creating hypothesis to test

Question 4

descriptive epidemiology and time

Answer 4

disease/condition is not stagnant

- assessing allows for prevention measures (flu-shots)

Question 5

time: secular

Answer 5

long-term trends

- tracking long term to see ebb and flow

Question 6

time: seasonality

Answer 6

cyclic trends

Question 7

time: epidemic period

Answer 7

track when an outbreak first occurs till epidemic

Question 8

Place may refer to

Answer 8

international
national
local
categories

Question 9

place analysis identifies

Answer 9

communities at increased risk for disease/condition

Question 10

Person may refer to

Answer 10

inherent characteristics
biologic characteristics
acquired characteristics 
activities 
living conditions/ SES

Question 11

inherent characteristics

Answer 11

age
race
sex

Question 12

biological characteristics

Answer 12

immunity status

Question 13

acquired characteristics

Answer 13

marital status, employment status

Question 14

activities

Answer 14

drug use

Question 15

analytic epidemiology aim

Answer 15

test hypotheses created during descriptive epidemiology

• concerned with causes and effects
• quantify exposures to outcomes

Question 16

analytic epidemiology key feature

Answer 16

comparison group

Question 17

epidemiologic triad

Answer 17

Agent: leads to disease: pathogen, injury
Host: susceptible person
Environment: extrinsic factors

Question 18

Causal pies

Answer 18

• Component cause: one slice of pie, needed to make up entire pie, that’s needed to cause disease.
• Sufficient Cause: entire pie made up of different component causes.