Module 5 Flashcards
Define epidemiology
The study of the distribution of factors that determine health related states or events in a population, and the use of this information to control health problems
Why does epidemiology matter?
-increases understanding of contributing factors to health and disease
-helps with developing disease prevention and health promotion measures
-helps detect and characterize emerging infectious agents
-allows us a form of evaluation of health policies and services
-supports the practice of community health nursing
What are the two types of epidemiology?
1) descriptive
2) analytical
Define descriptive epidemiology
looks at health outcomes describing person, place and time
who, what, where and when
Define analytical epidemiology
determine information about origins and causal factors of disease and associated determinants of health
how and why
What does the field of epidemiology focus on?
populations (rather than individuals), builds on various disciplines and methods– investigates causes of disease within communities and evaluates interventions
Who is the father of epidemiology?
John Snow
Define morbidity
any departure, subjective or objective, from a state of physiological or psychological well-being– occurrence of disease in a population
Define mortality
the number of deaths in a population
Define prevalence
the number of individuals in a total population who have a disease/experience an event in a specific time period (old and new cases). Prevalence measures the frequency of existing disease at one point in time or over a specific time period.
Define cumulative incidence (incidence proportion)
the number of new cases of a disease/event within a population at risk over a specific time period
Define rate
measures the speed at which something is occurring. It is a “measure of the frequency of a health event in a specific population during a defined time period”
Define high risk population
those persons who, because of exposure, lifestyle, family history, or other factors, are at greater risk for a disease than the population at large
Define epidemic
occurs when the number of cases of disease, injury, or condition clearly exceeds the usual level for that condition in a particular group or area
Define pandemic
an epidemic occurring across a very large or geographically widespread population
Define endemic
when a disease has become part of the “landscape”– it will have a constancy within a population or geographical region
Describe the epidemiological triangle
Agent– MUST be present or lacking for disease to develop.. the “what” aka what caused the disease
Host– MUST be living.. the “who” aka who harbours the disease (individual or group)
Environment– internal and external to the host or agent and that influences and is influenced by the host and agent.. the “where” aka social and physical factors
Describe the web of causation
-recognizes complexities of interrelationships between multiple factors in causality
-subtle interactions can increase or decrease disease risk
-some association are mutual and may be multidirectional
Describe the Life Course Approach
-focuses on how early factors influence health and disease risk in adulthood
-explores short and long-term influence of the social determinants of health on development across the lifespan
-epidemiologists use data from longitudinal studies analyzing biological, psychosocial and behavioural data
-latent, pathway and cumulative effects influence health in adulthood
Describe primary prevention
-aimed at preventing disease (before it is present)
-could be for those susceptible at the population level
-might be broader environmental protections
-might be specific protections
Describe secondary prevention
activities that seek to detect disease early in its progression, before clinical signs and symptoms become apparent, to make a diagnosis and begin treatment
Describe tertiary prevention
activities that take place during the middle and later periods of pathogenesis; the goals are to interrupt the course of the disease, reduce the amount of disability that might occur and begin rehab
Define the natural history of disease
progression of disease from onset to recovery– it has two periods
1) prepathogenesis
2) pathogenesis
What are the main types of epidemiological studies?
-descriptive
-analytical
-ecological
-experimental
What are the 3 main sources of data?
1) routinely collected data
2) data collected for other purposes
3) original data for specific studies