Principles of Epidemiology

Question 1

Identify the main uses of epidemiology

Answer 1

• Identify causes of poor health
• Measure strengths of association between causes and outcome
• Evaluate interventions to improve health (prevention and treatment)
• Monitor changes in population health over time

Question 2

Describe the role of epidemiology in society

Answer 2

• Study health of populations
• Study of the distribution and determination of health states or events and the application of this study to control health problems in populations.
• Provides scientific evidence for health policy, planning and practice

Question 3

Discuss the complex factors involved in the study of causality and the three different cause classifications

Answer 3

• Several risk factors may contribute to outcomes in different ways
• Multiple factors impact on exposure and response
• Single necessary cause rarely sufficient, but cause does not need to be necessary or sufficient for prevention to have an impact
• Necessary cause: a component cause essential for the outcome
• Sufficient cause: factors or conditions that can produce an outcome
• Component cause: factors that comprise a sufficient cause or contribute to outcome

Question 4

List the basic study designs used in epidemiology

Answer 4

• Observational (exposure exists) or intervention (exposure assigned
• Descriptive (information on the distribution of outcomes) or Analytical (investigates which exposure may be responsible for which outcomes