Public Health And Epidemiology Flashcards
What is public health?
The science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting physical health and efficiency through organised community efforts for the sanitation of the environments and education of personal hygiene
Give examples of public health
Health campaigns
Vaccinations
Behavioural counselling
Health advice
Explain a public health approach
Surveillance
Risk factor identification
Intervention/evaluation
Implementation
What are the three core functions of public health?
Assessment
Policy development
Assurance
What are ten key public health services?
Monitor health
Diagnose and investigate
Inform, educate, empower
Mobilise community partnership
Develop policies
Enforcer laws
Provide care
Assure a competent workforce
Evaluate
Research
What is epidemiology?
The study of the distribution and determinants of health related states of events and the application of this study to the control of diseases and other health problems
What is passive surveillance?
Available data on reportable diseases are used or in which disease reporting is mandated or requested
What is active surveillance?
A system in which project staff are recruited to carry out a surveillance program
How do you calculate incidence?
(New cases / persons at risk) x 1000
What determinants of health?
A factor that contributes to the generation of a trait
What is descriptive epidemiology?
Searches for patterns by examining characteristics of person, place and time
What are the uses of epidemiology?
Monitoring and reporting on the health status in populations
Identifying emerging health problems
Alerting us to potential threats from bioterrorism
Establishing public health priorities
Evaluating the effectiveness of intervention programs
Exploring correlations between risk factors and health outcomes
What is analytical epidemiology?
Testing a specific hypothesis about the relationship of a disease to a putative cause by conducting a study that relates the exposure of interest to the disease of interest
How is analytical epidemiology carried out?
Cohort studies
Case-control studies
What do you need to know when using analytical epidemiology?
Where to look
What to control for
Develop viable hypothesis
