Public Health Epidemiology/Research Methods Flashcards
Define Epidemiology
The study of the distribution and patterns of health and disease and their causes in populations
What is Prevalence
the number of EXISTING cases of a disease in a population at a given time
What is point prevalence
of causes at a specific point in time
What is Period Prevalence
of cases over a specified period of time
what is incidence
the number of NEW cases of a disease within a specified population during a given time period
** a measure of risk for developing the disease
What are Acute Diseases
those that last 3 months or less
what are chronic diseases
those that last 3 months or longer
what are endemic diseases
Disease that is constantly present in the community or population
what are sporadic diseases
a few scattered cases within an area or population
what are epidemic diseases
a large number of cases that are out of proportion to what is normally expected
what are pandemic diseases
an epidemic that occurs simultaneously on more than one continent
why would public health use the term “association”
mean that thing are linked in some way that make them turn up together
what does the term “cause” mean in public health
something that produces an outcome
T or F
Most chronic diseases are caused by multiple factors
T
What questions to descriptive epidemiological studies answer?
Who, When, Where
