Strategies in Epidemiology

Question 0

What is time-response relationship?

Answer 0

It is the time period between the exposure and the development or the outcome (incubation period and latency period)

Question 1

Features of a good hypothesis

Answer 1

A good hypothesis should specify the following:
1 The population to whom the hypothesis will apply
2 The cause being investigated (suspected risk factor)
3 The outcome which is usually the disease or condition of interest
4 The dose-response relationship
5 The time-response relationship

Question 4

What is the method of concomitant variation?

Answer 4

It involves identifying a factor whose frequency or strength varies with the frequency of the disease.

Question 6

Draw the epidemiologic approach

Answer 6

(Draw)

Question 7

How does the hypothesis guide the investigator?

Answer 7

1 limits the area of investigation
2 sensitizes the researcher to relevant data and relationships
3 provides a unifying concept between the variables being investigated

Question 9

What is the method of analogy?

Answer 9

Uses deductive reasoning when the distribution of disease may be sufficiently similar to some other disease to suggest that certain causes may be common to both

Question 11

What is a hypothesis?

Answer 11

It is an assertion or proposition about the relationship between two or more variables adopted to explain certain facts and to guide in the investigation of others.

Question 12

What is a disadvantage of method of difference?

Answer 12

Potentially large number of hypotheses which are consistent with or are suggested by the observed difference

Question 13

Branches of empirical sciences

Answer 13

Natural sciences

Social sciences

Question 14

What is dose-response relationship?

Answer 14

It is the amount of exposure necessary for the disease or condition to develop.

Question 15

Selection of hypothesis for evaluation

Answer 15

(Review)

Question 17

What is a disadvantage of method of analogy?

Answer 17

It may result in false analogies.

Question 19

Epidemiologic study designs

Answer 19

(Review)

Question 22

Consideration in formulating a hypothesis

Answer 22

1 New hypotheses are commonly formed by relating observations from several different fields
2 The stronger the statistical association between the exposure and the disease, the more likely it is to suggest a causal hypothesis
3 Observed changes in the frequency of disease, especially if the change occurs over a relatively short span of time, can lead to a very productive hypothesis
4 An isolated or unusual case should receive particular attention in forming hypotheses
5 Observations that appear in conflict or those which present a paradox should be considered

Question 23

If two different circumstances result to marked differences in disease frequency and a particular factor can be identified in one circumstance but not in the other, then the presence or absence of this factor may be a cause of the disease.

Answer 23

Method of difference

Question 24

It seeks to explore, describe, and predict the occurrences in the world we live in.

Answer 24

Empirical science

Question 25

Steps in scientific inquiry

Answer 25

1 Examining existing facts and hypotheses, and identifying gaps in knowledge
2 Formulating a new or a more specific hypothesis
3 Obtaining additional information to test the acceptability of the new hypothesis
4 Evaluating the new evidence and deriving appropriate conclusions

Question 27

Methods of formulating a hypothesis

Answer 27

1 Method of difference
2 Method of agreement
3 Method of concomitant variation
4 Method of analogy

Question 28

Two groups of scientific inquiry

Answer 28

Empirical sciences

Non-empirical sciences

Question 31

What is the unrecognized third variable that is sometimes measured in correlational studies?

Answer 31

Confounders

Question 32

If a factor is common to a number of different circumstances that have been found to be associated with the presence of the disease, this factor may be a cause of the disease.

Answer 32

Method of agreement

Question 34

How is empirical evidence obtained?

Answer 34

1 experimentation
2 systematic observation
3 interview or survey
4 psychological or clinical testing
5 examination of documents, inscriptions, archaeological relics, etc.

Question 35

Draw the idealized conceptualization of the scientific method

Answer 35

(Draw)

Question 41

The propositions are proved without essential reference to empirical findings

Answer 41

Non-empirical science