UNIT 2 Flashcards
epidemiology
Epidemiology is the branch of medical science that investigates all the factors that determine the presence or absence of diseases and disordersThe study of the incidence and distribution of diseases and of their control and prevention.
The 4 types of epidemiological studies
Population
Historical
case-Control
Cohort
Population Studies
These compare disease patterns with carious factors on a countrywide basis. ex national food-consumption.
Confounding variables
A variable that would impact the nature or results of the study and/or trial that is often unrelated to the subject at hand.
Historical study
A study involving the analysis of past events to understand their impact on present phenomena
Cohort study (Or prospective study)
is a research design that follows a group of individuals with similar characteristics (such as dietary habits) over time to investigate associations between nutrition and health outcomes.
Dietitians of Canada (DC)
the professional organization of dietitians in Canada.
Case-Control (retrospective studies)
This is the same as a cohort study, except that the recruitment of subjects and data collection are done AFTER the disease has developed, not before.
Medical Nutrition therapy
nutrition services used in the treatment of injury, illness, or other conditions; includes assessment of nutrition status and dietary intake and corrective applications of diet, counselling, and other nutrition serbices
Public health nutritionist
A dietitian or other person with an advanced degree in nutrition who specializes in public health nutrition
What is the characteristic of a nutritious diet that provides no excess
Moderation
Why do intervention studies use control groups
Intervention studies use control groups to help researchers assess the true effects of the intervention being studied. A control group serves as a baseline against which the effects of the intervention can be compared
Why are people in control groups given placebos?
Blinding to reduce bias.
If participants know they are receiving a placebo, their expectations and beliefs about the treatment may influence the outcomes and experienced effects.
Blinding ensures that the observed effects are more likely due to the intervention itself rather than participant expectations
Advantages of an anecdotal studies
They can be rich in detail as they provide detailed information about individual experiences with dietary choices and their impact on health. Further to that, the anecdotes provided can aid in the generation of hypotheses for further scientific investigation.
Disadvantages of anecdotal studies
There is a lack of scientific method and control found in experimental designs. This makes them prone to biases, confounding variables, and the placebo effect. All of which generates difficulty in establishing causation.
