WEEK 1 Flashcards
WHO Definition of Health
A state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity
Epidemiology Definition
The study of the distribution and determinants of health-related states in specific populations, and the application of this study to control of health problems
Biostatistics Definition
The application of statistics to biological and medical problems. This is one of the basic sciences of public health, applied in the analysis of vital and health statistics and in the use of statistical tests for associations, correlation, significance levels, etc., in epidemiology, toxicology, environmental health sciences, and all other public health sciences
Health Research
the investigation of health and disease or any of the factors that contribute to the presence or absence of physical, mental, and social health among individuals, families, communities, nations, or the world population
Clinical Research
evaluates the best ways to prevent, diagnose and treat adverse health issues that adversely affect individuals and families
Population health research
focuses on the health outcomes and the determinants of health in groups of humans (populations)
Biological (basic medical) research
looks at changes at human cellular level that can be related to the health outcomes
5 Steps of the Research Process
- Identify a study question
- Select a general study approach
- Design the study and collect data
- Analyze data
- Write and share a report about the findings
Concept Mapping
visual listing of ideas and grouping them to reveal relationships
- brainstorm to generate a list of words or phrases
what does EDP stand for
Exposure, Disease, Population
What is Exposure
a personal characteristic (socioeconomic status), behaviour (smoking), environmental encounter (pollution), or intervention (treatment) that might change the likelihood of developing a health condition
What is Outcome
an observed event such as the presence of disease in a participant in ab observational study or the measured endpoint in an experimental study
What is population
a group of individuals, communities or organizations with identifiable similar characteristics
ex. Individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in London in 2021
what does PICOT stand for. in health research?
- What is the Patient (or Population) group and Problem that will be studied?
- What is the intervention that will be tested?
- What will the intervention be compared to? What is the Control group?
- What is the Outcome of Interest?
- What is the Timeframe for follow up?
4 things that make a question a good research question
1) A real question
2) Testable
3) Generalizable
4) Purposeful
What is a study goal?
single overarching objective of a research project or the main question that a research project seeks to answer
What is the most common number of specific objectives studies have?
3
SMART - a good specific objective
Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Relevant
Timely
Sequential vs Independent objectives
Sequential: chronological list of actions that will achieve the main goal
Independent: related but independent objectives. When one objective is not achieved, it will not prevent successfully completion of other objectives
what is a theoretical framework?
a set of established models in the published literature that can inform the components and flows of the conceptual framework for a new research study
Lalondes Model
be first modern government doc in Western context to propose the health field look beyond the biomedical health care system
- Proposed health field = human biology + environment + lifestyle + health care organization
Translational research
bridges basic research and clinical research by applying scientific discoveries to the improvement of clinical outcomes
Step 1: Identifying a Study Question
-Selecting a research question
-Reviewing the literature
-Defining specific aims
-Professional development
-Coauthoring
Risk factor
exposure that increases an individuals likelihood of subsequently experiencing a particular disease or outcome
Protective factor
an exposure that reduced an individuals likelihood of subsequently experiencing a particular disease or outcome
Nonmodifable vs. Modifiable risk factor
Nonmodifiable risk factor: risk factor for a disease that can not be changed through health interventions
-Example age is the leading cause for many noncommunicable diseases
Modifiable risk factor: risk factor for a disease that can be avoided or mitigated
Comorbidity
describes two or more adverse health conditions occurring at the same time, can complicate the management of chronic health conditions
what is inquiry?
is the process of finding answers to questions that arise from personal experiences. Inquiry is grounded in curiosity about a problem or idea.
what is testability?
is the ability of a research question to be answered using experiments or other types of measurements
what is a hypothesis?
informed assumption about the likely outcome of a well designed investigation that can be tested using scientific methods
Health Belief Model
considers health behaviour change to be a function of perceived susceptibility to an adverse health outcome, perceived severity of the disease, perceived benefits of behaviour change, perceived barriers to change, cues to action and self efficacy
Social Ecological Model
considers individual health and health behaviours to be a function of the social environment, which includes interpersonal, intrapersonal, institutional, community and public policy dimensions
Conceptual framework
a model that a researcher sketches using boxes and arrows to illustrate the various relationships that will be evaluated during a study
Feasibility study
is an evaluation of the likelihood that a task can be complete with the time, money, technology and other resources that are available for the activity
FINER acronym for characteristics of a viable research project:
o Feasible
o Interesting
o Novel
o Ethical
o Relevant
Demography
- study of the size and composition of population dynamics
3 levels of prevention
Primary Prevention - encompasses health behaviors + protective actions that mitigate adverse health events from occurring in people who do not already have the condition
Secondary Prevention - the detection of health problems in asymptomatic individuals at an early stage when the conditions have not caused significant damage and can be treated
Ex. cancer screening, blood pressure check, routine hearing/vision tests
Tertiary Prevention - interventions that reduce impairment, minimize pain and suffering, and prevent death in people with symptomatic health problems
What is a Disorder
functional impairment that can be characterized by measurable structural or physiological changes
Internal vs External Validity
Internal validity - evidence that a study measured what it is intended to measure
External validity - likelihood that results with internal validity can be generalized
What type of research evaluates the best ways to prevent, diagnose, and treat adverse health issues that affect individuals and families?
Clinical Research
Demography is often used as a tool in what type of research?
Population Health Research
