Epidemiology Exam 1

Epidemology

The study of the pattern of diseases in populations, and the equitable solutions to public health changes

Planetary Health

The health of human civilization and the state of the natural systems on which it depends

3 Core Functions of Public Health

Assessment, Policy Development, Assurance

Assessment

Monitor health status to identify and solve community health problems and investigate health problems and hazards.

Policy Development

Inform, educate, and empower people about health issues. Mobilize community to take action and develop policies that support individual and community health efforts.

Assurance

Enforce laws and regulations, link people to needed health services, and ensure a competent public health workforce. Measure where there’s failure of implemation of policies.

Medical Care

The patient is the individual and the goal of medicine is to cure.

Public Health

The patient is the community, diagnoses the health of the community, involves new policies and interventions, prevent disease and disability.

Epidemic

A disease that affects a large number of people within a community, population, or region.

Pandemic

An epidemic that spread over multiple countries or continents.

Outbreak

A greater than anticipated increase in the number of cases of a disease.

Endemic

A disease that is regularly found and very common among a particular group or in a particular area.

Epigenetics

The study of how your behaviors and environment can cause changes that affect the way your genes work.

Health Disparity

A difference that affects a person’s ability to achieve their best health outcomes.

Health Inequity

Social and environmental factors that inhibit one from accessing, achieving, and maintaining quality health services.

Communicable Diseases

Illnesses that result from the infection, presence and growth of pathogenic agents (animal or human host).

Non-Communicable Diseases

Do not result from an infectious process, cause premature illness, reduced quality of life, develop and progress over long periods, not person to person. Chronic illnesses (heart disease, cancer, lung disease).

Syndemics

Multiple epidemics that co-occur

One Health

The goal of achieving optimal health outcomes recognizing the interconnection between people, animals, plants and their shared environment.

Zoonotic Disease

Transmitted from animals to humans

Stroke Belt

A region of higher stroke mortality in the Southeastern United States that has persisted since at least 1940.

Photovoice

Qualitative, participatory action research method in which people are given cameras to document issues that affect health in their everyday lives. Empower people to advocate for their own health.

Primary Prevention

Aims to prevent disease or injury before it even occurs

Secondary Prevention

Aims to reduce the impact of a disease or injury that has already occurred.

Tertiary Prevention

Aims to soften the impact of an ongoing illness or injury that has lasting effects.

Prevalence

Proportion of people who have a condition at or during a particular time (existing cases, old and new). Useful most with chronic diseases.

Incidence

Proportion of people who develop a new condition during a particular time period (only the new cases). Useful most with infectious diseases.

Outbreak Investigation steps

1. Surveillance/monitoring - rates

2. Outbreak/Risk factors - move in on the cause

3. Intervention Evaluation - treatments

4. Implementation - policies, communities, solutions

Case definiton

A set of diagnostic criteria that must be fulfilled in order to identify a person as a case of a particular disease.

Microcephaly

A condition where a baby’s head is smaller than expected for their age and sex. Birth defect that can be caused during pregnancy due to Zika virus.

Arboviruses

Transmitted between arthropods (insects) and vertebrates such as mosquitoes and tick and can infect humans.

Health in All Policies (HiAP)

A collaborative approach that integrates health considerations into policymaking to improve the health of all communities and people.

Exposome

the total exposures that an individual experiences throughout their lifetimes, and their cumulative impact on health. Understanding exposures interact with our characteristics.

Envirome

Cumulative environmental, socials, and personal factors that influence human health.