Introduction to Epidemiology

Flashcards covering key terms and definitions related to the introduction of epidemiology.

Epidemiology

The study of how disease is distributed in populations and the factors influencing this distribution.

Determinants

Factors that influence health status and disease outcomes, such as genetic, environmental, and lifestyle influences.

Life Course Perspective

A framework that emphasizes how risks accumulate over a person's lifetime.

Primary Prevention

Preventing the initial development of a disease.

Secondary Prevention

Early detection of existing disease to reduce severity and complications.

Tertiary Prevention

Reducing the impact of an established disease.

Descriptive Epidemiology

Analysis of disease patterns based on characteristics of people, place, and time.

Analytic Epidemiology

Investigates the reasons behind observed health patterns and associations.

Evidence-Based Medicine

The use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care of individual patients.

Vibrio cholerae

The bacterium identified as the cause of cholera.

Germ Theory

The theory that diseases are caused by microorganisms.