Cause of Death and Disease

A set of practice flashcards covering key concepts from Chapters 1–7, including cause of death, data sources, epidemiology concepts, and the relationship between mortality, morbidity, and risk.

What is the underlying cause of death (as defined by the World Health Organization)?

The disease or injury that initiated the cascade of events directly leading to death.

What is the immediate cause of death?

The final condition that resulted in death (for example, cardiac arrest).

How do the World Health Organization and the National Vital Statistics System differ in listing cause of death?

NVSS typically reports only the underlying cause; WHO records the underlying cause plus other significant contributing conditions for context.

Provide an example illustrating underlying vs immediate cause.

If someone dies from kidney failure but had diabetes, the immediate cause is kidney failure and the underlying cause initiating the cascade is diabetes.

Why is it important to capture both underlying and significant contributing conditions?

To understand the full set of factors leading to death and to allow cross-system comparisons and deeper epidemiological analysis.

What is a 'manner of death' and what categories exist?

A classification of how death occurred, such as natural, accidental, or homicide.

What is the role of death certificates and autopsies in cause-of-death data?

Death certificates collect cause data; autopsy results can influence classification; practices vary by state and affect data quality.

What is mortality rate?

The number of deaths due to a condition relative to the population at risk.

What is morbidity rate?

The proportion of people who have the disease (prevalence or incidence).

What are the two leading causes of death in the US?

Cardiovascular disease and cancer.

What caused the discrepancy in reported COVID deaths between NVSS and WHO data?

NVSS uses underlying cause only; WHO includes underlying plus contributing conditions, leading to different counts.

What does CDC Wonder provide?

A database for looking up leading causes of death and mortality rates, sortable by categories, with quarterly updates.

What is survivorship bias?

Focusing only on those who survive or are observed after selection, which can mislead conclusions (e.g., planes that returned vs. those that did not).

What is the natural history perspective of disease?

A framework describing exposure, susceptibility, incubation, symptoms, and possible outcomes such as recovery, disability, or death.

What is the iceberg principle of disease presentation?

Most people with a disease are asymptomatic; only a small fraction present clinically.

What is preclinical or subclinical disease?

Disease present but not clinically apparent; may be detected through screening or only identified post-mortem.

What is the triad of epidemiology?

Agent, host factors, and environmental risk factors, with time influencing exposure and risk.

What are examples of agents in epidemiology?

Viruses, pollen, poisons, allergens, and microbes.

What are host factors in the epidemiologic triangle?

Genetics, immunological state, age, and other individual characteristics.

What are environmental factors in the epidemiologic triangle?

Surroundings such as air quality, allergens, smoke, and other external conditions.

How does time influence epidemiology?

Duration and timing of exposure affect the likelihood of disease occurrence.

Why is actuarial science relevant to public health?

It focuses on risk prediction and costs for insurance policies, illustrating that mortality data alone doesn’t determine individual risk.