Epidemiology and Health Issues

Flashcards covering key concepts and terminology related to Epidemiology and Health issues as discussed in the lecture.

Epidemiology

The study of the frequency, distribution, and determinants of health problems and disease in human populations.

Incidence

The number of NEW CASES of disease that develop in a population of individuals at risk during a specified time period.

Prevalence

The total number of EXISTING CASES of disease in a population at one point in time.

Descriptive Epidemiology (incidence & prevalence)

used to describe a health problem. Characterize the amount and distribution of a disease.

• What, when, where, and who of a condition

• Person, place, time

Analytical Epidemiology

ften follow descriptive studies: used to determine the cause of a health problem.

• Explains the “why” of a condition

• Agent, host, environment

p-value = confidence

Public Health Action

Strategies implemented based on epidemiological findings to promote health and reduce disease.

Surveillance in Epidemiology

The continuous, systematic collecting, analysis, interpretation, and dissemination of data regarding a health-related event.

Geographic Patterns

Patterns observed in health data that can indicate locations with higher or lower incidence of a health problem.

Determinants of Health

Factors that influence health outcomes, including biological, socio-economic, and environmental factors.

TIME, PLACE, PERSON

• Time: When events occurred (diagnoses, reporting, testing)

  • Trends, seasonal variations, cohort effects…

• Place: Geography of the affected individuals

  • Variations between geographical areas – local, national, international…

• Person: Charactertists of the individual affected by the outcome.

  • Variations in health by age, sex, ethnicity, occupation, leisure interests etc

data collection

type of data

reporting

what to do with the data

analysis

what kind of analysis we get from the data

response

intervention and targeting