Epidemiology 1

What is Evidence-Based Health Care (EBHC)?

Management of patients using the current best evidence of effectiveness.

What are the 5 steps in EBHC?

1. Translate uncertainty into a question

2. Search for best evidence

3. Critically appraise it

4. Apply it to practice

5. Evaluate the outcome.

What are the components of EBHC?

Patient preferences, clinical expertise, and best available evidence.

What is Epidemiology?

The study of disease distribution and determinants in populations and application to health problems.

What are the focus areas of Epidemiology?

Disease frequency, risk factor analysis, intervention effectiveness, and population health trends.

What is the difference between Epidemiology and Biostatistics?

Epidemiology focuses on study design and data collection, while Biostatistics focuses on data analysis and inference.

How do Epidemiology and Biostatistics work together?

They answer health questions, exclude chance, and generate evidence-based knowledge.

List the types of epidemiological studies?

Systematic reviews, intervention, case-control, cohort, ecological, cross-sectional, case reports, expert opinion.

What are the steps to designing a study?

1. Ask question

2. Review literature

3. Choose design

4. Collect & clean data

5. Analyse

6. Conclude

7. Publish.

What is a Population in epidemiology?

The group from which data may be drawn.

What is a Sample?

A subset of the population.

What is a Parameter?

A true value in the population.

What is Descriptive Statistics?

Statistics that describe sample data.

What is Inferential Statistics?

Statistics that draw conclusions from sample to population.

What is an Independent Variable?

The variable that is manipulated.

What is a Dependent Variable?

The variable that is measured.

What is a Confounding Variable?

An extraneous variable that influences results.

What is Exposure vs Outcome?

Exposure is the determinant. Outcome is the resulting effect.

What are Nominal variables?

Categorical variables with no natural order (e.g., gender, religion).

What are Ordinal variables?

Categorical variables with a meaningful order (e.g., severity: mild, moderate, severe).

What are Interval variables?

Quantitative variables with equal intervals but no true zero (e.g., temperature).

What are Ratio variables?

Quantitative variables with equal intervals and a true zero (e.g., weight, income).

How are Interval and Ratio variables classified in SPSS?

As Scale variables.

Why is understanding variable types important?

To choose appropriate statistics, graphs, and tests.

What happens if you use the wrong statistical test?

You get no output and no marks.