Community Health Quiz #1

epidemiology

scientific discipline that seeks to describe, quantify, and determine how diseases occur in populations and aid in developing measures to control diseases

epidemiologists

search for the cause of illnesses and outbreaks

epidemiology framework

must be based on information about population groups to be an effective screening, treatment, or health promotion program

monitor health

gathering vital disease statistics to provide data necessary to define the scope of disease and health, and visually trend disease spread

diagnose and investigate

provide population health and disease data to determine whether new diseases are spreading into new segments of the population and providing the basis for launching epidemiologic investigations

inform, educate, and empower

provide reports so policymakers can inform the public about health factors and empower the public to address them

mobilize community partnerships

by sharing data so stakeholders can collaborate in addressing health issues that affect their constituents

develop policies

policymakers can develop more informed strategies to address issues affecting the community to reduce morbidity and mortality rates

educate

used as objective measures to evaluate the effectiveness of health programs in reducing morbidity and mortality

sanitation epidemiology

monitoring disease mortality rates to improve hospital sanitary methods that decrease death rates

infectious disease epidemiology

contagion theory of disease; how disease is spread and how the environment effects it

chronic disease epidemiology

focus on diseases with causative factors; better control things like heart disease or cancer

eco epidemiology

an integrative, multidisciplinary field that examines how environmental, ecological, and social factors drive the emergence and spread of diseases

epidemic

disease occurrence among a population that is more than what is expected in a given time or place, sudden increase

pandemic

epidemic that spreads across regions

endemic

disease or condition present among a population at all times

epidemiological triangle

explains infectious and other disease patterns through host, environment, and agent

host

susceptible human or animal who harbors and nourishes a disease-causing agent. Many physical, psychological, and lifestyle factors influence host susceptibility and response to an agent

agent

factor that causes or contributes to a health problem; vary based on 5 types: biologic, chemical, nutrient, physical, and psychological

environment

all external factors surrounding that host that might influence vulnerability or resistance

causality

refers to the relationship between a cause and its effect

reservior

environment where pathogen lives, multiplies, and thrives; human, soil, water

portal of exit

how pathogen leaves reservoir; coughing, body fluids, broken skin

mode of transmission

how pathogen travels from reservoir to a new host; direct contact, droplets, airborne, fomites

agent

the pathogen causing the disease; bacteria, virus, fungus

portal of entry

pathway the pathogen uses to enter a new host; mouth, nose, eyes, wound

susceptible host

person vulnerable to contracting the infection; age, immune status, nutritional level

web of causation

intervention at any point could impact the development of the disease; explains existence of health and wellness states

innate immunity

general, immediate defense system you are born with; first line of defense; skin, mucous membranes

acquired immunity

develops during lifetime as body encounters pathogens or recieved antibodies

active immunity

your own immune system produces the antibodies in response to a foreign substance, pathogen, or vaccine

natural active immunity

developed after surviving a real life infection

artificial active immunity

developed through vaccination; immune system builds defense without actual illness

passive immunity

receive pre-made antibodies from another source rather than producing them yourself

natural passive immunity

transfer of antibodies from a mother to her baby; through placenta or breastmilk

artificial passive immunity

gained through medical treatments; blood products with immune globulin or monoclonal antibodies for rabies or snake venom

cross immunity

the ability of your immune system to protect you against a pathogen or variant you have never encountered before, using antibodies or immune cells that were originally developed to fight a different, but structurally similar, pathogen or strain

hybrid immunity

derived from antibodies produced during infection with the pathogen in combination with vaccination

antigen

live or inactivated virus or bacteria capable of producing an immune response

antibody

protein molecules or immunoglobulins produced by B lymphocytes to help eliminate an antigen

herd immunity

large portion of a community becomes immune to an infectious disease, making the spread of person-to-person spread from individual to individual unlikely

relative risk

likelihood of an event occurring in a given group compared to another group with different behaviors, physical conditions, or environment

susceptibility

disease has not developed but the host has risk factors that make them vulnerable

subclinical disease

physiological changes or damage have begun after exposure, but individual does not yet feel sick; incubation period - most likely to spread

clinical disease

disease is evident; exhibiting signs and symptoms leading to clinical diagnosis

resolution

final stage where disease process concludes with either recovery, disability, or death

primary prevention

prevent disease from occurring int he first place: hand washing, mask, education, vaccinations

secondary prevention

targeted at subclinical stage; early detection and quick treatment to stop progression: screenings

tertiary prevention

manage chronic condition, rehabilitate patient, minimize complications, and maximize remaining quality of life: physical therapy, rehab, pain management

descriptive epidemiology

seek to observe and describe patterns of health related conditions that occur naturally in a population

counts

frequency of disease; include any health outcome interests

rates

statistical measures expressing the proportion of people with a given health problem among a population at risk

incidence

all new cases of a disease or health condition appearing during a given time; # of new cases / # of those at risk

attack rate

proportion of a population that develops a disease among all those exposed to a particular risk

prevalence

all of the people with a particular health condition existing in a given population at a given point in time; # of people with infection / total # of people in population

period prevalence

prevalence rate over a defined period of time

mortality rate

measure of the frequency of occurrence of death in a defined population during a specified interval

morbidity rate

measures disease burden (how many people are sick) in a population during a speficied time interval

communicable disease

caused by an infectious agent such as a virus or bacteria and can be transmitted from one source to another

direct transmission

contact through skin-to-skin, bites, kiss, or vegetation contaminated with infectious organisms

droplet transmission

larger, short-range aerosols produced by sneezing, coughing, or talking

indirect transmission

airborne or vehicle transmits disease

airborne transmission

infectious agents are carried by dust or droplet nuclei and suspended in air

vehicle transmission

may involve food, water, blood, fomites, or provide an environment that allows agent to grow, multiply, and produce toxin

fomite

inanimate objects that can carry pathogens

vectors

living organisms that can transmit infectious diseases to humans; insects

biological transmission

transmit disease when the infectious agent has propagated within a vector; requires an incubation period to be passed to new host

vector-borne transmission

bite of the infected insect or animal or some other exposure to infected animals bodily fluids