Epidemiological Data Sources and Study Designs

A collection of flashcards that cover key vocabulary terms and concepts related to epidemiological data sources and study designs.

Vital Statistics

Data concerning vital events like births, deaths, marriages, and divorces, used in epidemiology.

External Validity

Also known as representativeness; refers to the generalizability of study findings to the larger population.

Incidence Rate

A measure of the frequency of new cases of a disease in a specified population during a defined time period.

Prevalence Rate

The total number of cases of a disease in a population at a specific time divided by the total population.

Mortality Data

Information collected regarding deaths, including causes, age, and demographics of deceased individuals.

Cohort Study

An epidemiological study design that follows a group of individuals over time to assess outcomes based on exposures.

Confidence Interval

A range of values used to estimate the true population parameter, reflecting uncertainty around a point estimate.

Case-Control Study

An observational study comparing individuals with a disease (cases) to those without (controls) to assess prior exposures.

Odds Ratio (OR)

A measure of association between an exposure and an outcome, representing the odds of an outcome occurring with the exposure compared to the odds without it.

Descriptive Epidemiology

The study of health and disease distribution in a population, focusing on patterns based on person, place, and time.

Analytic Epidemiology

The study that investigates the cause and effects of health-related states or events, testing hypotheses about associations and relationships.

Hill's Criteria of Causality

A set of guidelines to determine whether an observed association is causal, including strength, consistency, specificity, temporality, and biological gradient.

Health Disparity

A difference in health outcomes or access to healthcare between different population groups, often linked to social and economic factors.

Public Health Surveillance

The systematic collection, analysis, and interpretation of health-related data essential for public health practice.

Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS)

A state-based system that collects data on health risk behaviors and health care access, coordinated by the CDC.

Confidence Level

The probability that the confidence interval will contain the true population parameter in repeated samples.