What is epidemiology? Answer - the study of how disease is distributed in
populations and the factors that influence or determine this distribution
The epidemiologic approach; Answer - To describe the health status of
populations
enumerate the cases of disease
obtain frequencies of disease within subgroups
discover important trends in the occurrence of disease
To explain the etiology and natural history of disease
Discover causal factors; determine modes of transmission
To describe the health status of populations
enumerate the cases of disease
obtain frequencies of disease within subgroups
discover important trends in the occurrence of disease
Questions
Describe type of data • Interpret disease patterns • What disease/condition is
present in excess? • Who is ill (or dies)? • Where do they live? • When did they
become ill (or die)? • Why did they become ill (or die)?
Leading causes of death in the U.S. (historically and currently) Answer -
,primary prevention Answer - Primary: Prevent the initial development of
disease. Educate individuals and communities to avoid/reduce exposure;
immunization
masks during covid
secondary prevention Answer - Early detection of existing disease. Screen or
survey populations (ideally "high risk" populations) to find early disease and
treat before it becomes established; use surveillance systems to identify high
risk groups
covid testing → quarantine?
breast cancer screenings
tertiary prevention Answer - Reduce impact of a disease. Treat established
disease to avoid progression and complications of disease
medical establishment, hospitals and doctors
ingáz semmelweis Answer - Childbed fever
childbed fever major cause of death of woman after childbirth
he observed to clinics one staffed by doctors/students other by midwives
physicans performing autopsies then caring for mothers, had much higher
mortality rate
suggested that hands carrying disease patricales forced woman to wash their
hands , rate of disease dropped
didnt have data so not taking seriously
edward jenner Answer - Smallpox
saw woman infected with cowpox didnt get small pox
did an inoculation of boy with cowpox and worked
, john snow Answer - Cholera
mapped cholera outbreak cases to prove that disease was being transmitted by
water from the broadstreet pump
mobidity Answer - (those who are living with the disease)
Any departure, subjective or objective, from a state of physiological or
psychological well-being"*
'Sickness', 'illness', 'disease' are considered synonyms.
co-morbitity Answer - the presence of one or more disorders (or diseases) in
addition to a primary disease or disorder
cumulative incidence Answer - Number of NEW occurrences of disease in
population at risk during a specified period of time / Number of persons at risk
for developing the disease at the beginning of time period
Proportion of persons who develop a new outcome during a specific time
period.
Estimates the probability of a new outcome (disease) in a given time period. CI
estimates your risk of disease
Numerator = those who developed disease (new cases) from Jan 1 to Dec 31
Denominator = those who are "at risk" (disease free) at beginning on Jan 1 -
Why disease free?
We want to know the risk or probability of an individual developing disease
Do you notice a major assumption about cumulative incidence? Answer -
Assumes everyone in the population (denominator) is followed for the entire
time-period
Not very realistic
people move, drop out, die (see previous slide)
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