Back to notes
Explain the purpose of descriptive epidemiology.
Press to flip
Descriptive epidemiology collects and summarizes data about the occurrence of disease, asking questions such as 'when' the disease occurs, 'where' it occurs, and 'who' is affected.
How do case-control studies work?
Case-control studies compare individuals with a disease (cases) to those without the disease (controls), working backward to determine exposure or risk factors.
What are cohort studies and how are they conducted?
Cohort studies follow a population over time, categorizing participants based on their exposure and tracking their health outcomes.
How is the rate of a disease calculated?
Rate = (Number of cases / Population at risk) * 100
What is the difference between epidemic and pandemic?
An epidemic is an excess occurrence of disease in a specific population, whereas a pandemic is an epidemic that has spread across regions, potentially worldwide.
What components are monitored in public health surveillance?
Health events, behaviors, disease incidence, and distribution over time, place, and person.
Why is it important to characterize public health problems by time, place, and person?
Characterizing by time, place, and person helps identify patterns and causes of health problems, making it easier to develop targeted interventions.
List methods of data collection used in epidemiology.
Questionnaires, surveys from individuals; environmental samples and tests; clinical records from healthcare providers; non-health related records such as financial and legal documents.
What was the cause of the Legionnaires' disease outbreak in 1976?
The cause was bacteria found in the air conditioning system.
What is the significance of public health informatics?
It involves efficient collection and use of electronic data to support public health decision-making and interventions.
Describe the public health approach steps for addressing a health problem.
1. Data Collection through public health surveillance 2. Initial conclusions based on the data 3. Hypothesis generation 4. Hypothesis testing through analytic epidemiology 5. Recommend and implement population-level interventions
What is the definition of epidemiology?
The study of the distribution and determinants of health-related states in populations and the application of this study to control health problems.
What is an example of an experimental study in epidemiology?
Vaccine efficacy trials, where the investigator controls certain variables to assess the effectiveness of a vaccine.
List the steps in a disease outbreak investigation.
1. Establish the existence of an outbreak 2. Prepare for fieldwork 3. Verify the diagnosis 4. Define and identify cases 5. Use descriptive epidemiology 6. Develop and evaluate hypotheses 7. Refine hypotheses if needed 8. Implement control and prevention measures 9. Communicate findings
What are the core sciences in public health?
Public Health Surveillance, Epidemiology, Public Health Laboratories, Public Health Informatics, Prevention Effectiveness
What factors are considered in identifying the cause of a public health problem?
Risk factors, environmental conditions, and behaviors
Previous
Next