EPIDEMIOLOGY

Epidemiology is a field of study that looks at patterns of health and disease within a population.
This includes the study of characteristics of illness and factors that contribute to illness. To
determine the frequency and causes of illness, epidemiologists focus on studying communities
rather than individuals.

Epidemiologists study not only infectious diseases, but also environmental exposures to toxins
and pollutants, workplace and crime-related injuries, birth defects, mental health, and
substance abuse. To characterize these illnesses and conditions, epidemiology depends on
statistics to measure rates of incidence, prevalence, and mortality.

Incidence is the number of new cases of a particular illness over a set period of time, while
prevalence is the total number of existing cases. Mortality rate is the frequency of death within
a population from a specific illness. Together, these rates characterize illness at the population
level.

There are two main types of epidemiological studies: descriptive and analytic. Descriptive
studies describe, or characterize, an illness. The types of people affected, their location, and the
timing of onset or infection are examples of the types of descriptions important to
epidemiology. Analytical studies, in contrast, analyze or test predictions and assumptions.
Analytical studies help narrow the causes of and risk factors for illness. Both of these methods
of data collection and interpretation can be used to learn more about the factors contributing
to illness and, thus, how to predict, prevent, and combat them.