Epidemiology

Epidemiology
• is the study of a scientific method of problem solving how
people get sick and die, who gets sick and dies, and how to
avoid getting sick.
• epi = among, demos= people, logos = study or studies
conducted among human populations.
• originally focused on the study of infectious disease.
• the study of the distribution (who has the problem) and
determinants (things that influence the problem) of health-
related conditions in human populations and the application of
this method to the control of health problems
• distribution: refers to time, place, and
types of persons affected by a particular
disease or condition (demographics)

• determinants: physical, psychological,

social, cultural, and behaviors that
influence health
Uses of Epidemiology
• to describe disease occurrence, to identify the causes of disease,
and to find factors that increase a person's risk of disease.
• describe the extent of disease in a population and the natural
history (the course of a disease if left untreated) and characteristics
of a disease, as well as to evaluate preventive measures and guide
policy decisions.
• Epidemiologic methods can also establish risk factors
(characteristics associated with disease development). Some risk
factors are non-modifiable (such as age or sex), whereas others are
modifiable (such as quitting to smoke).
• epidemic is an unexpected increase in the number
of disease cases in a specific geographical area
• pandemic is when a disease’s growth is
exponential. It covers a wide area, affecting several
countries and populations.
• endemic is when it is consistently present but
limited to a particular region.
• Outbreak is a sudden or violent increase in activity
or currency
• Non-modifiable risk factors: those risk factors
that cannot be changed or eradicated

• Modifiable risk factors: those risk factors that

can be changed or eradicated with lifestyle
changes
Epidemiology Specialties
• Chronic disease- Studies the occurrence and risk factors for
disease such as cancer, hear disease, and diabetes that are
slow to develop but span many years
• Behavioral- Studies lifestyle factors that may be associated
with disease status examples include smoking, lack of
physical activity, poor diet
• Environmental- Studies the effect of the environment on
human health; can subspecialize in water quality, air
pollution, chemical exposures, radiation, and others
• Forensic - Studies the joint integration of law
enforcement functions and public health in criminal
contexts (e.g, bioterrorism)
• Genetic - Studies the role of genetics in disease
development; can include infectious or chronic
diseases
• Infectious disease- Studies diseases that are acute and
contagious, can include long-lasting diseases that are
transmissible
• Injury- Studies the distribution and risk factors for
injuries, either accidental or intentional
• Perinatal- Studies health problems of newborns
• Reproductive health- Studies normal reproductive
processes and problems that can occur including
infertility, birth defects, and low birth weight
• Social epidemiology- Studies the effect of community
socioeconomic factors on health
• Violence- Studies the effect of violence on health
Disease Causation
time
Agent
• Key component of the triangle
• referred to an infectious microorganism or pathogen:
a virus, bacterium, parasite, or other microbe.
However, presence of that agent alone is not always
sufficient to cause disease. A variety of factors
influence whether exposure to an organism will result
in disease, including the organism's pathogenicity
(ability to cause disease) and dose.
Host
• refers to the human who can get the disease. A variety of
factors intrinsic to the host, sometimes called risk factors,
can influence an individual's exposure, susceptibility, or
response to a causative agent. Opportunities for exposure
are often influenced by behavior such as sexual practices,
hygiene, and other personal choices as well as by age and
sex. Susceptibility and response to an agent are influenced
by factors such as genetic composition, nutritional and
immunologic status, anatomic structure, presence of
disease or medications, and psychological makeup.
Environment
• refers to extrinsic factors that affect the agent
and the opportunity for exposure.
• include physical factors such as geology and
climate, biology such as insects that transmit the
agent, and socioeconomic factors such as
crowding, sanitation and the availability of
health services
Chain of Infection
References
• Biostatistics and Epidemiology by Bush et.al
• Introduction to Biostatistics and Epidemiology by Bien Eli Nillos