Download Epidemiology

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A public health science (foundation of public
health)

Impacts personal decisions about our
lifestyles

Affects government, public health agency
and medical organization policy decisions

Epidemiology derives from epidemic, a term
that provides an immediate clue to its subject
matter.

Originates from the Greek words epi (upon) +
demos (people) + logy (study of)

Friis & Sellers 2009, defines epidemiology as
concerned with the distribution and
determinants of health and diseases,
morbidity, injuries, disability, and mortality
in populations.

Application of this study to control and
prevent health problems in populations.

In the past, main causes of death were due to a
single pathogen (disease causing microorganism or
related substance)

Epidemiologists had the challenge of isolating a
single bacteria, virus, or parasite

The discipline of epidemiology underwent dramatic
changes in the first half of the 20th century.

A new kind of epidemiology came into being as a
discipline in the decades following the Second
World War variously referred to as “modern” or “risk
factor” epidemiology (Parascandola, 2011).

The new epidemiology differed from earlier forms
of epidemiology in that it included a focus on
chronic rather than infectious diseases an emphasis
on identifying individual risk factors for disease, and
use of advanced quantitative methodology
(Parascadola, 2011).

If you have an index card, raise your hand
 You have a “fake” disease

What pattern do you notice? Compare those
that have the “fake” disease to those that
don’t.

The first step when dealing with a disease
(epidemiology) is identifying what causes
the disease

The next step would be to create a
hypothesis: Why is jewelry an indicator of this
“fake” disease?

What is the next step in investigating a
disease?
•
Study of the health and disease of the “body
politic” – the population.
•
Basic science of public health
• What causes disease?
• How does disease spread?
• What prevents disease?
• What works in controlling disease?
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Descriptive

Analytic
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Descriptive epidemiology involves
characterization of the distribution of healthrelated states or events by:
 Person – who?
 Place – where?
 Time – when?
 Clinical criteria – what?