Descriptive epidemiology uses observational studies of the distribution of disease in terms of person, place, and time . The study describes the distribution of a set of variables, without regard to causal or other hypotheses. Personal factors include age, gender, SES, educational level, ethnicity, and occupation.
What are the three types of descriptive epidemiologic studies?
Three of the types of descriptive epidemiologic studies are in- dividual case reports, case series, and cross-sectional studies (e.g., a survey of a population). Case reports and case series are among the most basic types of descriptive studies.
What are the 5 W’s of descriptive epidemiology?
The difference is that epidemiologists tend to use synonyms for the 5 W’s: diagnosis or health event (what), person (who), place (where), time (when), and causes, risk factors, and modes of transmission (why/how) .
What are some epidemiological methods?
The three major epidemiologic techniques are descriptive, analytic, and experimental . Although all three can be used in investigating the occurrence of disease, the method used most is descriptive epidemiology.
What are the 3 main elements of descriptive epidemiology?
In descriptive epidemiology, we organize and summarize data according to time, place, and person . These three characteristics are sometimes called the epidemiologic variables.
What are the two types of epidemiology?
Epidemiologic studies fall into two categories: experimental and observational .
What is the aim of descriptive study?
Descriptive research aims to accurately and systematically describe a population, situation or phenomenon . It can answer what, where, when and how questions, but not why questions. A descriptive research design can use a wide variety of research methods to investigate one or more variables.
What are the 4 types of epidemiological data?
The tests of analytical epidemiology are carried out through four major types of research study designs: cross-sectional studies, case-control studies, cohort studies, and controlled clinical trials . Cross-sectional studies are used to explore associations of disease with variables of interest.
What are the two main types of analytic studies?
Analytic studies fall into two categories: experimental and observational . Experimental studies, which include clinical and community trials, may be used to study the effects of new drugs or vaccines.
What type of study is a descriptive study?
What is Research? A descriptive study is one in which information is collected without changing the environment (i.e., nothing is manipulated). Sometimes these are referred to as “ correlational ” or “ observational ” studies.
What is the epidemiological triangle?
A number of models of disease causation have been proposed. Among the simplest of these is the epidemiologic triad or triangle, the traditional model for infectious disease . The triad consists of an external agent, a susceptible host, and an environment that brings the host and agent together.
What is an example of epidemiology?
The term epidemiology is now widely applied to cover the description and causation of not only epidemic, infectious disease, but of disease in general, including related conditions. Some examples of topics examined through epidemiology include as high blood pressure, mental illness and obesity .
What are the two categories of disease?
- communicable , which are caused by pathogens and can be transferred from one person to another, or from one organism to another – in humans these include measles, food poisoning and malaria.
- non-communicable , which are not transferred between people or other organisms.
How do you present epidemiological data?
Graphs are most frequently used for displaying time associations and patterns in epidemiologic data. These graphs can include line graphs, histograms (epidemic curves), and scatter diagrams (see Box 6.4 for general guidelines in construction of epidemiologic graphs).
What is epidemiological evidence?
Epidemiological evidence says that a particular exposure causes a particular harm within a certain population . ... Given high-quality epidemiological evidence, RR > 2 is sufficient for proof of specific causation when no other evidence is available but not necessary when other evidence is available.
What are epidemiological factors?
1: Epidemiologic Factors Events, characteristics, or other definable entities that have the potential to bring about a change in a health condition or other defined outcome .
