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Description
Flashcards by Alma Larsdotter Zweygberg, updated more than 1 year ago
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Created by Alma Larsdotter Zweygberg
about 3 years ago
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| Question | Answer |
| Epidemiology | The study of the distribution of disease in populations, and the factors that contribute to this distribution. This is done through comparisons between groups, where patterns such as correlation can be discovered. Quantitative. |
| Applications of epidemiology | Describe the health and unhealth in a population Identify risk factors for disease Studies of disease history or studies aiming to make prognosis for future disease Evaluate public health measures Provide data as foundation for public policy |
| Quantitative concepts relevant for epidemiology | Measures of frequency Measures of association Statistical inference |
| Measures of frequency | Counts and rates (how many) |
| Measures of association | Incidence rate ratios Relative risks Odds ratios Standardised mortality/morbidity rates |
| Two very relevant concepts in statistical inferences | P-value (the likelihood of an association to be random and not due to an actual difference. By tradition p <0.05 is considered significant) Confidence interval (the probability that a new study would have findings within the interval, by tradition 95% is often used, ie 95% probability that the true value is within the interval) |
| Historical development of epidemiology | John Snow mapped out cholera outbreaks and wells in London, discovering that getting water from certain wells was related to disease. By closing wells, the outbreak decreased. The mechanism does not need to be known for observational data to be useful. |
| Current epidemiology | Computational power, Big Data, new statistical software and increasing access to data gives new opportunities and challeges to the field. Genetic epidemiology evolves as genomwide association studies become possible. There are many subcategories under the umbrella of epidemiology. |
| Two main categories of epidemiological studies | Descriptive (what is the occurence of disease) Analytical (what is the etiology, cause, of disease) |
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