What is Epidemiology?
The study of the distribution and determinants of health-related events in human populations and the application of this knowledge to improving the health of communities.
How can Community Health Nurses use epidemiology?
- CHN’s use epidemiology to track the distribution or patterns of health events in one or between other communities.
- They study not only the pattern and distribution but also the determinants or factors that influence these health events
- It is multidisciplinary and recognizes the complex interrelationships of factors that influence disease and health at both the individual and community level; it provides the basic tools for the study of health and disease in communities
What is morbidity?
The occurrence of disease in the population, includes incidence and prevalence rate
What is mortality?
The number of deaths in a population, includes case mortality rate, infant mortality rate, and proportionate mortality rate
In the Epidemiological Triad Model, what are the 3 factors used to understand causation factors?
- Agent- the disease
- Host- the individual or population at-risk for developing the disease
- Environment- a combination of physical, biological, economical, and social factors that surround and influence the host and agent
How does the Person Place Time Model differ from the Epidemiological Triad Model?
This model uses the ‘person’ as the host, ‘place’ is the environment and time is the splice in time when the person and place interacted (to become infected)
The Web of Causation Model uses a view of complex interactions among multiple factors. What are the three levels of factors?
- Macro: multi-system or societal
- Micro: Individual level
- Meso: familial, local level
What are the 4 steps when using the Web of Causation model?
- Look at factors related to specific disease
- Look at secondary factors to relate to the initial factors
- Put all of the factors together, to identify and examine the relationships what contribute to each other, which lead to the health event
- Determine most feasible intervention to improve health status
The Haddon Matrix model looks at potential risk and protective factors, what 4 components of the public health approach does it use?
- Surveillance
- Risk factor definition
- intervention/evaluation
- Program Implementation
How is the Haddon Matrix Model set up?
This model is set up in a chart style. The columns along the top are Agent, Host, Environment and the rows are Pre-Event, Event and Post-Event
What is pre-pathogenesis?
Susceptibility to disease
What is Pathogenesis?
From the preclinical stage to death, disability or recovery
What is primary prevention and what are examples?
This is interventions to prevent to occurrence of disease, injury or disability.
Examples are health education, immunizations, protection from accidents
What is secondary prevention and what are examples?
These are interventions that are designed to increase the probability of early diagnosis so that treatment is likely to result in cure.
Examples are health screening, adequate treatment, assessments and examinations
What is tertiary prevention and what are examples?
These interventions are aimed at promotion of independent function and prevention of further disease-related deterioration.
Examples are work therapy, use of hospital, support groups and community facilities, and rehabilitation
What is eco-epidemiology?
This is the study of ecological influences on human health. It is a conceptual approach combining molecular, societal, and population based aspects to study a health-related problem
What is incidence?
The number of people who develop a disease or health condition in a set amount of time.
What is prevalence?
The number of cases in a population at a splice in time.
What is infant mortality rate?
The number of infant deaths in a year- typically used to determine the standards of care in the first year
What are crude rates?
The rates of disease that include everyone in the population
What are specific rates?
The rates of disease in a sub group of the population
What are adjusted rates?
These are rates that are adjusted to match the demographics of a comparison group (e.g. cutting the number of male participants to match the number of females in a test group)
What is the relative risk ratio?
A ratio that expresses the incidence rate of those exposed and those not exposed (RR = incidence rate among exposed/incidence rate among those not exposed)
What is an external agent?
Something that is not part of your genetic makeup (A virus, use of cigarettes)
