Biostatistics and Epidemiology Definition of terms

• Fundamental Science of Public Health. • Epidemiology derived from greek word

• Has made major Contributions to epi means upon, demos mean people
improving population health. and logos means study.
• It is essential process of identifying and • Study – surveillance, observation,
mapping emerging diseases. hypothesis testing, analytical research,
and esperiment.
CDC ( Centers for Disease Control and • Distribution – analysis of time,
Prevention) persons, places, and classes of people
• The organization who often associated affected.
with epidemiology research in the • Determinants – biological, chemical,
united states. physical, social, cultural, and economic
• Epidemiology - Study of the factors.
distribution and determinants of • Health-related states and events –
disease or health status in a population. diseases, causes of death, behaviors.
• Specified populations – identifiable
Origin of Epidemiology characteristics, such as occupational
• Originates from Hippocrates. group.
• 2000 years ago, they observe • Application to prevention and
environmental factors that influence control – aims of public health to
the spread of infectious disease. promote, protect, and restore health.
• In 19th century formal beginnings of
epidemiology. Recent development in epidemiology
• Most spectacular achievements “The • 19th century - Comparing rates of
finding by John Snow”. disease in subgroups of the human
population.
Dr. John Snow • 20th century hearth disease and cancer
• Father of field epidemiology. are applied to chronic non-
• In 1854 he conducted one of his communicable diseases.
famous studies the “cholera. • Epidemiology in moder form is
• discovering relatively in quantitative methods to
• Cholera – disease from contaminated study diseases in human populations.
drinking water. • The broad definition of epidemiology
• Cholera erupted in Golden Square of is the study of diseases in groups.
London. • Primarily study of epidemiology in
• In year 1848 – 1849 and 1853 – 19854 relation to personal behaviors is their
locate the home of each person who influence oh health and the effects of
died from cholera in London. preventive interventions.
• Southward company - Sources or • The main concern of epidemiology
supplier of contaminated drinking regarding course and outcome of
water. diseases in individual and groups is
their influence on the environment.
• Environmental – it is any factors that
affect health, including economic and
cultural.
 • Identifying communicable disease • The disease burden in populations is
patterns is a primary focus of essential for health authorities in their
epidemiology in low and middle uses of limited resources.
country.
• Identifying non-communicable disease Smallpox
pattern is the focus of middle and high • Also knows as variola virus
country. • Edward jenner – discovered
• Richard doll and Andrew hill – In immunity to cowpox by injecting fluid
year 1950 studied the relationship from cowpox called vaccina.
between tobacco use and lung cancer. • Cowpox – provide immunity to
smallpox.
Epidemiology and public health • The research on cowpox infection and
• Public health refers to collective smallpox protection lead to
actions to improve population health. development of vaccines.
• Identifying preventive Methods is the • In year 1790 shown that cowpox
primary goal of epidemiology infection is a protection against
concerning communicable diseases. smallpox virus.
• Ultimate goal of epidemiology
concerning health of disadvantage is Rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart
improving the health of populations. disease
• Studying individual health is a primary • This are associated with poor housing
focus of public health in term of and overcrowding.
improving population health. • Streptococcal upper respiratory tract
• Mapping emerging disease was the infection declines in rheumatic fever
main contribution of epidemiology to started at 20th century.
public health • Strep – throat
• Streptococcal – catalyst negative
Causation of disease bacteria
• Most disease that results from an • Effective drug in streptococcal is
interaction between genetic and sulfonamides and penicillin.
environmental factors.
• Biological and genetic factors are some Tobacco, asbestos and lung cancer
environmental factors that can affect • Most initially in this disease are men.
health. • Since 1930 lung cancer is use to be
• Primary focus of studying genetic rare.
diseases is identifying environmental • Tobacco uses cause of the dramatic
factors. increase in lung cancer since 1930.
• Personal behavior influence health and • Case-control studies linked lung cancer
effects of preventive interventions. and smoking in 1950.
• Subtractive combination effect of
Natural history of disease smoking and exposure to asbestos dust
• The course and outcome of disease in on lunch cancer rate.
individual and groups. • Asbestos dust and urban air pollution
increased lung cancer burden.
Health status in population
• Use to describe health burden analysis.
 • Exposure that contributes to increased
lung cancer rate beside smoking is
exposure to asbestos dust.
• Lung cancer is the disease that
primarily responsible for the increase
in lung cancer rates in 1930.

HIV/AIDS
• AIDS – acquired immunodeficiency
syndrome. Was first identified as
distinct disease in USA year of 1981.
• HIV – human immunodeficiency virus.
Most destructive infectious disease
epidemics in history.
• The virus found in blood, semen,
cervical and vaginal secretions.
• The virus can be transmitted through
transfusion of contaminated blood,
sharing needles, breast feeding,
giving birth and sexual intercourse.