BMLT

COURSE: PREVENTIVE & SOCIAL MEDICINE {PSM)

Chapter: Four
Basic Concept of Epidemiology:
Learning Objective:

By the End of this unit; the learners will be able to:-

 Define term Epidemiology.

 Explanation the components definition of Epidemiology.
 Discuss the Objectives of Aims and Objectives of Epidemiology.
 Understand Uses of Epidemiology.
 Classify epidemiology and Clinical medicine.
 Describe Applications of epidemiology in Public Health.

MEANING OF EPIDEMIOLOGY:

The word “Epidemiology” derived from three Greek words

EPI DEMOS & LOGY.

► Epi: means upon

► Demos: means people or population

► logy: means knowledge or studies

Epidemiology: This term was originally applied to the study of outbreaks of acute
infectious disease.

Epidemiology is the Basic science of Preventive and Social Medicine.

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 DEFINITION OF EPIDEMIOLOGY:

Epidemiology: is the study of the distribution and determinants of health-related states

or events in specified populations and the applications and application of this study to the
prevention and control of health problems.

EXPLANATION OF THE BROAD DEFINITION OF EPIDEMIOLOGY:

Terms: Explanation:

Study Includes: Surveillance, hypothesis testing,

analytic research & experiments.

Distribution Refers to analysis of: Times, Persons,

Places and classes of people affected.

Determinants Includes: Factors that influence health:

Biological, chemical, physical, social, cultural,

economic, genetic and behavioral.

Health-related states and Refer to: Diseases, causes of death,

Events Behaviours such as use of tobacco, positive

health states, reactions to preventive

regimes and provision and use of health

services.

Specific populations Include those with identifiable

characteristics, such as occupational groups.

Application to prevention The aims of public health: To promote,

and control protect and restore health.

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 BRIEFLY HISTORY OF EPIDEMIOLOGY:

John snow’s conducted pioneering investigations on cholera epidemics in England and

particularly in London in 1854 in which he demonstrated that contaminated water was
the key source of the epidemics. This study concerned the Broad Street pump outbreak
of 1854, which killed many persons in the Soho neighborhood.

COMPONENTS OF EPIDEMIOLOGY:

There are three common components of epidemiology

First: study of diseases frequency

Second: study of distribution of diseases.

Third: study of determinants of occurring diseases.

Descriptions of components

1. Disease Frequency: it is refers to the measurement of frequency of disease or

death which summarized in the form rates and ratio (e.g. prevalence rate, incidence
rate death etc.) These are essential for comparing health status with others.

2. Distribution of Disease: disease distribution is studied according to

A. Time: Different diseases predominant in different places e.g.

 Diarrhea: rainy season

 Respiratory infection: winter

 Food poising: summer

 Measles: winter, early spring.

B. Place: Different Disease predominant in different places as for example

 Goiter: Central regions.

 Malaria: wet lands.

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C. Person: different disease predominant in in different persons

ℽ Age: Measles (child hood) Cancer (middle age) Atherosclerosis (old age).
ℽ Sex: lung cancer, prostate cancer (male) breast cancer gall stone (female).

Social factor: upper social class (coronary heart disease, hypertension DM)

AIMS OF EPIDEMIOLOGY:

According to the international epidemiological association (IEA) epidemiology has three

main aims:

 To describe the distribution and magnitude of health and disease problem in

human populations.

 To identify Etiological factors (risk factors) in the pathogenesis of disease.

 To provide the data essential to the planning, implementation and evaluation of

service for the prevention, control and treatment of disease and to the setting up
priorities among those.

OBJECTIVES OF EPIDEMIOLOGY:

To study historically the rise and fall of disease in definite population.

« To searching for the cause and determinants of health in a definite population.

« To determine transmission pattern of diseases problem in definite population.

« To describe distribution of diseases in relation of time place and person.

« To provide information necessary for planning, implementation and evaluation of

measures taken to eliminate or reduce health problems or other consequences.

« To prevent the occurrence of health problem in future.

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ULTIMATE OBJECTIVES:-

A. To eliminate or reduce the health problem or its consequences.

B. To promote the health and wellbeing of societies as a whole.

USES OF EPIDEMIOLOGY:

« It helps to study historically the rise and fall of disease in population.

« It used in community diagnose.

« Planning and evaluation services.

« Evaluation of individual risk and chances.

« Syndrome identification.

« Completing the natural history of disease.

« Searching for causes and risk factors.

« Identify the health need of the community.

« Explain how why diseases and epidemic occur.

« Predict the future health needs of population.

APPLICATIONS OF EPIDEMIOLOGY IN PUBLIC HEALTH:

1. Preventing Diseases and promoting health.

2. Community health assessment (Community diagnosis and prioritizing setting)

3. Improving Diagnosis, Treatment and Prognosis of Clinical Diseases.

4. Evaluating Health Interventions and Programmes.

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 EPIDEMIOLOGY AND PUBLIC HEALTH:

Public Health: Refers to Collective actions to improve Populations health.

Epidemiology: one of the tools for improving public health, is used in several;

ways.

EPIDEMIOLOGY AND CLINICAL MEDICINE:

1. In clinical Medicine the unit of study is a ”case” but in the Epidemiology the unit

study is “Defined Population” or “population at risk”

Physician is concerned with the diseases in the individual, whereas

Epidemiologist is concerned with the diseases pattern in entire population. So

Epidemiology I is concerned with the both Sick and Health,

2. In clinical medicine, the physician seeks to diagnosis for which he drives

prognosis and prescribes specific treatment while the epidemiologist is

confronted with the relevant data derived from the particular epidemiological

study. (Community Diagnosis). He seek to identify the sources of infection, mode

of transmission and etiological factor to determine the future trends, prevention

and control measure.

3. In clinical medicine patient comes to the doctor. While Epidemiologist, goes

to the community to find out the disease pattern and suspected causal factors in

the question.

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 THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA DISTINGUISH CLINICAL MEDICINE AND
EPIDEMIOLOGY:

CRITERIA CLINICAL MEDICINE EPIDEMIOLOGY

Problem Individual Group of defined people in a

given place and time

Assessment Diagnosis, prognosis and Size of the problem future trend

progress measures to minimize and
evaluation of serves

Methods of utilized History, examination Screening data collection

laboratory investigation drugs analysis survey surveillance.

Purpose Care and cure Prevention and promote

Philosophy Disease oriented Health oriented

Components/ skills Anatomy and physiology etc. Demography, Biostatistics,

sociology, ecology

Approach Patients go to the physicians Epidemiologist go to the patient

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 TUTOR MARKED ASSIGNMENT:

1. What is the meaning of epidemiology?

2. Discuss briefly the broad definition of epidemiology?

3. Explain difference between clinical medicine and epidemiology?

4. Mention applications of epidemiology in public health?

5. Define the following terms: -

a. Epidemiology

b. Public health

c. Diseases frequency

6. Write on briefly history of epidemiology.

7. Mention uses of epidemiology?

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