Epidemiology
Epidemiology is
derived from the word epidemic (Epi means Among, Demos means People and Logos
means Study) which is a very old word dating back to the 3rd century
B.C.
Epidemiology is
a strategy for the study of factors relating to the etiology, prevention and
control of disease to promote health, and to efficiently allocate efforts and
resources for health promotion maintenance and medical care in human
population.
The scientific
study of epidemics and epidemic diseases, especially the factors that influence
the incidence, distribution and control of infectious diseases is called
epidemiology.
Epidemiology is
that field of medical science which is concerned with the relationship of
various factors and conditions which determine the frequencies and distribution
of an infectious process, a disease in a human community.
Epidemiology is
the basic discipline in public health practices and is the basic science of the
community medicine. Epidemiological studies often provided the knowledge
necessary for prevention and control of disease in the community even before
the related biochemical, microbiological and other information about its
etiology has become available and can uncover a specific cause for a condition
which is otherwise difficult by any other method.
Many authors
define epidemiology differently as
- It is a branch of medical science which treats of epidemics (Parkin, 1973)
- The science of the mass phenomena of infectious diseases (Frost, 1927)
- The study of disease, any disease, as a mass phenomenon (Greenwood, 1934)
- The study of the distribution and determinants of disease frequency in man (MacMahon, 1960)
- The study of the distribution and determinants of health-related states and events in populations and the application of this study to control health problems (Last, 1983)
Uses of Epidemiology
i)
Community diagnosis i.e. what are the major health
problems occurring in a community.
ii)
Establishing the history of a disease in a population.
e.g. identifying the periodicity of an infectious disease.
iii)
Describing the natural history of disease in the
individual e.g. natural history of HIV infection in the individual.
iv)
Describing the clinical picture of disease i.e. who
gets the disease, who dies from the disease and what is the outcome of the
disease.
v)
Estimating risk e.g. what factors increases the risk of
heart disease, automobile accidents.
vi)
Identifying syndromes and precursors e.g. the
relationship of high blood pressure to stroke, kidney disease, and heart
disease.
vii)
Evaluating prevention/intervention programs.
viii)
Investigating epidemics/disease of unknown etiology.
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