4. EPIDEMIOLOGY
‘I KEEP SIX HONEST SERVING MEN,THEY
TAUGHT ME ALL I KNOW. THEIR NAMES
ARE WHAT , WHY, WHEN, HOW, WHERE
AND WHO’
EPIDEMIOLOGY IS A BASIC SCIENCE
IT IS A STUDY OF DISEASE
DISTRIBUTION, CAUSATION,PREVENTION
AS WELL AS HEALTH AND HEALTH
RELATED EVENTS OCCURING IN HUMAN
POPULATION
5. HISTORY
‘FORBIDDEN FRUIT’
( EPI = AMONG; DEMOS=PEOPLE,
LOGOS =
STUDY) 3RD
CENTURY B.C.
1850 EPIDEMILOGICAL SOCIETY –
LONDON EARL OF
SHAFTESBURY
U.S. - WINSLOW AND SEDGWICK 1920
U.S. - W.H. FROST 1St
PROF. 1927
U.K. - MJ. GREEN WOOD 1St
6. DEFINATIONS
1) THAT BRANCH OF MEDICAL SCIENCE
WHICH TREATS OF EPIDEMICS (PARKIN,
1873)
2) THE SCIENCE OF THE MASS
PHENOMENA OF INFECTIOUS
DISEASES (FROST, 1927)
3) THE STUDY OF DIESEASE, AND
DISEASE, AS A MASS PHENOMENON
(GREENWOOD, 1934)
4) THE STUDY OF DISTRIBUTION AND
DETERMINANTS OF DISEASE
FREQUENCY IN MAN (MAC MAHON,
7. JOHN M. LAST 1988
“ THE STUDY OF THE DISTRUBUTION
AND DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH
RELATED STATES OR EVENTS IN
SPECIFIED POPULATIONS, AND THE
APPLICATION OF THIS STUDY TO
THE CONTROL OF HEALTH
PROBLEMS”
9. AIMS OF
EPIDEMIOLOGYInternational Epidemiological Association (IEA)
a) To describe the distribution & magnitude of
health and disease problems in human
population.
b) To identify etiological factors (risk factors) in
the pathogenesis of disease &
c) To provide the data essential to the
planning, implementation & evaluation of
services for the prevention, control &
treatment of disease & to the setting up of
the priorities among those services.
10. BASIC MEASURAMENTS
IN EPIDEMIOLOGY
a) Measurement of mortality
b) Measurement of morbidity
c) Measurement of disability
d) Measurement of natality
e) Measurement of the presence, absence or
distribution of the characteristics or
attributes of the disease
f) Measurement of medical needs, health care
facilities, utilization of health services &
other health-related events
11. g) Measurement of presence, absence or
distribution of the environmental and
other factors suspected of causing the
disease.
h) Measurement of demographic
variables.
12. AIMS OF
EPIDEMIOLOGY
a) TO DESCRIBE THE DISTRIBUTION &
MAGNITUDE OF HEALTH & DIS.
b) TO IDENTIFY RISK FACTORS
c) TO PROVIDE DATA ESENTIAL TO THE
PLANNING IMPLEMENTATION AND
EVALUATION OF SERVICES FOR PREV.,
CONTROL AND T/T OF DISEASE.
EPIDEMIOLOGY AND CLINICAL MEDICINE
EPIDEMIOLOGICAL APPROACH
a) ASKING QUESTIONS
b) MAKING COMPARISON
13. USES OF
EPIDEMIOLOGY
EPIDEMIOLOGY : ( WORKING DEFINATION)
‘A means of learning or asking questions…
and getting answers that lead to further
questions’
Epidemiology helps in understanding the
strengths & weaknesses of clinical evidence,
such as reports of research, gives intellectual
satisfaction & confidence.
It can increase efficiency in acquiring sound
information
It provides sounder alternatives for conviction,
rhetoric, seniority or speciality of proponent.
14. The investigators are on a more equal
footing, all depending mainly on the
interpretation of the same set of strong
studies.
It gives a perspective on the extent to
which efforts, relative to other factors,
such as biology of the disease & the
physical & social environment,
determines health outcomes, so that
they can know what they can & cannot
change. ( they – clinicians)
15. 1) To study historically the rise & of disease in
the population.
Winston Churchill : “ The farther back you
look, the further forward you can see”
2) Community Diagnosis
( Epidemiology-diagnostic tool – Comm. Med.
)
3) Planning & Evaluation
4) Evaluation of individual risks & chances
5) Syndrome identification
6) Completing the natural history of disease.
7) Searching for causes & risk factors.
