lOMoARcPSD|47892040
lOMoARcPSD|47892040
NR586NP Application of Epidemiology
Name:
General Instructions
Carefully read the assignment guidelines and rubric and complete each section of the worksheet below
using complete sentences. Integrate sufÏcient scholarly literature to support the information
presented.
Include the following sections:
Prevalent Infectious and Chronic Diseases
a. Describe the selected geographic region.
Located on the west bank of the Mississippi River, just below its confluence with the Missouri
River, St. Louis, Missouri is famously known as the "Gateway to the West" due to its pivotal
role in the westward expansion of the United States. The city's most iconic landmark is the
Gateway Arch, a 630-foot stainless steel monument, the world's tallest man-made structure. St.
Louis is the largest metropolitan area in Missouri and the second largest in Illinois, with its
combined statistical area ranking as the 20th-largest in the United States. Before European
settlement, the land that would become St. Louis had been inhabited by Native American
cultures for countless generations. As of July 1, 2023, the population of St. Louis, Missouri was
281,754. This is a continuation of the city's population decline, which has averaged around 6,000
residents lost per year over the last three years (World Population,2024).
b. Identify the prevalent infectious and chronic diseases in the region.
0320 RB/KK
, lOMoARcPSD|47892040
The St. Louis region has a high prevalence of heart disease and other chronic illnesses, and the
county and city see multiple infectious disease outbreaks every year. In St. Louis County, heart
disease is a leading cause of death, ranking as the first or second leading cause from 2016 to
2020. In 2018, the death rate due to cardiovascular disease (CVD) in St. Louis City surpassed
that of St. Louis County and St. Charles County. Contributing factors to CVD in St. Louis City
include unhealthy lifestyle choices, diabetes, high blood pressure, and high blood cholesterol
(St.Louis, 2024).
As of 2022, heart disease and cancer continue to be the top two causes of death in Missouri and
across the nation, with unintentional injuries and COVID-19 ranking third and fourth,
respectively. In 2021, COVID-19 replaced unintentional injury as the third leading cause, but
that trend has since reversed (St.Louis,2024).
c. Compare and contrast the prevalence of diseases in the selected region with disease rates
and trends in a different geographic area of your choosing, noting similarities and
differences.
My area of comparison with Saint Louis, Missouri is Chicago, Illinois.
0320 RB/KK
, lOMoARcPSD|47892040
d. Discuss the variables that contribute to the noted similarities and differences.
Similarities:
Saint Louis, MO, and Chicago, IL, both grapple with significant public health challenges
stemming from various diseases. These cities have high incidences of chronic diseases such as
heart disease, cancer, and diabetes, with heart disease and cancer being the leading causes of
death. Additionally, both cities report high asthma rates, particularly among children (Illinois
Public Health Department, 2023). Infectious diseases have also impacted these cities, with high
rates of COVID-19 infections and deaths. HIV is prevalent in both cities, with similar prevalence
rates, and they also report high incidences of other infectious diseases such as influenza (CDC,
2024).
Differences:
Despite the aforementioned similarities, the two cities exhibit significantly different rates of
common diseases. With Chicago reporting a high diabetes prevalence of 20% and Missouri
showing a lower prevalence of 11.5%, the disparity is evident. Moreover, Chicago faces a
heightened susceptibility to newly emerging infectious diseases compared to Saint Louis,
attributed to similar yet less affluent living conditions and densely populated neighborhoods. The
0320 RB/KK
lOMoARcPSD|47892040
NR586NP Application of Epidemiology
Name:
General Instructions
Carefully read the assignment guidelines and rubric and complete each section of the worksheet below
using complete sentences. Integrate sufÏcient scholarly literature to support the information
presented.
Include the following sections:
Prevalent Infectious and Chronic Diseases
a. Describe the selected geographic region.
Located on the west bank of the Mississippi River, just below its confluence with the Missouri
River, St. Louis, Missouri is famously known as the "Gateway to the West" due to its pivotal
role in the westward expansion of the United States. The city's most iconic landmark is the
Gateway Arch, a 630-foot stainless steel monument, the world's tallest man-made structure. St.
Louis is the largest metropolitan area in Missouri and the second largest in Illinois, with its
combined statistical area ranking as the 20th-largest in the United States. Before European
settlement, the land that would become St. Louis had been inhabited by Native American
cultures for countless generations. As of July 1, 2023, the population of St. Louis, Missouri was
281,754. This is a continuation of the city's population decline, which has averaged around 6,000
residents lost per year over the last three years (World Population,2024).
b. Identify the prevalent infectious and chronic diseases in the region.
0320 RB/KK
, lOMoARcPSD|47892040
The St. Louis region has a high prevalence of heart disease and other chronic illnesses, and the
county and city see multiple infectious disease outbreaks every year. In St. Louis County, heart
disease is a leading cause of death, ranking as the first or second leading cause from 2016 to
2020. In 2018, the death rate due to cardiovascular disease (CVD) in St. Louis City surpassed
that of St. Louis County and St. Charles County. Contributing factors to CVD in St. Louis City
include unhealthy lifestyle choices, diabetes, high blood pressure, and high blood cholesterol
(St.Louis, 2024).
As of 2022, heart disease and cancer continue to be the top two causes of death in Missouri and
across the nation, with unintentional injuries and COVID-19 ranking third and fourth,
respectively. In 2021, COVID-19 replaced unintentional injury as the third leading cause, but
that trend has since reversed (St.Louis,2024).
c. Compare and contrast the prevalence of diseases in the selected region with disease rates
and trends in a different geographic area of your choosing, noting similarities and
differences.
My area of comparison with Saint Louis, Missouri is Chicago, Illinois.
0320 RB/KK
, lOMoARcPSD|47892040
d. Discuss the variables that contribute to the noted similarities and differences.
Similarities:
Saint Louis, MO, and Chicago, IL, both grapple with significant public health challenges
stemming from various diseases. These cities have high incidences of chronic diseases such as
heart disease, cancer, and diabetes, with heart disease and cancer being the leading causes of
death. Additionally, both cities report high asthma rates, particularly among children (Illinois
Public Health Department, 2023). Infectious diseases have also impacted these cities, with high
rates of COVID-19 infections and deaths. HIV is prevalent in both cities, with similar prevalence
rates, and they also report high incidences of other infectious diseases such as influenza (CDC,
2024).
Differences:
Despite the aforementioned similarities, the two cities exhibit significantly different rates of
common diseases. With Chicago reporting a high diabetes prevalence of 20% and Missouri
showing a lower prevalence of 11.5%, the disparity is evident. Moreover, Chicago faces a
heightened susceptibility to newly emerging infectious diseases compared to Saint Louis,
attributed to similar yet less affluent living conditions and densely populated neighborhoods. The
0320 RB/KK
