CPH Exam Review Guide Terminology
Ratio - correct answer ✔✔calculated by dividing one number by another
proportion - correct answer ✔✔calculated by dividing one number by another, where the
numerator is a subset of the denominator (e.g., the proportion of men in a population
calculated as the number of men divided by the total population)
rate - correct answer ✔✔calculated by dividing one number by another, and additionally
have a time component as a part of the denominator (e.g., the birth rate per year in a
population)
incidence - correct answer ✔✔a measure of the number of new cases of a disease. pre-
existing cases of the disease are not counted.
cumulative incidence - correct answer ✔✔the number of new cases of disease in a
population over a specified time period
incidence rate - correct answer ✔✔the number of new cases of the disease during
person-time of observation. time is measured as the amount of time people are followed
or exposed ranging from before the onset of disease to the end of follow-up
prevalence - correct answer ✔✔the number of existing cases of a disease during a
given time period. this includes cases that already existed as well as new cases that
developed during the time
point prevalence - correct answer ✔✔the proportion of the population that is diseased at
a single point in time (a calendar date, a point in life such as college graduation)
period prevalence - correct answer ✔✔the proportion of the population that is diseased
during a specific duration of time, such as a year
case studies and case reports - correct answer ✔✔descriptive study; used to alert
people of a new illness or new association with illness
cross-sectional studies - correct answer ✔✔descriptive study; include people who are
representative of a given population. they are not selected on the basis of illness or
exposure and can be used to determine initial associations and to identify the
prevalence of either exposure or illness in a group
ecological studies - correct answer ✔✔descriptive study; used to describe populations.
the data are not analyzed on the individual level, but rather on the aggregate level.
these studies may suffer from the ecological fallacy
, ecological fallacy - correct answer ✔✔occurs when group-level data are used to report
on individuals
case-control studies - correct answer ✔✔analytic study; studies that select people with
or without disease and then proceed to look back over time to see if people had
different rates of exposure; good for rare diseases with long latency periods
cohort studies - correct answer ✔✔analytic study; studies that select people on the
basis of exposure and determine if people develop disease at different rates; good for
rare exposures and may follow individuals into the future (prospective) or look back in
the past (retrospective)
randomized controlled trials (RCT) - correct answer ✔✔analytic study; test an
intervention that is given by the researcher to two or more groups. people are randomly
assigned into groups (randomization), and some are given the active item (e.g.,
medicine, diet, educational program) while the other group(s) are given the usual
treatment, nothing, or a placebo. the researcher then follows the resulting treatment
groups to determine the effects of the intervention. research participants often do not
know which group they are in, and at times researchers also do not know who is getting
which treatment (single and double blinding)
systematic reviews and meta-analyses - correct answer ✔✔analytic study; these are
studies that pool the results of multiple independent studies with established criteria to
identify the evidence for associations
fomites - correct answer ✔✔inanimate objects capable of transmitting pathogens
Malaria - correct answer ✔✔- Causative Agent: Plasmodium falciparum, P. malariae, P.
ovale, P. knowlesi, P. vivax
- Vector(s): Anopheles spp. (A. gambiae most common)
- Common name: mosquito
Transmission: biological
Lymphatic filariasis (elephantiasis) - correct answer ✔✔- Causative Agent: Wuchereria
bancrofti, Brugia malayi, B. timori
- Vector(s): Culex quinquefasciatus, Anopheles spp., Mansonia spp.
- Common name: mosquito
- Transmission: biological
Breakbone fever - correct answer ✔✔- Causative Agent: dengue virus
- Vector(s): Aedes aegypti, Aedes albopictus
- Common name: mosquito
- Transmission: biological
Ratio - correct answer ✔✔calculated by dividing one number by another
proportion - correct answer ✔✔calculated by dividing one number by another, where the
numerator is a subset of the denominator (e.g., the proportion of men in a population
calculated as the number of men divided by the total population)
rate - correct answer ✔✔calculated by dividing one number by another, and additionally
have a time component as a part of the denominator (e.g., the birth rate per year in a
population)
incidence - correct answer ✔✔a measure of the number of new cases of a disease. pre-
existing cases of the disease are not counted.
cumulative incidence - correct answer ✔✔the number of new cases of disease in a
population over a specified time period
incidence rate - correct answer ✔✔the number of new cases of the disease during
person-time of observation. time is measured as the amount of time people are followed
or exposed ranging from before the onset of disease to the end of follow-up
prevalence - correct answer ✔✔the number of existing cases of a disease during a
given time period. this includes cases that already existed as well as new cases that
developed during the time
point prevalence - correct answer ✔✔the proportion of the population that is diseased at
a single point in time (a calendar date, a point in life such as college graduation)
period prevalence - correct answer ✔✔the proportion of the population that is diseased
during a specific duration of time, such as a year
case studies and case reports - correct answer ✔✔descriptive study; used to alert
people of a new illness or new association with illness
cross-sectional studies - correct answer ✔✔descriptive study; include people who are
representative of a given population. they are not selected on the basis of illness or
exposure and can be used to determine initial associations and to identify the
prevalence of either exposure or illness in a group
ecological studies - correct answer ✔✔descriptive study; used to describe populations.
the data are not analyzed on the individual level, but rather on the aggregate level.
these studies may suffer from the ecological fallacy
, ecological fallacy - correct answer ✔✔occurs when group-level data are used to report
on individuals
case-control studies - correct answer ✔✔analytic study; studies that select people with
or without disease and then proceed to look back over time to see if people had
different rates of exposure; good for rare diseases with long latency periods
cohort studies - correct answer ✔✔analytic study; studies that select people on the
basis of exposure and determine if people develop disease at different rates; good for
rare exposures and may follow individuals into the future (prospective) or look back in
the past (retrospective)
randomized controlled trials (RCT) - correct answer ✔✔analytic study; test an
intervention that is given by the researcher to two or more groups. people are randomly
assigned into groups (randomization), and some are given the active item (e.g.,
medicine, diet, educational program) while the other group(s) are given the usual
treatment, nothing, or a placebo. the researcher then follows the resulting treatment
groups to determine the effects of the intervention. research participants often do not
know which group they are in, and at times researchers also do not know who is getting
which treatment (single and double blinding)
systematic reviews and meta-analyses - correct answer ✔✔analytic study; these are
studies that pool the results of multiple independent studies with established criteria to
identify the evidence for associations
fomites - correct answer ✔✔inanimate objects capable of transmitting pathogens
Malaria - correct answer ✔✔- Causative Agent: Plasmodium falciparum, P. malariae, P.
ovale, P. knowlesi, P. vivax
- Vector(s): Anopheles spp. (A. gambiae most common)
- Common name: mosquito
Transmission: biological
Lymphatic filariasis (elephantiasis) - correct answer ✔✔- Causative Agent: Wuchereria
bancrofti, Brugia malayi, B. timori
- Vector(s): Culex quinquefasciatus, Anopheles spp., Mansonia spp.
- Common name: mosquito
- Transmission: biological
Breakbone fever - correct answer ✔✔- Causative Agent: dengue virus
- Vector(s): Aedes aegypti, Aedes albopictus
- Common name: mosquito
- Transmission: biological
