BMS3023 Epidemiology
BMS3023 Epidemiology Final Exam
2025
What is epidemiology? - Correct Ans-Study of patterns, causes and effects of health
and disease in defined populations
What does epidemiology inform? - Correct Ans-Public health, policy, evidence-based
practice, identifying risk factors and interventions for prevention
What does epidemiology include? - Correct Ans-Aetiology (causes), transmission,
outbreak investigation, disease surveillance, screening, bio-monitoring, study design,
data collection, statistical analysis of data, interpretation and reporting of results
Why is epidemiology important? - Correct Ans-Crucial for understanding of risks, used
for designing public health interventions, vital for improving public health, underpins
much of evidence-based medicine
What did John Snow investigate? - Correct Ans-Cholera, he noticed an increase in
death rates in 2 areas supplied by the southwark water company, he identified the pump
that was the cause of the outbreak and removed the handle which ended the outbreak
What was the British doctors study into smoking? - Correct Ans-There had been
suspicions of a link between smoking and a number of diseases, the medical research
council initiated a prospective cohort study, provided statistical evidence that linked
smoking to increased lung cancer risk
How was epidemiology used in the AIDS epidemic? - Correct Ans-Cohort study followed
715 gay men for 8.6 years (median) all 136 AIDS cases occurred in 365 individuals with
pre-existing HIV-1 antibody so concluded that HIV-1 is involved in AIDS pathogenesis
and its not drugs and sexual activity
How was the cancer registry studied? - Correct Ans-Used to study aetiology, incidence
and survival. Population-based so include all cases from region and time period
What can be measured when looking at disease frequency? - Correct Ans-Disease
frequency, incidence rates, prevalence rates, mortality risks, relative risks, rate ratios,
standardised morbidity ratios and odds ratios
What are the types of study design? - Correct Ans-Case-control studies, cohort studies,
cross-sectional studies and ecological studies
What is bias? - Correct Ans-Any systematic error in an epidemiological study that
results in an incorrect estimate of the association between exposure and risk of disease
BMS3023 Epidemiology
,BMS3023 Epidemiology
What is confounding? - Correct Ans-A function of the complex interrelationships
between various exposures and disease
What does health information allow? - Correct Ans-Understanding the differences
between data, information and knowledge and consider the different types of
information sources used in health research it's specific examples and the importance of
data storage
What is measured when looking at exposure? - Correct Ans-Sources of variation in
measurements, environmental exposures, occupational exposures, radiation,
pesticides, hydrocarbons and EMF
What is genetic epidemiology? - Correct Ans-The study of the role of genetic factors in
determining health and disease in families and population
What is a family aggregation study? - Correct Ans-Looks at whether there is a genetic
component to the disease and what the relative contributions of genes and the
environment
What are segregation studies? - Correct Ans-Looks at the pattern of inheritance of the
disease, whether it is dominant or recessive
What are linkage studies? - Correct Ans-Looks at where on the chromosome the
disease is located
What are association studies? - Correct Ans-Looks at which allele of the gene is
associated with disease
What are traditional studies? - Correct Ans-Identify monogenic disorders and genes
What is molecular epidemiology? - Correct Ans-Focuses on contribution of potential
genetic and environmental risk factors, identified at a molecular level and is used to
understand the aetiology, distribution and prevention of disease within families and
across populations
What is life course epidemiology? - Correct Ans-Study of antecedent exposures and
later health outcomes, takes into account the pathways between the two and the
evolution of health disorders over time
What is life course epidemiology used to study? - Correct Ans-Long term effects on
chronic disease risk of physical and social exposures during gestation, childhood,
adolescence, young adulthood and later adult life
What does life course epidemiology include studies of? - Correct Ans-Biological,
behavioural and psychosocial pathways, it operates across an individual's life course
and across generations
BMS3023 Epidemiology
,BMS3023 Epidemiology
What is perinatal epidemiology? - Correct Ans-Relates to the period immediately before
or after birth and includes research into congenital abnormalities in children - aetiology
and survival and reproductive loss
What is obesity? - Correct Ans-Excess body fat which has negative effect on health,
causes reduced life expectancy and increased health problems, BMI of over 30
What diseases are more common in obesity? - Correct Ans-Heart disease, type 2
diabetes, obstructive sleep apnea, certain cancers, osteoarthritis
What is type 2 diabetes? - Correct Ans-A long term condition that causes high blood
sugar, 90% of all diabetes are type 2
What are health inequalities? - Correct Ans-Differences in health status or in distribution
of health determinants between different population groups
What is exercise epidemiology? - Correct Ans-Understanding the effect and population
impact of physical activity and sedentary behaviours on health-related outcomes and to
understand determinants and temporal time trends in physical activity, sedentary
behaviours and physical fitness in populations
What are incidence rates? - Correct Ans-Most common way of measuring and
comparing disease frequency in populations, used instead of raw numbers for
comparison between populations, because rates adjust for population size, shows the
probability or risk of disease is population over a period of time
What is the definition of incidence rate? - Correct Ans-A measure of the frequency with
which a new case of a disease occurs in a population over a period of time, the number
of new cases of a specific disease per populations at risk in a given time period
What does incidence rate = ? - Correct Ans-New cases occurring during a given time
period / population at risk during the same time period
What does the numerator of the incidence rate reflect? - Correct Ans-The number of
new cases of disease, it should not include cases occurred/diagnosed earlier or later
What is the denominator of the incidence? - Correct Ans-Population at risk, should be
theoretically possible for all persons included in the denominator to be able to develop
the disease during the specified time period, it represents the population from which the
numerator arose
How do we calculate age and sex specific incidence rates? - Correct Ans-Need to know
the number of cases of a disease by age, sec and year of diagnosis
BMS3023 Epidemiology
, BMS3023 Epidemiology
What does age-sex-specific rate = ? - Correct Ans-Number of cases / person-years at
risk
What is the crude incidence rate calculated as? - Correct Ans-Total number of cases /
total population in the period
What does crude rate not take into account? - Correct Ans-The age structure of the
population and cannot be used for comparison with other populations
How can we overcome the problem of comparing populations with differing age-
structures? - Correct Ans-Method of weighting, rates are weighted to a standard
population
What are the standard populations? - Correct Ans-US, European, WHO world, Segi
world
What is age standardised incidence used for? - Correct Ans-Making comparisons
between different populations possible
What is prevalence? - Correct Ans-Frequency of existing cases
What is the prevalence numerator? - Correct Ans-All persons living with
disease/condition during a specified period - irrespective of when the disease started,
includes both old and new cases
What is the prevalence denominator? - Correct Ans-Population size
What does prevalence = ? - Correct Ans-Persons with a given disease or condition
during a certain time period / population during the same time period
What are mortality rates? - Correct Ans-The most common way of measuring and
comparing the mortality in populations, used instead of raw numbers for comparison
between populations as rates adjust for population sizes
What is death rate? - Correct Ans-A measure of the frequency with which new deaths
occur in a population over a period of time
What is perinatal mortality rate? - Correct Ans-The sum of neonatal death and still births
per 1000 births
What is maternal mortality rate? - Correct Ans-The number of maternal deaths per 1000
women of reproductive age in the population (usually 15-44 years)
What is infant mortality rate? - Correct Ans-The number of deaths of children under 1
per 1000 live births
BMS3023 Epidemiology
BMS3023 Epidemiology Final Exam
2025
What is epidemiology? - Correct Ans-Study of patterns, causes and effects of health
and disease in defined populations
What does epidemiology inform? - Correct Ans-Public health, policy, evidence-based
practice, identifying risk factors and interventions for prevention
What does epidemiology include? - Correct Ans-Aetiology (causes), transmission,
outbreak investigation, disease surveillance, screening, bio-monitoring, study design,
data collection, statistical analysis of data, interpretation and reporting of results
Why is epidemiology important? - Correct Ans-Crucial for understanding of risks, used
for designing public health interventions, vital for improving public health, underpins
much of evidence-based medicine
What did John Snow investigate? - Correct Ans-Cholera, he noticed an increase in
death rates in 2 areas supplied by the southwark water company, he identified the pump
that was the cause of the outbreak and removed the handle which ended the outbreak
What was the British doctors study into smoking? - Correct Ans-There had been
suspicions of a link between smoking and a number of diseases, the medical research
council initiated a prospective cohort study, provided statistical evidence that linked
smoking to increased lung cancer risk
How was epidemiology used in the AIDS epidemic? - Correct Ans-Cohort study followed
715 gay men for 8.6 years (median) all 136 AIDS cases occurred in 365 individuals with
pre-existing HIV-1 antibody so concluded that HIV-1 is involved in AIDS pathogenesis
and its not drugs and sexual activity
How was the cancer registry studied? - Correct Ans-Used to study aetiology, incidence
and survival. Population-based so include all cases from region and time period
What can be measured when looking at disease frequency? - Correct Ans-Disease
frequency, incidence rates, prevalence rates, mortality risks, relative risks, rate ratios,
standardised morbidity ratios and odds ratios
What are the types of study design? - Correct Ans-Case-control studies, cohort studies,
cross-sectional studies and ecological studies
What is bias? - Correct Ans-Any systematic error in an epidemiological study that
results in an incorrect estimate of the association between exposure and risk of disease
BMS3023 Epidemiology
,BMS3023 Epidemiology
What is confounding? - Correct Ans-A function of the complex interrelationships
between various exposures and disease
What does health information allow? - Correct Ans-Understanding the differences
between data, information and knowledge and consider the different types of
information sources used in health research it's specific examples and the importance of
data storage
What is measured when looking at exposure? - Correct Ans-Sources of variation in
measurements, environmental exposures, occupational exposures, radiation,
pesticides, hydrocarbons and EMF
What is genetic epidemiology? - Correct Ans-The study of the role of genetic factors in
determining health and disease in families and population
What is a family aggregation study? - Correct Ans-Looks at whether there is a genetic
component to the disease and what the relative contributions of genes and the
environment
What are segregation studies? - Correct Ans-Looks at the pattern of inheritance of the
disease, whether it is dominant or recessive
What are linkage studies? - Correct Ans-Looks at where on the chromosome the
disease is located
What are association studies? - Correct Ans-Looks at which allele of the gene is
associated with disease
What are traditional studies? - Correct Ans-Identify monogenic disorders and genes
What is molecular epidemiology? - Correct Ans-Focuses on contribution of potential
genetic and environmental risk factors, identified at a molecular level and is used to
understand the aetiology, distribution and prevention of disease within families and
across populations
What is life course epidemiology? - Correct Ans-Study of antecedent exposures and
later health outcomes, takes into account the pathways between the two and the
evolution of health disorders over time
What is life course epidemiology used to study? - Correct Ans-Long term effects on
chronic disease risk of physical and social exposures during gestation, childhood,
adolescence, young adulthood and later adult life
What does life course epidemiology include studies of? - Correct Ans-Biological,
behavioural and psychosocial pathways, it operates across an individual's life course
and across generations
BMS3023 Epidemiology
,BMS3023 Epidemiology
What is perinatal epidemiology? - Correct Ans-Relates to the period immediately before
or after birth and includes research into congenital abnormalities in children - aetiology
and survival and reproductive loss
What is obesity? - Correct Ans-Excess body fat which has negative effect on health,
causes reduced life expectancy and increased health problems, BMI of over 30
What diseases are more common in obesity? - Correct Ans-Heart disease, type 2
diabetes, obstructive sleep apnea, certain cancers, osteoarthritis
What is type 2 diabetes? - Correct Ans-A long term condition that causes high blood
sugar, 90% of all diabetes are type 2
What are health inequalities? - Correct Ans-Differences in health status or in distribution
of health determinants between different population groups
What is exercise epidemiology? - Correct Ans-Understanding the effect and population
impact of physical activity and sedentary behaviours on health-related outcomes and to
understand determinants and temporal time trends in physical activity, sedentary
behaviours and physical fitness in populations
What are incidence rates? - Correct Ans-Most common way of measuring and
comparing disease frequency in populations, used instead of raw numbers for
comparison between populations, because rates adjust for population size, shows the
probability or risk of disease is population over a period of time
What is the definition of incidence rate? - Correct Ans-A measure of the frequency with
which a new case of a disease occurs in a population over a period of time, the number
of new cases of a specific disease per populations at risk in a given time period
What does incidence rate = ? - Correct Ans-New cases occurring during a given time
period / population at risk during the same time period
What does the numerator of the incidence rate reflect? - Correct Ans-The number of
new cases of disease, it should not include cases occurred/diagnosed earlier or later
What is the denominator of the incidence? - Correct Ans-Population at risk, should be
theoretically possible for all persons included in the denominator to be able to develop
the disease during the specified time period, it represents the population from which the
numerator arose
How do we calculate age and sex specific incidence rates? - Correct Ans-Need to know
the number of cases of a disease by age, sec and year of diagnosis
BMS3023 Epidemiology
, BMS3023 Epidemiology
What does age-sex-specific rate = ? - Correct Ans-Number of cases / person-years at
risk
What is the crude incidence rate calculated as? - Correct Ans-Total number of cases /
total population in the period
What does crude rate not take into account? - Correct Ans-The age structure of the
population and cannot be used for comparison with other populations
How can we overcome the problem of comparing populations with differing age-
structures? - Correct Ans-Method of weighting, rates are weighted to a standard
population
What are the standard populations? - Correct Ans-US, European, WHO world, Segi
world
What is age standardised incidence used for? - Correct Ans-Making comparisons
between different populations possible
What is prevalence? - Correct Ans-Frequency of existing cases
What is the prevalence numerator? - Correct Ans-All persons living with
disease/condition during a specified period - irrespective of when the disease started,
includes both old and new cases
What is the prevalence denominator? - Correct Ans-Population size
What does prevalence = ? - Correct Ans-Persons with a given disease or condition
during a certain time period / population during the same time period
What are mortality rates? - Correct Ans-The most common way of measuring and
comparing the mortality in populations, used instead of raw numbers for comparison
between populations as rates adjust for population sizes
What is death rate? - Correct Ans-A measure of the frequency with which new deaths
occur in a population over a period of time
What is perinatal mortality rate? - Correct Ans-The sum of neonatal death and still births
per 1000 births
What is maternal mortality rate? - Correct Ans-The number of maternal deaths per 1000
women of reproductive age in the population (usually 15-44 years)
What is infant mortality rate? - Correct Ans-The number of deaths of children under 1
per 1000 live births
BMS3023 Epidemiology
