NR 503 Midterm Exam
Gordis definition of epidemiology (definition we'll use for this class)
-Ans-Study of determinants and distribution of disease
WHO definition of health
-Ans-Health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the
absence of disease or infirmity
Also include emotional, environmental, and occupational well-being
Goal of public health-
Ans-Promote the health of the population through organized community efforts
3 assumptions of epidemiology
-Ans--Disease, illness, and ill health not randomly distributed in population
-Each individual has characteristics and behaviors that predispose them or protect against a
variety of different diseases
-Human disease has causal and preventive factors that can be identified
4 objectives of epidemiology
-Ans-1. Describe extent of disease
2. Identify etiology of disease as well as explain causal factors and modes of transmission
3. Establish natural history or baseline of disease
4. Control occurrence of disease by evaluating existing and emerging interventions as well as
develop policy to incorporate most effective intervention
Epidemiology is to what as a physician is to a patient?
-Ans-Community or population
What's the main role of epidemiology?
-Ans-Link undesirable outcomes to causes so that a means to prevent these outcomes can be
developed
Significance of Hippocrates in epi
-Ans-Father of medicine
Coined concept of epidemic and endemic
,John Graunt in epidemiology
-Ans-Organized reported deaths, created records, ultimately creating an annual Bills of Mortality
James Lind in epidemiology-Ans-Studied scurvy among those who live by the sea
First good epidemiological design; divided subjects into pairs and administered different diets
Edward Jenner in epidemiology-Ans-Created small pox vaccine from cow pox bits
William Farr in epidemiology-Ans-Created modern vital records by compiling annual births,
marriages, and death records and conducting extensive testing with these findings
What's variolation?-Ans-Giving person little bit of disease in order for them to build antibodies
against it
Ignaz Semmelweis in epidemiology-Ans-Recognized difference in deaths due to child bed fever
between 2 hospitals
Proposed antiseptic protocol
John Snow in epidemiology-Ans-Investigated deaths around Broadstreet pump and figured out
there was a cholera outbreak
Robert Koch-Ans-Discovered microorganisms cause disease and came up with Koch's Postulates
What are the 4 Koch's Postulates?-Ans-1. Organism must be found in every case
2. Must be able to be cultured
3. Culture must reproduce disease
4. Must be able to recover microorganisms from experimentally diseased host
Alexander Fleming-Ans-Penicillin
Alexander Langmuir-Ans-Epidemiological Intelligence Service (EIS) of CDC
Wade Hampton Frost-Ans-Quantification of disease and cohort analysis
What 3 factors do public health officials look at in order to identify potential risk factors?-Ans-
Who, when, where
Definition of nosocomial-Ans-Relating to an outbreak occurring in a hospital
Definition of zoonotic-Ans-Disease relating to animals
Zoonosis-Ans-Infection between animals and humans
Epizootic-Ans-Animal epidemic
3 types of prevention-Ans-Primary, secondary, tertiary
Definition and example of primary prevention-Ans-Action to prevent disease
, Ex: vaccination
Definition and example of secondary prevention-Ans-Detect disease before it's apparent (identify
in pre-clinical phase)
Ex: screenings
Definition and example of tertiary prevention-Ans-Preventing disease from getting worse in
those who already have symptoms
Ex: treatment or rehabilitation
Stages of disease where primary prevention takes place-Ans-Stages of susceptibility and
subclinical disease
Stages of disease where secondary prevention takes place-Ans-Stages of subclinical and clinical
disease
Stages of disease where tertiary prevention takes place-Ans-Stages of clinical disease and
recovery/disability/death
Why do we want to identify high risk groups?-Ans-Be able to identify risk factors and target
treatments towards that group
2 types of risk factors-Ans-Modifiable and non-modifiable
Direct transmission-Ans-Person to person transmission
Indirect transmission-Ans-Transmission through environment, insect, or other contaminants
What types of factors are easy to identify?-Ans-Biological, physical, or chemical
What risk factors are harder to identify?-Ans-Stress or individual susceptibility
What's the triangle or triad of epidemiology?-Ans-Balanced relationship between agent, host,
and environment that determines if disease will become present or not
Risk factors of host-Ans-Age, race, sex, religion, customs, occupation, genetics, marital status,
family history, prior disease, immune status
Risk factors based on type of agent-Ans-Biologic: bacteria, virus, parasite
Chemical: poison, alcohol, smoke toxins
Physical: trauma, radiation, fire
Nutritional: lack, excess, type
Risk factors based on environment-Ans-Temperature, humidity, altitude, crowding, housing,
neighborhood, water, milk, food, radiation, pollution, noise
Definition of pathogen-Ans-Any disease-causing organism or substance
Gordis definition of epidemiology (definition we'll use for this class)
-Ans-Study of determinants and distribution of disease
WHO definition of health
-Ans-Health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the
absence of disease or infirmity
Also include emotional, environmental, and occupational well-being
Goal of public health-
Ans-Promote the health of the population through organized community efforts
3 assumptions of epidemiology
-Ans--Disease, illness, and ill health not randomly distributed in population
-Each individual has characteristics and behaviors that predispose them or protect against a
variety of different diseases
-Human disease has causal and preventive factors that can be identified
4 objectives of epidemiology
-Ans-1. Describe extent of disease
2. Identify etiology of disease as well as explain causal factors and modes of transmission
3. Establish natural history or baseline of disease
4. Control occurrence of disease by evaluating existing and emerging interventions as well as
develop policy to incorporate most effective intervention
Epidemiology is to what as a physician is to a patient?
-Ans-Community or population
What's the main role of epidemiology?
-Ans-Link undesirable outcomes to causes so that a means to prevent these outcomes can be
developed
Significance of Hippocrates in epi
-Ans-Father of medicine
Coined concept of epidemic and endemic
,John Graunt in epidemiology
-Ans-Organized reported deaths, created records, ultimately creating an annual Bills of Mortality
James Lind in epidemiology-Ans-Studied scurvy among those who live by the sea
First good epidemiological design; divided subjects into pairs and administered different diets
Edward Jenner in epidemiology-Ans-Created small pox vaccine from cow pox bits
William Farr in epidemiology-Ans-Created modern vital records by compiling annual births,
marriages, and death records and conducting extensive testing with these findings
What's variolation?-Ans-Giving person little bit of disease in order for them to build antibodies
against it
Ignaz Semmelweis in epidemiology-Ans-Recognized difference in deaths due to child bed fever
between 2 hospitals
Proposed antiseptic protocol
John Snow in epidemiology-Ans-Investigated deaths around Broadstreet pump and figured out
there was a cholera outbreak
Robert Koch-Ans-Discovered microorganisms cause disease and came up with Koch's Postulates
What are the 4 Koch's Postulates?-Ans-1. Organism must be found in every case
2. Must be able to be cultured
3. Culture must reproduce disease
4. Must be able to recover microorganisms from experimentally diseased host
Alexander Fleming-Ans-Penicillin
Alexander Langmuir-Ans-Epidemiological Intelligence Service (EIS) of CDC
Wade Hampton Frost-Ans-Quantification of disease and cohort analysis
What 3 factors do public health officials look at in order to identify potential risk factors?-Ans-
Who, when, where
Definition of nosocomial-Ans-Relating to an outbreak occurring in a hospital
Definition of zoonotic-Ans-Disease relating to animals
Zoonosis-Ans-Infection between animals and humans
Epizootic-Ans-Animal epidemic
3 types of prevention-Ans-Primary, secondary, tertiary
Definition and example of primary prevention-Ans-Action to prevent disease
, Ex: vaccination
Definition and example of secondary prevention-Ans-Detect disease before it's apparent (identify
in pre-clinical phase)
Ex: screenings
Definition and example of tertiary prevention-Ans-Preventing disease from getting worse in
those who already have symptoms
Ex: treatment or rehabilitation
Stages of disease where primary prevention takes place-Ans-Stages of susceptibility and
subclinical disease
Stages of disease where secondary prevention takes place-Ans-Stages of subclinical and clinical
disease
Stages of disease where tertiary prevention takes place-Ans-Stages of clinical disease and
recovery/disability/death
Why do we want to identify high risk groups?-Ans-Be able to identify risk factors and target
treatments towards that group
2 types of risk factors-Ans-Modifiable and non-modifiable
Direct transmission-Ans-Person to person transmission
Indirect transmission-Ans-Transmission through environment, insect, or other contaminants
What types of factors are easy to identify?-Ans-Biological, physical, or chemical
What risk factors are harder to identify?-Ans-Stress or individual susceptibility
What's the triangle or triad of epidemiology?-Ans-Balanced relationship between agent, host,
and environment that determines if disease will become present or not
Risk factors of host-Ans-Age, race, sex, religion, customs, occupation, genetics, marital status,
family history, prior disease, immune status
Risk factors based on type of agent-Ans-Biologic: bacteria, virus, parasite
Chemical: poison, alcohol, smoke toxins
Physical: trauma, radiation, fire
Nutritional: lack, excess, type
Risk factors based on environment-Ans-Temperature, humidity, altitude, crowding, housing,
neighborhood, water, milk, food, radiation, pollution, noise
Definition of pathogen-Ans-Any disease-causing organism or substance
