Epidemiological Triangle

Epidemiology can be described as the study, of the health, of a given population or community (Center for Disease Control, 2016). Epidemiology is the basis of community health practice with community health nurses using epidemiology to focus on health disparities and health promotion in the community (Nies & McEwen, 2015). In this post, I will use a health concern discovered in my community during week one’s assignment, which was increased risk of cardiovascular disease in Warren County New Jersey adults, to illustrate the eco-social epidemiology when applied to this nursing diagnosis.

The epidemiological triangle involves the three elements of: agent, host, and environment (Nies & McEwen, 2015). Using my diagnosis of increased

risk of cardiovascular disease, the agent of disease could be excess nutritional elements of cholesterol, increased caloric intake, or even the lack of physical activity. Decreased physical activity, in the state of New Jersey, is at 29.8 percent (Physical Inactivity in the United States, n.d.). As noted by Tinkham (2014), the lack of exercise, over a lifetime, can lead to coronary artery disease as a person ages.
Some host factors which contribute to cardiovascular disease are genetics and personal behavior such as food choices and utilizations of health care (Nies & McEwen, 2015). In the case of cardiovascular disease, this may mean the patient has a family history of cardiovascular disease, yet they make poor food choices with increased fat content, along with neglecting to follow up with regular physician appointments to assess ongoing cardiovascular health. Finally, in the case of cardiovascular disease, the negative environmental factors could be easy access to fast food or possibly an impoverished community with lack of funds to access healthy food choices. The epidemiologist will look at all the factors to determine causation of disease. The community health nurse will then use this data to project an area of focus in providing a reduction is disease risk (Nies & McEwen, 2015).
In conclusion, the study of epidemiology continues to present data for a community. The data is then used by the public health nurse to provide education to the community which is focused on a concern noted within the health of the community. In my community, death from cardiovascular disease is high, therefore should be a focus to reduce risk within the community