¬ Before commencing this topic, describe what you thought epidemiology was. This may be drawing on your own experience, or what you have heard from others.
Prior to beginning this topic, I had already taken the HLTH1305 and HLTH1306 topics, where epidemiology formed a large part of the course. Hence, my knowledge of epidemiology was that it was the study of disease and health, specifically in relation to it’s distribution, patterns, and determinants. These could include the prevalence and incidence of a disease, statistics (data-driven and descriptive), the basic science of public health, and the frequency of health events in a population.
¬ Describe what previous experience you have had with health statistics (this may be none, a little,
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How did their explanation of epidemiology confirm or contrast with your previously held ideas?
The explanation of epidemiology provided in the chapter confirmed the ideas I previously held. This is because they consolidated, through their examples, that epidemiology is in actual fact “the study of the distribution and determinants of disease” (Webb & Bain, 2011, p.
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Moreover, the reading revealed to me that epidemiology consists of multiple sub-disciplines, rather than being an all encompassing field. For example, health epidemiology, which appears to be the focus of the majority of my studies, is the broadest field of application of epidemiology, whilst more specific fields such as social epidemiology is exposure-oriented. In addition, branches of epidemiology like clinical epidemiology focus on benefiting individual patients, rather than improving a health population. This contrasts with what I believed epidemiology to be, as I held the notion that epidemiology was majorly focused on the aspects of disease/ health problems that impact large groups, rather than an individual (Webb & Bain, 2011).
¬ Drawing on the lecture and two readings, three key points I could raise in the tutorial this week are:
1. Despite your geographical location, poorer people will have poorer health (Week 2 Lecture,
I have chosen the Global Health Pathway to further analyze the essential theme from a practical point of view and to recognize vital connections and relations with the coursework I have taken at Santa Clara University. The fundamental theme of the pathway emphasizes on the universal enhancement of public health, lowering inequalities, and prevention of chronic diseases. The overarching connection between the Global Health Pathway theme and the coursework I have taken is fundamentally providing global awareness of public health issues from a socioeconomic, environmental, and biological perspective to the general public. Courses such as Public Health Science 1: Human Health and Disease and Biology 179: Cancer Biology can illustrate a vital connection with the pathway theme. For example, Public Health Science 1: Human Health and Disease course focuses on the improvement of avoiding preventable diseases by designing specific interventions to target certain chronic diseases that are impacting a specific population. The course relates to the Global Health Pathway theme by highlighting multiple public health issues from a socioeconomic viewpoint and environmental perspective by providing awareness to the general population and finding solutions to prevent public health issues. In addition, the Biology 179: Cancer Biology course concentrated on the molecular perspective behind cancer and the processes in acquiring the disease. The course emerges with the Global Health Pathway theme by learning preventable processes to combat cancer and providing awareness to individuals from a biological perspective to prevent one in developing the disease. Both courses introduce a phenomenon of providing awareness of a certain public health issue to the ...
International Journal of Epidemiology 36.6 (2007): 1229-234. International Journal of Epidemiology. Oxford University Press, 28 Sept. 2007. Web. The Web.
Explain the relationship between factors and affecting health and wellbeing Heath care practitioners will research the links between certain public health issues and possible causes, triggers or individuals lifestyle choices for example smoking or eating a high cholesterol diet. They do this to be able to advise individuals and prevent them from getting the illness or to find ways on how to treat the illness because they have gained a better understanding of where it comes from. For example researchers found that there was a link between elderly people being susceptible to the flu because their immune system was weaker, to prevent them from getting the virus they would have been immunised and keep away from possibly being exposed to the virus.
“Epidemiology is the study of distributing in determinants of disease and disability and populations” (Mausner & Bahn 1974). It’s a basic science of the public’s health and is a measured scientific control that relies heavily on data and study design. Those who study epidemiology focus on specific population and how disabilities and disease affect them. Epidemiological methods have been applied to infectious disease outbreak investigations, but also to studies of longer-term chronic disease investigations. The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System is the largest telephone survey in the world. It’s used to determine the commandments of many health risk behaviors among populations. Surveys were developed and conducted to mon...
...n Health and Disease: The Hidden Epidemic. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2010. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost). Web. 19 Feb 2012.
Social epidemiology is a branch of epidemiology that explains how socio-structural factors influence disease distribution in the society. Since every population is distinguished by the people that are present in it and their traits, this makes it very important to study the social, structural and biological factors that influence the decisions and behaviors of the people as this ultimately has a remarkable effect on health.
From there, “the minimum educational requirement to work as an epidemiologist is a master’s degree from a school of public health. Some jobs require a doctorate” (“Institute”, 2009 p. 23). Most jobs require a strong background in statistics and the master’s degree to have an emphasis in epidemiology. Any growth within the field usually requires a doctorate. However, simply having a master’s in public health does not guarantee a career in epidemiology. Many other factors are required or heavily encouraged. To determine these factors, current epidemiologists were asked how they achieved success in their jobs in a 2002 survey conducted by Ross Brownson, Jonathan Samet, and Stephen Thacker. The most common positive comments were “the choice of institution from which a scientist graduates, the choice of hot research topics, and hard work. For many persons, access to a strong mentor has been noted as one of the most important career advantages.” (Brownson et al., 2002). Many also stated that an intense curiosity was needed to be successful. In addition, due to the unpredictability of disease, epidemiologists must be willing to work unconventional hours. Therefore, epidemiology is not an easy career to begin. Nonetheless, it can be a very rewarding career. Most people choose epidemiology because they
As a population it is extremely important for us to be aware of the diseases that can be contagious to us. By having this opportunity to write a paper about epidemiology I will be able to do more research about epidemiology, so I can increase my knowledge about it and also be able to provide accurate information to the reader. In this essay I am going to write about epidemiology by describing what is epidemiology, how is it impact nursing care, talk about the work of several researcher such as John Snow, Ronald Ross, Janet-Claypon, Alexander Fleming, Frank Fenner by describing their work, and their current impact on nursing, and talk about some of the areas that has been affected with epidemiology in our society.
In an assessment factors such as physical environment, social environment, personal habits are all obtained to help establish risks that a population may have in correlation to the history and factors that influence a person’s health status and outcome within a web of causation. A web of causation according to Stanhope and Lancaster (2008) is “an epidemiological triangle, reflecting the complex interrelationships of numerous factors interact in, to increase or decrease a risk of disease.” Public health nurses can use this web of causality as a tool to help assign risk factors that impact a community (p.711). One’s education level, living conditions, poverty level, genetic factors and access to health care can all be applied t...
Epidemiology Epidemiology is the study of the demographics of disease processes, including the study of epidemics and other diseases that are common enough to allow statistical tools to be applied. It is an important supporting branch of medicine, helping to find the causes of diseases and ways of prevention. It can, using statistical methods such as large-scale population studies, prove or disprove treatment hypotheses. Another major use of epidemiology is to identify risk factors for diseases. Epidemiological studies generally focus on large groups of people and relate to a target population that can be identified.
In the 1960s, doctors in the United States predicted that infectious diseases were in decline. US surgeon Dr. William H. Stewart told the nation that it had already seen most of the frontiers in the field of contagious disease. Epidemiology seemed destined to become a scientific backwater (Karlen 1995, 3). Although people thought that this particular field was gradually dying, it wasn’t. A lot more of it was destined to come. By the late 1980s, it became clear that people’s initial belief of infectious diseases declining needed to be qualified, as a host of new diseases emerged to infect human beings (Smallman & Brown, 2011).With the current trends, the epidemics and pandemics we have faced have created a very chaotic and unreliable future for mankind. As of today, it has really been difficult to prevent global epidemics and pandemics. Although the cases may be different from one state to another, the challenges we all face are all interconnected in this globalized world.
Throughout human history disease has been linked to many facets of life and even the rise and fall of entire civilizations. Biological, social, political and economic forces have all influenced how the outbreak of disease is handled. Epidemics have altered history in how they have developed and the impact that they have had. In turn, epidemic management has been influenced by history and governments as humans have learned to cope with outbreaks and the social and political implications that result from them. Today, biomedical engineers, politicians, historians and social scientists are leading the battle in an attempt to understand and combat infectious diseases. This report will explore epidemic management and its historical relationship with the international political system. Issues will be investigated that range from the societal effects of epidemics, to observing today’s public policy debates regarding outbreaks to the possible reduction or even dissolution of conflict in exchange for food and medical technology between nations. Research has made it abundantly clear that humans must be vigilant in combating epidemics. By drawing on multiple disciplines, it is possible to implement a sound disease management plan that will control and reduce the spreading and mortality of infectious agents across the globe, as well as reduce tension and conflict between the developed and developing worlds.
Reading the curriculum of your epidemiology track made me more fascinated with your program. I will have the great honor and passion to pursue a master in public health from such a prestigious and reputable school. My ultimate goal is to improve the practice and delivery of public health as a leader and teacher in the clinical setting. . I am excited to start my study with the hope to make a meaningful contribution to this field and to the
Discussions throughout this essay will focus on the relevance of epidemiology to public health; firstly the concepts of epidemiology will be discussed alongside two examples of why epidemiology is relevant in the 21st century.
Epidemiology research, understanding of study design and methods, hypothesis formation, and writing a scientific poster help me develop pertinent research skills to success in a future in biomedical science. I aim to earn a Ph.D. in biomedical science and continue in health science that will positively impact the population. I believe that public health can fit together with biomedical science to find insight to molecular mechanisms and complex understanding of what diseases are seen in research fields like epidemiology. I am passionate about public health and epidemiology foci of nutrition so working on a project to prevent and dec...