What is Epidemiology?
Epidemiology is the
branch of medicine that deals with the incidence, distribution, and control of diseases. It plays a crucial role in public health by identifying risk factors for disease and targets for preventive healthcare.
What is a cohort study?
A cohort study is a type of longitudinal study that follows a group of people who share a common characteristic or experience within a defined period. This design helps to determine how different exposures affect the incidence of specific outcomes over time.
What is a case-control study?
A case-control study compares individuals who have a specific condition (cases) with those who do not (controls). This study design is useful for studying rare diseases and is often used to identify factors that may contribute to a medical condition.
What is a cross-sectional study?
A cross-sectional study examines data from a population at one specific point in time. It provides a snapshot of the prevalence of a condition or characteristic and can help identify associations between variables.
How do epidemiologists determine causality?
Determining causality in epidemiology often involves using criteria such as temporality, strength, and consistency of the association, dose-response relationship, and biological plausibility. These criteria help to establish whether a relationship between an exposure and an outcome is likely to be causal.
What is bias in Epidemiological research?
Bias refers to systematic errors that can affect the validity of study results. Types of bias include selection bias, information bias, and recall bias. Minimizing bias is essential for ensuring the reliability of epidemiological findings.
How do epidemiologists handle ethical issues?
Ethical considerations in epidemiology include obtaining informed consent, ensuring confidentiality, and balancing the risks and benefits of research. Epidemiologists must adhere to ethical guidelines to protect study participants and maintain public trust.
