Epidemiologists use various methods to calculate estimates:
1. Incidence Rate: This is the number of new cases of a disease divided by the population at risk during a specified period. 2. Prevalence Rate: This reflects the total number of existing cases (both new and pre-existing) of a disease in a population at a given time. 3. Mortality Rate: This measures the number of deaths due to a disease divided by the total population, usually expressed per 100,000 individuals. 4. Risk Ratios and Odds Ratios: These are used to compare the risk of a health outcome between different groups.
