How Do Descriptive and Analytic Epidemiology Differ?
Descriptive epidemiology focuses on characterizing the distribution of diseases within a population based on person, place, and time. It answers questions about who is affected, where the disease is occurring, and when it is happening. Analytic epidemiology, on the other hand, aims to understand the determinants of diseases by examining the relationships between exposures and outcomes. It involves hypothesis testing and the use of statistical methods.