STL is important in epidemiology for several reasons: - Identifying Trends: By isolating the trend component, epidemiologists can understand the long-term behavior of a disease, which is vital for planning and resource allocation. - Seasonal Patterns: Understanding seasonality helps in predicting disease outbreaks and implementing timely interventions. - Detecting Anomalies: Residuals can highlight unexpected changes in the disease pattern, potentially indicating new outbreaks or changes in disease dynamics.
