Define epidemiology and its relationship to public health.

1. Epidemiology Concepts – Measurement of Health Status
a. Define epidemiology and its relationship to public health.
1) Study of disease distribution or health determinants in populations; application of this study to controlling health problems
2) What epidemiology is used for
a) Describing the health status in populations
b) Explaining the etiology of diseases in populations
c) Predicting the distribution of health and disease in populations
d) Controlling the distribution of health and disease in populations
3) Steps in the epidemiologic process
a) Describe the effect of a disease-occurrence and change in frequency or pattern.
b) Are there differences in the distribution of the disease? Can these differences lead to understanding or identifying a cause?
c) Person includes demographic characteristics that describe people, as in age, gender, and socioeconomic factors. This includes behaviors or exposures.
Scientific approach: Are the problems real or artificial?