University:
Western Sydney University
Course:
MEDI 2003 | Clinical Sciences 2
Academic year:

2024
Views:

36

Pages:

2
Author:

Mariam A. A.

Analytic Epidemiology Epidemiologists can use analytic epidemiology if they are concerned with investigating the questions “how is the disease caused or transmitted and why?” This type of study can serve to answer the trends and patterns that are identified in descriptive epidemiology. In order to do this, we need a control group so that affected and unaffected people are measured. ✓ Examples of analytic epidemiology include cohort studies and case control studies. For epidemiologist that are using analytic epidemiology, they will be examining the host, environment and agent (e.g., pathogen, vectors, chemicals, etc) as potential factors that may be responsible for causing the disease. For the host (i.e., individual affected with the disease), the following factors will be looked at, such as: - Host’s traits - Host’s Behaviour - Host’s genetic predisposition - Host’s immunologic factors Comparatively, for the environment, epidemiologists will be examining: ✓ Any changes in the environment that results in change in the transmission of the agent or development of the agent. Lastly, the study will involve looking into following characteristics which the agent may possess that cause, influence or increase the severity of the disease: - Biological features - Physical features - Chemical feature ✓ Benefits include being able to identify risk factors and to determine the resources needed for health care, education, and research in order to develop targeted public health interventions that are cost and resource effective. ✓ Example: cervical cancer is the fourth most common worldwide cancer in women. In the last two decades epidemiological studies have shown that cervical cancer is a rare outcome of a common sexually transmitted infection caused by some types of human papillomavirus (HPV). Epidemiological studies have clearly and consistently shown the key determinants of infection in women. Findings from the studies have resulted in the use of pap smears and, more recently, screening and vaccination strategies for the prevention of cervical cancer. ✓ Find second example: mayo clinic, very well heathmind, Healthline