EPIDEMIOLOGY

Epidemiology
epi = over
demos = population
logos = science

Epidemiology
Definition
- medical science
- based on interdisciplinarity/multidisciplinarity
- identifies risk factors (infectious, noninfectious)
- elaborates and evaluates the best methodes to
neutralise factors with impacts on health
- elaborates and evaluates health programs

Epidemiology
Main goals (objectives)
- protecting health
- reducing the number of people needing
therapeutical or reparatory procedures

Epidemiology
Secondary goals(objectives) (1):
- identifies aggresion factors
- biological - bacteria,viruses, fungi, parasites, etc.
- physical - radiation, noise , etc.
- chemical - chemical substances and compounds

- elaborates neutralisation methodes for identified

risk factors

Epidemiology
Secondary goals(objectives) (2):
- studies the epidemiological process of
infectious/noninfectious diseases
- structure
- populational manifestation
- control

- monitorises and evaluates a populations or an

individuals state of health

Epidemiology
Characteristics (1):
Targets:

Disease
Health

Study unit: population, not individuals

Aproach:

Descriptive
Analitical

Epidemiology
Characteristics (2):
- multidisciplinarity and interdisciplinarity

Microbiology
Genetics
Molecular biology
Cellular biology
Biostatistics

Epidemiology
Characteristics (3):
- multidisciplinarity and interdisciplinarity

Public health
Management
Health policies
Pharmacology
Dentistry

Epidemiology
Historical developement of epidemiology:
I. communicable diseases
II. noncommunicable diseases
III. communicable diseases(emerging and reemerging
disease)

Epidemiology
Emerging diseases:
- new diseases
- new pathogens
- new strains of known pathogens

Examples:
- HIV, hepatitis viruses (C, E, G, TTV), prions
- E. coli O157 H7

Epidemiology
Reemerging diseases:
- initial dicrease of frequency, due to efficient and
sistematic control measures
- recent increase of frequency
Examples:
- tuberculosis, diphteria, malaria, etc.

Epidemiology
Epidemiological method:
- case definition
- case description (time, place, person)
- registration of cases
- risk groups
- data analysis
- evaluation
- methods (preventive, diagnostic, therapeutical)
- programs

Epidemiology
Epidemiological methods (1):
- inquiry
- interview
- observation
- experimentation
- deduction
- prognosis
- surveillance

Epidemiology
Epidemiological methods (2):
- data analysis
- data comparison
- screening
- biostatistics
- biotechnology
- cost-benefit analysis
- education for health

Epidemiology
General and special epidemiology (communicable
and noncommunicable diseases)
Clinical epidemiology
Ocupational epidemiology
Environmental epidemiology
Genetic epidemiology
Molecular epidemiology
Pharmacoepidemiology

Epidemiology
General epidemiology
Special epidemiology
Infectious/noninfectious diseases
Communicable/noncommunicable disease

Descriptive epidemiology
Analytical epidemiology

Clinical epidemiology
- health/disease
- normal/abnormal
- risk evaluation
- disease (cause, natural history, prognosis)
- evaluation of
- diagnostic methods and strategies
- therapeutic methods
- preventive methods and strategies
- health programs

Ocupational epidemiology
- ocupational risk factors
- exposure limits
- external and internal monitoring

- risk groups
- prevention
- methods
- strategies

Environmental epidemiology
- risk factors
- risk groups
- preventional methods and strategies