Suggest Additional Epidemiological Understandings: Suggest Revision to Understanding 1 The causes of health and disease are discoverable by systematically and rigorously identifying their patterns in populations, formulating causal hypotheses, and testing those hypotheses by making group comparisons. These methods lie at the core of the science of epidemiology. Epidemiology is the basic science of public health, a discipline responsible for improving health and preventing disease in populations. Suggest Revision to Understanding 2 Health and disease are not distributed haphazardly in a population. There are patterns to their occurrence. These patterns can be identified through the surveillance of populations. Suggest Revision to Understanding 3 Analysis of these patterns can help formulate hypotheses about the possible causes of health and disease. Suggest Revision to Understanding 4 A hypothesis can be tested by comparing the frequency of disease in selected groups of people with and without an exposure to determine if the exposure and the disease are associated. Suggest Revision to Understanding 5 When an exposure is hypothesized to have a beneficial effect, studies can be designed in which a group of people is intentionally exposed to the hypothesized cause and compared to a group that is not exposed. Suggest Revision to Understanding 6 When an exposure is hypothesized to have a detrimental effect, it is not ethical to intentionally expose a group of people. In these circumstances, studies can be designed that observe groups of free-living people with and without the exposure. Suggest Revision to Understanding 7 One possible explanation for finding an association is that the exposure causes the outcome. Because studies are complicated by factors not controlled by the observer, other explanations also must be considered, including confounding, chance and bias. Suggest Revision to Understanding 8 Judgments about whether an exposure causes a disease are developed by examining a body of epidemiologic evidence as well as evidence from other scientific disciplines. Suggest Revision to Understanding 9 While a given exposure may be necessary to cause an outcome, the presence of a single factor is seldom sufficient. Most outcomes are caused by a combination of exposures that may include genetic make-up, behaviors, social, economic, and cultural factors and the environment. Suggest Revision to Understanding 10 Individual and societal health-related decisions to improve health and prevent disease are based on more than scientific evidence. Social, economic, ethical, environmental, cultural, and political factors may also be considered in decision-making. Suggest Revision to Understanding 11 The effectiveness of a health-related strategy can be evaluated by comparing the frequency of disease in selected groups of people who were and were not exposed to the strategy. Costs, trade-offs, and alternative solutions must also be considered in evaluating the strategy. Suggest Revision to Understanding 12 An understanding of non-health related phenomena can be developed through epidemiologic thinking, by identifying their patterns in populations, formulating causal hypotheses, and testing those hypotheses by making group comparisons. PLEASE CLICK ON THE SEND BUTTON BELOW WHEN FINISHED. OPTIONAL First Name: Last Name: Email: Please add me to the mailing list for the Epidemiology Education Movement Newsletter.
Suggest Additional Epidemiological Understandings:
Suggest Revision to Understanding 1
The causes of health and disease are discoverable by systematically and rigorously identifying their patterns in populations, formulating causal hypotheses, and testing those hypotheses by making group comparisons. These methods lie at the core of the science of epidemiology. Epidemiology is the basic science of public health, a discipline responsible for improving health and preventing disease in populations.
Suggest Revision to Understanding 2
Health and disease are not distributed haphazardly in a population. There are patterns to their occurrence. These patterns can be identified through the surveillance of populations.
Suggest Revision to Understanding 3
Analysis of these patterns can help formulate hypotheses about the possible causes of health and disease.
Suggest Revision to Understanding 4
A hypothesis can be tested by comparing the frequency of disease in selected groups of people with and without an exposure to determine if the exposure and the disease are associated.
Suggest Revision to Understanding 5
When an exposure is hypothesized to have a beneficial effect, studies can be designed in which a group of people is intentionally exposed to the hypothesized cause and compared to a group that is not exposed.
Suggest Revision to Understanding 6
When an exposure is hypothesized to have a detrimental effect, it is not ethical to intentionally expose a group of people. In these circumstances, studies can be designed that observe groups of free-living people with and without the exposure.
Suggest Revision to Understanding 7
One possible explanation for finding an association is that the exposure causes the outcome. Because studies are complicated by factors not controlled by the observer, other explanations also must be considered, including confounding, chance and bias.
Suggest Revision to Understanding 8
Judgments about whether an exposure causes a disease are developed by examining a body of epidemiologic evidence as well as evidence from other scientific disciplines.
Suggest Revision to Understanding 9
While a given exposure may be necessary to cause an outcome, the presence of a single factor is seldom sufficient. Most outcomes are caused by a combination of exposures that may include genetic make-up, behaviors, social, economic, and cultural factors and the environment.
Suggest Revision to Understanding 10
Individual and societal health-related decisions to improve health and prevent disease are based on more than scientific evidence. Social, economic, ethical, environmental, cultural, and political factors may also be considered in decision-making.
Suggest Revision to Understanding 11
The effectiveness of a health-related strategy can be evaluated by comparing the frequency of disease in selected groups of people who were and were not exposed to the strategy. Costs, trade-offs, and alternative solutions must also be considered in evaluating the strategy.
Suggest Revision to Understanding 12
An understanding of non-health related phenomena can be developed through epidemiologic thinking, by identifying their patterns in populations, formulating causal hypotheses, and testing those hypotheses by making group comparisons.
OPTIONAL
First Name: Last Name:
Email:
Please add me to the mailing list for the Epidemiology Education Movement Newsletter.