Epidemiology, term as epi means above, demo means people and logy means study. It is simple meaning as study upon or among the people.
In, epidemiology, one studied the health related states of their distribution (means to who, where and when it occur) and determinants in the specific population.
This study will help us to prepare for future intervention and health planning as prevention and control of that problem.
Components of Epidemiology
Distribution
This term refers to how much a disease is spread or distributed in the community.
It studied this concept under person, place and time. As, to whom it occur, where it occur and when it occur.
In this three concept, it also studied their demographic variables. Examples are given below,
- For person- It check to which age group, gender, occupation, education level, social background people has been diagnosing.
- For Place – it study the location, like rural, urban, semi urban and hilly areas. So which area it is occur.
- Time – It includes when it occur, such which season, summer winter or rain season. At what months it occur, as between march to july etc.
Determinants of health or health related events
Determinats of health are the risk factors and causative factors that cause the disease in the people.
There may be one or more determinants that are responsible for outbreak.
So, epidemiologist further investigate this risk factors with epidemiological studies and methods.
Aims of epidemiology
- To identify the number of disease in the community and how much it is spread in pupulation (i.e. assess distribution and magnitude of disease)
- To identify causes and risk factors for the diseases
- To understand the disesase origin, growth and development and get complete picture of disease
- To check weather enough health infrastructure is present or not
- To get primary data for planning the future public health activities
- It helps to identify disease trends as growing, declining or stable