In this study, children were randomly assigned to receive one of the two types of rotavirus vaccines. This random allocation of the vaccine types is a key characteristic of experimental design, where researchers manipulate the independent variable (type of vaccine) to observe its effects on the dependent variable (side effects experienced by the children). The study involves an intervention (administration of vaccines) and a comparison between groups, which are the defining features of an experimental study.
Figure 1.27 illustrates the natural history of disease with distinct items marked on the timeline. "A" represents the period of exposure between susceptibility and subclinical disease stages. "C" indicates the onset of symptoms between subclinical and clinical disease stages, and "D" reflects the usual time of diagnosis shortly after the clinical disease stage begins. Understanding these key points on the timeline helps epidemiologists comprehend the development and evolution of diseases.
In epidemiology, "determinants" typically encompass causes (including agents), risk factors (including exposure to sources), and modes of transmission, but they do not encompass the resulting public health action.
In epidemiology, "distribution" pertains to descriptive epidemiology and encompasses time (when), place (where), and person (who). On the other hand, "determinants" relates to analytic epidemiology, focusing on the factors that influence the occurrence and patterns of health events in populations.
The classic graph for displaying the time course of an epidemic is an epidemic curve, where the x-axis represents the date or time of onset, and the y-axis represents the number of cases.
Epidemiologists customize descriptive epidemiology to effectively depict the available data. As diseases exhibit distinct age patterns, epidemiologists adopt specific age groupings suitable for the particular disease they are studying.
The epidemiologic triad of disease causation encompasses the elements of agent-host-environment.
In this context, "person" refers to demographic information, such as age, gender, nationality, etc. It typically does not involve specific medical details or factors that may have caused the illness, like clinical features or exposures.
The reservoir of an infectious agent refers to the natural environment where the agent resides, thrives, and reproduces. This reservoir can encompass humans, animals, and the surrounding environment.
For a field investigation, a comprehensive case definition should include clinical criteria and specify the time, place, and person related to the illness or condition being studied. The case definition should remain independent of the exposure being evaluated. Whether a case definition is developed for suspect cases depends on factors like laboratory confirmation availability and diagnosis certainty. Typically, the nationally agreed standard case definition for disease reporting is highly specific and may not encompass suspect or possible cases.
This is known as an observational cross-sectional study, as it provides a snapshot of the population's characteristics and associations between variables at a specific moment without manipulating any factors or following participants over time.
The main distinction between a cohort study and a case-control study lies in the way subjects are enrolled. In a cohort study, participants are selected based on their exposure to a specific factor, whereas in a case-control study, participants are chosen based on whether they have the disease under investigation or not. Both types of studies examine exposure and disease status and can be employed to investigate various health issues, including infectious and non-infectious conditions, with some cohort studies spanning several years and others, particularly outbreak-related studies, being completed in a matter of days.
A cross-sectional study or survey offers a snapshot of a population's health, focusing on prevalence rather than incidence. While it may not be as valuable as a cohort or case-control study for analytic epidemiology, it can effectively measure the prevalence of exposures and outcomes.
The answer, "Observational case study," is correct because the study involves observing and comparing individuals diagnosed with new-onset Lyme disease and those without the disease based on their behaviors related to walking through the woods, using insect repellent, and clothing choices. It is an observational design as researchers are not manipulating any variables but rather gathering data through interviews to study the association between the potential risk factors and the presence of Lyme disease in the two groups.
In a propagated epidemic, the infection is transmitted from one person to another.
Rates are used to measure risk, while numbers are often better for finding individual cases and planning resources.
