EPIDEMIOLOGY

Study of occurrences and distribution of

diseases as well as the distribution and
determinants of health states or events in
specified population, and the application of
this study to the control of health problems.
Areas of Investigation:
1. Study of the distribution of disease
2. Search for determinants of the disease and
its observed distributions.
Uses of Epidemiology
Study the history of the health population and
the rise and fall of diseases and changes in
their character.
Diagnose the health of the community and
the condition of people
Study the work of health services with a view
of improving them.
Estimate the risk of disease, accident, defects
and the chances of avoiding them.
Identify syndromes by describing the
distribution and association of clinical
phenomena in the population
Complete the clinical picture of chronic
disease and describe their natural history
Search for causes of health and disease
EPIDEMIOLOGIC TRIANGLE
HOST

ENVIRON-
AGENT
MENT
Host
Any organism that harbors and provides
nourishment for another organism
Agent
the infectious agent or the toxic component
that is transmitted from the source of infection
to the susceptible body
Environment
The sum total of all external condition and
influences that affects the development of an
organism
Components
 Physical Environment
 Biological environment

 Socio-economic
Classification of Agents:
A. Nutritive Elements
A. Excess
B. Deficiencies
B. Chemical Agents
A. Poisons
B. Allergens
C. Physical Agents
D. Infectious Agents
Metazoa
Protozoa
Bacteria
Fungi
Ricketssia
Viruses
Classification of Host Factors
(Intrinsic Factors)
A. Genetic
B. Age
C. Sex
D. Ethnic Group
E. Physiologic
F. Immunologic Experiences
A. Passive
B. Active
G. Inter-current or pre-existing disease
H. Human behavior
Environmental Factors
(Extrinsic Factors)
A. Physical environment
B. Biologic Environment
A. Human population
B. Flora
C. Socio-Economic environment
A. Occupation
B. Urbanization
C. Disruption
EPIDEMIOLOGY VARIABLES
Time
Person
Place
Time
Refers to
the period during which the cases of the
disease being studied were exposed to the
source of infection
Period during which the illness occured
Cases are grouped according to:
Epidemic Period: a period during which the
reported number of cases of the disease exceed
the expected
Year
 Take into consideration seasonal variations
Period of Consecutive years
 Useful in prediction the probable future incidence of
the disease and in planning appropriate prevnetion
and control programs.
Persons
Refers to the characteristics of the individual
who were exposed and who contacted the
infection or the disease in question
Described according to:
Acquired characteristics
Activities
Circumstance which they live
Age
Considered the single most useful variable
associated in describing the occurrence and
distribution of a disease
 Potential for exposure to a source of infection
 Level of immunity or resistance

 Physiologic activity at the tissue level

Sex and occupation
In general, males experience higher mortality
rates than female for a wide range of diseases
Females have higher morbidity causes
Place
Refers to features, factor or conditions which
existed in or described the environment in
which the disease occured.
Described according to street, address, city,
municipality, province, region, or county
Urban/rural differences:
In general, disease spreads more rapidly in
urban areas than in rural areas
Socio-economic areas
Different communities can be usually divided
into geographic areas which are relatively
homogenous with respect to the socio-
economic circumstances of the residents
Patternf of Occurrence and
Distribution
Sporadic
The intermittent occurrence of a fewisolated
and unrelated cases in a given locality
No apparent relationship between cases
Endemic occurrences
Is the continuous occurrence troughout a period
of time, of the usual number of cases in a given
locality
  Disease in inherent in that locality
 Identifiable with the locality itself

Epidemic
Of unusually large number of cases in a
relatively short period of time.
Number of cases is much more than the usual
numer in that locality
Pandemic
Simultaneous occurrence of epidemic of te
same disease in several countires.
International in perspective
Most interesting and most meaningful
Demands immediate effective action
Factors Contributory to Epidemic
Occurrence
Agent Factor
Host factors
Environmental factors