...Epidemiology Paper Allison Brown Nur 408 May 14, 2012 Prof. Pamela Orr Epidemiology Paper People have many health concerns and diagnosis that presents to the current public health as daunting. The first step in any medical situation regarding a person’s health is prevention that is talked among the professionals in the health community. This will be the only way to help the cycle to break that will further prevent other diseases from occurring. Using epidemiology and the epidemiology triangle diabetes in African Americans will be observed. This health concern in many communities in the United States can be prevented and helped, but information is the key to success. In this paper we will be examining the definition and description of epidemiology, the steps and methods of epidemiology, reviewing the data of the selected population. We will also be looking at the epidemiological triangle as well as various levels of prevention. Epidemiology is the study of the distribution and determinants of health-related states or events (including disease), and the application of this study to the control of diseases and other health problems. Various methods can be used to carry out epidemiological investigations: surveillance and descriptive studies can be used to study distribution; analytical studies are used to study determinants (WHO, 2012). Epidemiology is a type of science that guides our understanding of the strong points of how exposure and the relation to how it effects...
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...Epidemiology Name: Institution: Course: Tutor: Date: Abstract Descriptive epidemiology is based on two important premises which are central in the field. The first premise states that disease does not occur in isolation. Secondly, patterns of disease occurrence are placed under three important categories of person, place and time. This paper seeks to build understanding on the three areas by giving relevant examples where they are applied. Epidemiology Person In Epidemiology studies the important demographic information will include age, sex, marital status, race, ethnicity, and religion and socioeconomic status. Age is considered the most important factor and is used in analyzing trends in disease occurrence. Advancement in age may be associated with the occurrence of degenerative diseases. The elderly are also linked with several challenges. Changes marking age are shown by two important phases in life which shows greater frequency (Descriptive Epidemiology n.d). Sex as a second determinant of the person, and allows us to make references across sexes. For instance psychological studies have revealed that women cope well in the event of stress than men. Marital status is closer to this, and in epidemiology studies, it can be useful in establishing patterns of chronic diseases across genders (Descriptive Epidemiology n.d). Race and ethnicity have been used in epidemiology studies to show...
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...Epidemiology and Vulnerable Population NUR/408 January 14, 2013 Theresa White Epidemiology and Vulnerable Population This paper will define epidemiology and vulnerable population. The methods and steps involved in the epidemiology process will be discussed. The diseases of a specific vulnerable population and emphasis of one disease will be examined with cultural, ethical, and legal considerations. The epidemiology triangle is explained and evaluating the feasibility of prevention will be explored with definitive steps for prevention. Epidemiology and Vulnerable Population Stanhope and Lancaster (2012) states “epidemiology is the study of the distribution and determinants of health-related events in human populations and the application of this knowledge to improving the health of communities (p. 282). In many communities there populations at risk for to specific health care problems creating a vulnerable population. “Vulnerability is a general concept meaning “susceptibility,” and its specific connotation in terms of health care is at risk for health problems” (De Chesney, 2008, p. 3). As Stanhope and Lancaster (2012) identify “epidemiology is a multidisciplinary enterprise that recognizes the complex interrelationships of factors that influence disease and health at both the individual level and the community level; it provides the basic tools for the study of health and disease in communities” (p. 282). In every community there are vulnerable populations...
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...Epidemiology Question 1 1. Case control studies are designed in such a way so as to explore whether exposure can be associated with a particular outcome, such as a disease or certain condition. In these studies, the definition groups are based on the outcome and exposure assessment for potential risk factors. The first step in case control studies is the identification of the case (for example a group of people known to have the certain condition), as well as the control group ( a group that does not have the outcome). The second step is to explore whether some of the subjects in each group were exposed, and how the frequency of the exposure is measured between the case and the control group. Case control studies are basically observational, because there is no intervention taking place, and is a retrospective determination of the exposure to a certain risk factor. Advantages of case control studies • Case control studies are relatively less time consuming, since the disease has occurred in the past, therefore there is no need to assess the disease or condition. • They are an efficient way to study rare cases and diseases or outbreaks of diseases, since they are fast; during an outbreak, the fast examination of certain conditions is required, and a sufficient number of people suffering can be quickly accessed. • They allow a simultaneous examination of multiple conditions and risk factors • Allow the establishment of associations between suspected risk...
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...Epidemiology: Global and Public Health Jennifer Nurse NUR408 January 2011 Nancy Nurse, EdD, RN, PHN, LSN Epidemiology: Global and Public Health According to the Centers for Disease Control, “diabetes affects 25.8 million people, 8.3% of the U.S. population” (Center for Disease control and Prevention, 2012, par 1). Twice as many African Americans are likely to develop diabetes than Caucasian Americans. These statistics represent how serious diabetes has become for the black community. Epidemiology can focus healthcare efforts and interventions to help lower the incidence of diabetes of the African Americans. This paper will focus on the role of epidemiology in the observation of the frequency of diabetes in the morbidity and mortality of American of African decent. This paper will also include the definition and description of epidemiology, epidemiological methods, the epidemiological triangle, types of epidemiology, and prevention that is related with diabetes in the African American community. Definition and Description of Epidemiology Epidemiology is defined as, “the study of the distribution and determinants of health-related states or events in specified populations, and the application of this study to control of health problems.” (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2012, p. 243). Epidemiology has provided an understanding of the factors...
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...Thesis How has Chicken Pox evolved over time related to advances in community and public health nursing? Chicken Pox is a very common childhood disease caused by the Varicella-Zoster virus. This contagious itchy red rash covers the entire body with red blistery spots causing discomfort (Web MD 2013). Immunization, education, awareness and the epidemiology of Chicken Pox has made drastic improvement in the occurrence and mortality of disease (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2014). Description of Communicable Disease Chicken Pox can be easily transmitted from one person to the next by means of sneezing, coughing, saliva and surface contact (Web MD 2013). The fluid filled blisters rupture and accelerates the probability of transmission by contact. This disease is contagious 2-3 days prior to the rash appearing having an impact on how quickly this disease is transmitted due to the patient being asymptomatic (Web MD 2013). The ones who remain most at risk are those who’ve never had the disease or obtained a vaccine. The preliminary symptoms start to appear 14-16 days after contact with someone who had the disease (Web MD 2013). Symptoms include flu like symptoms with a fever, decreased appetite, headache, cough and sore throat. The itchy red spots appear taking approximately 2 days to go through the stages of blistering, bursting, drying and crusting over (Web MD 2013). Spots continue to appear everyday for about one week. It will take about one and half...
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...Epidemiology NUR 408 October5, 2015 Epidemiology Epidemiology is the basic principle of public health. According to Hilfinger Messias, McKeown, and Adams (2012, p. 255 ), “Epidemiology has been defined as the study of the occurrence and distribution of health-related states or events in specified populations, including the study of the determinants influencing such states, and the application of this knowledge to control the health problems” (Porta, 2008, p 81). The goal of epidemiology is optimal health for the entire community. It is important to remember that health does not merely mean medical treatment for specific diseases, but also assurance of available services and development and implementation of policies and programs to meet the needs of the population as a whole. Descriptive epidemiology is the study of the “association of health events to person, place, and time” (Stroup, D. & Thacker, S., 2009, p. 262). Analytical epidemiology studies the causes and risk factors of health events. In order to evaluate the health events in a population, both descriptive and analytical epidemiology are important (Stroup, D. & Thacker, S., 2009). Three categories of data sources commonly used in epidemiologic studies including surveillance data, census data, and vital records, data collected for other purposes, and epidemiologic data (Hilfinger Messias, McKeown, and Adams 2012). The epidemiological triangle is composed of three elements of disease, and includes...
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...Applying Epidemiology Charles B. Moore HCA 415 Instructor: Quida Davis April 27, 2014 Applying Epidemiology A mother of a young child called the Vermont Department on February 5 to report the possibility of a foodborne disease outbreak after her child aged 5 years and two other children of her neighbor aged 7 and 10 years became ill with a lot of vomiting and diarrhea that took place within an interval of 12 hours. The child’s sickness became severe that the mother took her to a local hospital where she was kept at the emergency department. The mother stated that the child complained of nausea at 10 o’clock the February 2nd, later, the child began vomiting and having multiple episodes of diarrhea, she was not able to eat or drink anything without vomiting. In the evening, the woman took the child to the local hospital where she was admitted at the emergency department, here they noted the child was dehydrated and had a high fever. The stool and blood specimen of the child was collected and the child was given intravenous fluids as a treatment and later she was released; the following day the mother made follow ups on the test results for the child and it turned out the stool culture displayed negative results for usual bacteria (Brehm-Stecher et al, 2009, p. 1774). Two children who were nearby neighbors reported to have nausea, diarrhea, vomiting and fever, these were similar symptoms that the other child had even though these two children were not as ill as the woman’s...
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...Epidemiology of RSV and Community Nurse Guidance While caring for a patient a nurse needs to be aware of the current disease process and the epidemiology behind that process. If the nurse is aware of these things, then there is a chance that disease progression or transmission can be slowed or stopped before the process devastates a community. When respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is in its most rapidly developing phase, the community health nurse is in an ideal position to educate the community on keeping children safe and free from this, at times, devastating virus. Epidemiology and Care of RSV It is important to understand the epidemiology of a disease process to effectively manage and treat the disease. Rowe (2013) notes that epidemiology “is the discipline that provides the structure for systematically studying the distribution and determinants of health, disease, and conditions related to health status” (p. 162). When the nurse is evaluating the epidemiology of a disease process such as RSV, he/she needs to keep in mind three critical concepts related to the understanding of epidemiology “the natural history of the disease, the levels of prevention, and the multiple causation of disease” (Rowe, 2013, p. 166). Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) The causes, symptoms, mode of transmission, complications and treatment options are important to understand when caring for a child with RSV. The pathogenesis and causes of RSV are fairly well understood, once RSV attaches itself...
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...Epidemiology Paper Tamika Swearingen NUR/ 408 December 1, 2014 Kimberly Oatman Epidemiology Paper The number of children diagnosed with diabetes in 2012, according to the CDC (2014), is about 208,000 people younger than 20 years in the United States alone. This includes those having been diagnosed diabetes type 1 or type 2. Diabetes has become more prevalent and there is no cure at this time. With the study of Epidemiology, there is hope for a decline of Diabetes and it dominance amongst the American children. In this paper, it will describe and define epidemiology and how it relates to diabetes. This paper will discuss the method and triangle of epidemiology along with the chosen vulnerable population and disease of diabetes in children. Definition of Epidemiology Epidemiology has been defined as “the study of the occurrence and distribution of health-related states or events in specified populations, including the study of the determinants influencing such states, and the application of this knowledge to control the health problems” (Stanhope and Lancaster, 2012). Epidemiology can be described as a study that looks at certain specifics of the excess risk a disease and the rate or incidence of how it is affected. It focuses on the study of why and how it affects certain populations. Steps and Methods of Epidemiology Diabetic information can be gathered in many ways such as analyzing: routine data, research data ad epidemiological data. In Southern Nevada, health related...
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...Epidemiology of Chickenpox Karissa N. Martinez Grand Canyon University: NRS-427V 05/16/2014 Epidemiology of Chickenpox This essay was written to explain the epidemiology of chickenpox and allow the reader to develop a better understanding of the disease. The author intended for the reader to become informed about the causes, symptoms, mode of transmission, complications, treatment and mortality and morbidity rates. Also, the reader will become familiar with the determinants of health and contributing factors to develop varicella, the relation of the epidemiologic triangle, the role of the community health nurse, as well as identify a national organization that reduces the impact of the disease on the community. Chickenpox also known as varicella is a highly infectious disease caused by the varicella zoster virus. Varicella zoster can cause two illnesses, the first is chickenpox and the second illness is herpes zoster also known as shingles. Transmission of this highly infectious disease is spread through droplet exposure and contact with fluid from blister like vesicles. Examples of exposure through droplets are sneezing, coughing and oral secretions inhaled causing infection to the new host. Chickenpox is easily spread two to three days before the rash appears and is contagious until all the vesicles are scabbed over (WebMD, 2013). Symptoms tend to develop fourteen to sixteen days after exposure; around day ten after the first symptom is when the blisters crust...
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...The Epidemiology of Chickenpox The Epidemiology of Chickenpox Epidemiology can be defined as the study of health patterns and causes within a given population. The nursing field that works with these populations to identify causes and preventative measures is known as public health nursing or community nursing. These nurses seek to identify specific data that help a targeted population deal with the incidence and prevalence of certain conditions (Mauer, Smith, F, 2013). Just like any other disease, chickenpox has its own unique epidemiology, which will be explained in further detail throughout this paper. The epidemiologic triangle is applied to chickenpox as well. With the triad, an agent brings the disease, in this case chickenpox, to a susceptible host. These two factors, the host and agent, are brought together in a environment, the third factor, that is able to support the transmission of chickenpox (CDC, 2012). The virus that causes chickenpox is known as the varicella-zoster virus. This virus also is the cause of shingles. While symptoms may be mild and cause a general discomfort in children, the effects are more severe outside of childhood. Symptoms include a generalized fatigue, fever and a rash that is accompanied by pruritus. The fever may be present for a few day and range in temperature from 100.7 to 102.2. The lesions that accompany this disease, and which are its trademark, can be found in varying developmental stages over the patient’s...
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...Epidemiology Paper Monica Okoro Nur/408 Epidemiology: Global and Public Health September 10, 2012 Diane Campbell, DNP - PHN, FNP - BC Epidemiology Paper Public health nursing allows nurses to encounter various vulnerable populations on a daily basis. In particular, the elderly make up a large portion of the population, and their vulnerability to the environment and other physical factors is a very important aspect of public health nursing. Epidemiology allows the public health nurse to study and assess vulnerable populations, including the elderly, and create interventions that maximize the health potential of all members of the public. This paper will explore the role of epidemiology and also discuss the definition and purpose of epidemiology, epidemiological methods, the epidemiological triangle and levels of prevention that is related with influenza in the elderly community. Definition and Description of Epidemiology Originally, epidemiology was a term that was used to describe the spread of infectious disease. Over the course of time, that definition has expanded considerably in order to accommodate the complexity of ever-changing populations, their environments, and increasing occurrences of disease. Epidemiology is a branch of public health that studies of the frequency, distribution, and determinants of disease in human populations. It studies the patterns of diseases in human populations and how to control health problems associated with disease...
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...Epidemiology Study Guide Introduction to Epidemiology History * John Graunt * Published Bills of Mortality in 1622 * Analysis of weekly reports of births and deaths in London by sex, age, and time. * Discovered that births and deaths of men occurred in excess; high death rates of infants; and seasonal pattern with highest mortality in winter. * John Snow * Conducted one of the first observational studies in the neighborhoods of 19th century London and discovered that contaminated drinking water was the cause of cholera. * Carefully documented what he called a “natural experiment” in which neighbors received water provided by different companies and had differing rates of disease. * Richard Doll and Austin Bradford Hill * Conducted groundbreaking studies on cigarette smoking and lung cancer in the 1950s. * James Lind * Conducted one of the earliest experimental studies, which was the treatment of scurvy among sailors. * Using sound experimental principles, he found that the consumption of oranges and lemons were the most effective remedies for scurvy in this population. * William Farr * Compiled the Statistical Abstracts in Great Britain from 1839 through 1880. * He pioneered many activities encompassed by modern epidemiology, including the calculation of mortality rates using census data for denominators. Definitions * Epidemiology – the study of the distribution and determinants...
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...Epidemiology by definition is the study of the distribution and patterns of health-events, health- characteristics and their causes or influences in well-defined populations. It is the cornerstone method of public health research, and helps inform policy decisions and evidence-based by identifying risk factors for disease and targets for preventive medicine. Epidemiologists are involved in the design of studies, collection and statistical analysis of data, and interpretation and dissemination of results (including peer review and occasional systematic review).Major areas of epidemiological study include outbreak investigation, disease surveillance and biomonitoring, and comparisons of treatment effects such as in clinical trials. Epidemiologists rely on a number of other scientific disciplines such as biology (to better understand disease processes), biostatistics (to make efficient use of the data and draw appropriate conclusions), and exposure assessment and social science disciplines (to better understand proximate and distal risk factors, and their measurement). I would like to discuss elderly patients as my vulnerable population. There is no set age at which a person maybe under the care of a geriatric physician. The physician aims to promote health by preventing disease and disabilities in geriatric adults. A gerontologist specializes in the aging process. Adult medicine differs from the geriatric patient because the focus is on the elderly...
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