Epidemiology Is Not For Diseases Among Human Populations

Contagion, hypothesizes what the world would go through in the event of a major health crisis and it illustrates the importance of the epidemiology field as it relates to the well-being of the population. The film exemplifies the epidemiology concepts of a pandemic, communicable diseases and disease prevention. This paper will relate these three concepts as they correspond to the epidemiology chapter in our community health text.

Epidemiology defined: The basic science of public health in which the causing factor, population, frequency, and relevant intervention is found in the case of an outbreak.

Although most disease struck the poorest, the upper class was not fully immune. Because people wanted to move to cities to make their lives better, they were forced to live around these diseases without proper means for prevention, protection, and recovery. Once contracting the disease, they would either die within hours or suffer from uncontrollable diarrhea and pain. In addition, scientific knowledge on disease was not as developed as it fortunately is today. Doctors had not yet learned the concept of a germ theory and instead associated the disease with the “bad air” that surrounded toxic, polluted cities. This “bad air” was known as miasa and was incorrectly used to explain the spread of cholera in major cities during the mid 1800s. After studies and research, doctors noticed that there was a heavy concentration of miasmata near certain rivers, but they still connected it to a lack of air quality in bustling cities such as Manchester, London, and Paris. Although air pollution and coal emissions did play a role in certain illnesses, they were not the main cause for diseases such as cholera. Poor ventilation, dirty homes, malnourishment, and no access to clean water made people easily susceptible to a ruthless disease like cholera. Moreover, causes of cholera were investigated more thoroughly after John Snow’s theory claimed that cholera was spread through the water John Snow was an English physician who is today considered one of the fathers of modern epidemiology, the branch of medicine that deals with the distribution and control of diseases relating to health. Finally, doctors could see cholera in a new light and were able to find better means of protection and prevention for its victims. Today, doctors recognize the germ theory of disease which states that some diseases are caused by microorganisms, and not just by “bad

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

Epidemiology – the science that studies when and where diseases occur and how they are transmitted. CDC, Atlanta, tracks and traces diseases. ONE World (the idea that it’s all in one place, it could happen anywhere; locally, states, large counties track the incidences and occurrences of disease)

The documentary Sick Around the World has really opened my eyes about the United States health care system. The diversity of health-care systems in other countries would make individuals think that the United States would have thoughts of changing a majority of their policies. The information given in the documentary was factual and useful to my knowledge. The information also provides me with ways I could approach my future career in health care, which is epidemiology. As an epidemiologist, disease would be my main focus point which produces an impact on individuals. More disease, equals more health care and more expenses. In this paper, I intend to include details about the documentary, present an analysis of what was shown, and express my reaction to the video.

Descriptive epidemiology focus on how a disease is spread within a population. This can be done in three different approaches such as counts, case series, and cross-sectional studies. The observation of the Amish population in Lancaster, PA favors the application of the cross sectional method of descriptive epidemiology.

Epidemiology is the study of distribution and determinants of health-related states or events in specified populations and the application of this study to the control of health problems. The epidemiological triad model holds that infectious diseases result from the interaction of agent, host, and environment (CDC, 2012). Disease transmission occurs when the agent leaves the reservoir or host through a portal of exit, are the conveyed by some mode of transmission and enters through and appropriate portal of entry on infecting a susceptible host (CDC, 2012). This sequence is sometimes called the chain of

The study of disease transmission is the review and examination of the examples, causes, and impacts of wellbeing and illness conditions in characterized populaces. It is the foundation of general wellbeing, and shapes strategy choices and confirmation based practice by recognizing hazard variables for ailment and focuses for preventive human services. ("Epidemiology - Wikipedia," n.d.)

Epidemiology is the study of diseases, including the incidence and distribution of the diseases, within a population. America and the developed world as a whole has switched from a constant presence of infectious diseases and diseases brought about from improper hygiene to an increase of chronic diseases and stress related illnesses (Lloyd-Sherlock, 2005). There is also a noticeable swelling number of elderly as a result from the increased quality of life; this requires the epidemiology and healthcare system to adjust to match the aging population’s needs. Many of those in the senior population rely on health insurance, such as Medicare and Medicaid, to help pay for their healthcare, any changes or disturbance in the insurance can affect the

When looking into the meaning of epidemiology often it is found that definitions may vary and are frequently identifiable specifically to the context. According to the World Health Organization, the definition of 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 (Epidemiology Definition,

Finally we have the environment this is the external factor that cause or allow the disease dispersion the, “where” of the triangle, e.g., temp, humidity, altitude, neighborhood, water, milk, food, radiation, and pollution. The obligation of an epidemiologist is to interrupt at least one of the aspects of the Triangle, to disrupt the link between the environment, the host, and the agent, and stopping the continuation of disease (Stanhope, 2012).

This paper will explore the role of epidemiology in the surveillance of the incidence of

Epidemiology is what advises people of new world epidemics and new health standards worldwide. Epidemiologist are well known for their ideal way to handle and control epidemics of the everyday modern world by conducting research and going through various experiments. Epidemiology was first well known in the mid-1800´s (1854) but is know to have existed for about 2,500 years

Epidemiology is the study of environmental and genetic influences on the prevalence of disease and injury (Rossignol, 2007, p. 1). Environmental influences include pollution, lifestyle choices, health care access, care quality, social factors, and workplace hazards. These and other factors help to determine geographic, social, and economic differences in health quality. Epidemiology is therefore the study of the underlying causes of disease and injury, and is a scientific discipline because the contributing factors are assumed to be identifiable and quantifiable.