Descriptive Epidemiology

Cindie Rose T. Tumlos M.D.

Bachelor of Science in Medical Biology
Filamer Christian University
SY 2021-2022 Second Semester
Prayer
Heavenly Father, we are grateful for this opportunity to
learn together and we ask for your guidance, grace, and comfort.
As we go on through our lessons today, please enlighten our
minds, that we may be able to understand it.
 We thank you for the ability to study and for many gifts and
talents you have given us. Help us always to use them in such a
way that they honor You. In Jesus’ name. Amen
Objectives
At the end of this lecture, students will be able to:
1) Know the types of studies in epidemiology 2)
Define descriptive epidemiology
3) Know the uses of descriptive epidemiology 4)
Know the procedures of descriptive epidemiology

ATTENDANCE
 SPORADIC ENDEMIC • Within EPIDEMIC
geographic
• intermittent • Constant area • In excess of
 normal area to worldwide
expectancy • Spreads another proportion
PANDEMIC quick one • Epidemic of
COVID PANDEMIC 🡪 ENDEMIC???
• “With the continued decrease in active cases, hospitalizations
and deaths due to COVID-19, we believe it is time to plan the
transition toward an endemic phase with this virus,” said State
Health Officer, Dr. Nizar Wehbi. “Endemic COVID-19 does not
mean that the virus is gone. The virus is still in our
communities, but we now have more tools and therapeutics to
fight the virus and protect our vulnerable population and
maintain hospital capacity.”
• A pandemic occurs when there is an increase in cases of a
disease across the globe.

• An endemic occurs when the disease is present but there are

no large shifts in case counts and the patterns of infection
become more stable.
Types of Studies
• OBSERVATIONAL STUDIES
–Descriptive
– Analytical
• EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES
 Advantage? Types of Studies
OBSERVATIONAL STUDIES
• allow nature to take its course
• the investigator measures but does not
intervene

1) A descriptive study is limited to a

description of the occurrence of a
disease in a population
2) An analytical study goes further by analyzing
relationships between health status and
 other variables
EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES
• Involve an active attempt to
change a disease
determinant
– exposure or a behavior
– the progress of a disease
through
treatment
Descriptive Epidemiology
• Examining the distribution of a disease in a population, and
observing the basic features of its distribution in terms of time,
place, and person
• limited to a description of the occurrence of a disease in a
population and is often the first step in an epidemiological
investigation
• Typical study design: community health survey
The 5W’s of descriptive epidemiology
• What = health issue of concern
• Who = person
• Where = place
• When = time
• Why/how = causes, risk factors, modes of transmission
Uses of Descriptive Epidemiology
• To provide data regarding the magnitude of the disease load
and types of disease problems in the community in terms of
morbidity and mortality rates and ratios
• Provides clues to disease etiology and helps in formulation of
etiological hypothesis.
• Provides background data for planning, organizing and
evaluating preventive and curative services
• They contribute to research by describing the variations in
disease occurrence by time, place and person
The basic triad of descriptive epidemiology

person

place

time
Secular (long-term) trends
 INTERNATIONAL VARIATION

• Descriptive studies have shown that the pattern of a disease is

not the same everywhere
• Eg: Cancer of the stomach is very common in Japan, but
unusual in the US
NATIONAL VARIATION
• There are variations in disease occurrence within countries.
RURAL-URBAN VARIATIONS
• Due to differences in population density, levels of sanitation,
deficiencies of medical care, education and environment
factors
• Chronic bronchitis, cardiovascular diseases, accidents
– urban
• Skin and zoonotic diseases and soil transmitted helminths
– rural
LOCAL DISTRIBUTIONS
• These variations can be
studied with the help of “spot
 or shaded” maps.
• Eg: Study of Cholera epidemic
by John Snow in 1854
Age
• single most important “person” attribute, because almost
every health-related event varies with age.
• susceptibility, opportunity for exposure, latency or incubation
period of the disease, and physiologic response
• pic
AGE
• Certain diseases are more frequent in certain age
groups than others.
– Measles in childhood
– cancer in middle age
– atherosclerosis in old age
Sex
• Males have higher rates of illness and death than do females
for many diseases
• genetic, hormonal, anatomic, or other inherent
 SEX
Variations occur due to
1) Biologic difference like sex linked genetic inheritance 2)
Cultural and behavioural differences between the sexes in
social settings.
– Eg: 4:1 male to female ratio in lung cancer due to cigarette smoking.
SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS
• Occupation
• Family income
• Educational achievement
• Living conditions
• Social standing
OCCUPATION
• Occupation may alter the habit pattern of employees (Sleep,
 alcohol, smoking, etc)
• Workers in a particular occupation are exposed to certain types
of risk.
– Eg: Workers in coal mines are likely to suffer from silicosis
SOCIAL CLASS
• Health and diseases are NOT equally distributed in social
classes.
• Certain diseases show higher prevalence in upper class
(Diabetes, Coronary heart disease, hypertension)
BEHAVIOUR
• Behavioural factors such as smoking, sedentary life, over
eating, drug abuse lead to certain diseases
– Coronary heart disease, Cancer
• Factors like mass movement may also lead to transmission of
infectious diseases.
Thank you!