BIOSTATISTICS & EPIDEMIOLOGY

(HHSMZG513)

 Subject -: Biostatistics & Epidemiology

 Student Name -: Dr. Sahil Kamlesh Bhai Parekh
 Student ID Number -: 2022Hb28640
 Semester 2 -: 2023/2024

Assignment 1
1) Question 1-: Of the 7735 men who participated in the study, 1944 had CHD at baseline. What
was the prevalence of CHD in this sample?

 Prevalence of CHD = (Number of men with CHD at baseline/Total participants) * 100

 Number of men with CHD at baseline = 1944

 Total participants = 7735

 Prevalence of CHD = (1944 / 7735) * 100 = 25.13%

 Prevalence of CHD in this sample is 25.13%.

2) Question 2: During 20 years of follow-up, there were 740 first events of major CHD (defined as
fatal or non-fatal CHD). What was the 20 years cumulative incidence of CHD?

 Cumulative Incidence (%) = (Number of first events of major CHD / Total individuals) *
100

 Cumulative Incidence (%) = (740 / 7735) * 100

 Cumulative Incidence (%) = (0.0956) * 100

 Cumulative Incidence =9.57%

 The 20-year cumulative incidence of CHD is approximately 9.57%.

3) Question 3: During the course of this follow-up, researchers observed 112,560 person-
years at risk. What was the incidence rate of CHD in this sample? Express your answer
per 1000 person years.

Incidence Rate = (Number of CHD cases observed) / (Total person-years at risk) *1000

Incidence Rate = 740 / 112,560*1000

Incidence Rate = 6.59 per 1000 person/years

 So the Incidence Rate is 6.59 per 1000 Person/Year

 4) Question 4: Briefly describe the pros and cons of using person-years of follow-up when
calculating disease incidence

 Pros of using person-years of follow-up:

I. It accounts for the varying lengths of time each individual is at risk for the outcome,
providing a more accurate estimation of disease incidence.
II. It allows for the comparison of incidence rates between different groups, even if they have
different follow-up times.
III. Takes into account the different lengths of follow-up for different participants.
IV. Allows for comparison of disease incidence rates across studies with different follow-up
periods.
V. It gives more accurate result of the time at risk for developing the disease.

 Cons of using person-years of follow-up:

I. It requires detailed and accurate information on the duration of follow-up for each
individual, which may not always be available.
II. It assumes that the risk of the outcome is constant over time, which may not always be the
case.
III. Can be more complex to calculate than other measures of disease frequency.
IV. Requires detailed data on the length of follow-up for each participant.
V. May not be appropriate for diseases with short durations or high mortality rates.

5) If you wanted to look at whether a person’s chances of developing CHD varied

depending on their socioeconomic status, which type of measure of CHD frequency
would you choose to compare between socioeconomic groups: prevalence or
incidence? Explain your answer

 To investigate whether a person's likelihood of developing coronary heart disease (CHD)

varies based on socioeconomic status, the appropriate measure of CHD frequency to
compare between socioeconomic groups would be “INCIDENCE”.

Here's why incidence is the preferred measure for this comparison:

a) Prevalence:

 Prevalence refers to the total number of cases of a disease present in a population at

a specific point in time.
 It includes both existing and new cases of the disease within a population.
 Prevalence doesn't provide insight into the risk of developing the disease over time.
 It can be influenced by factors such as survival rates, duration of the disease, and
other demographic characteristics.
 While prevalence is useful for understanding the overall burden of CHD within a
population, it may not be the best measure for comparing the risk of developing CHD
 across socioeconomic groups because it doesn't differentiate between new cases
and existing ones.

b) Incidence:

 Incidence measures the rate at which new cases of a disease occur in a population
over a specified period.
 It focuses solely on new cases, excluding pre-existing cases from the analysis.
 Incidence provides a clearer understanding of the risk of developing CHD within
different socioeconomic groups over time.
 By comparing the incidence rates between socioeconomic groups, researchers can
identify whether there are disparities in the development of CHD based on
socioeconomic status.
 Incidence allows for the examination of temporal trends and the identification of
potential risk factors associated with the onset of CHD.

By focusing on incidence rates, researchers can analyze whether individuals from

different socioeconomic backgrounds have varying risks of developing CHD. Socioeconomic status
can affect access to healthcare, lifestyle choices, environmental factors, and stress levels, all of
which can impact the incidence of CHD. Studying incidence allows for the identification of potential
socioeconomic disparities in disease occurrence and informs strategies for targeted interventions
and preventive measures to reduce the risk of CHD within vulnerable populations.

In summary, incidence is the preferred measure for comparing CHD frequency

between socioeconomic groups because it offers insights into the dynamics of disease onset over
time and facilitates the examination of socioeconomic disparities in CHD risk.