Epidemiologic studies of mortality

 Epidemiologic studies of mortality play a crucial role in understanding mortality patterns,

causes and effects of death within populations.
 The studies aim to identify risk factors associated with mortality and to develop strategies
to reduce the death rates
 The studies utilize a range of methods to investigate the distribution and determinants of
disease in human population
 Mortality is another term for death.
 mortality rate is the measure of the frequency of occurrence of death in a defined
population during a specified interval
 Mortality measures
 Crude death rate- this is the mortality rate from all causes of death per 1000 individuals in a
population in a year
 Cause specific mortality rate – is the mortality rate from a specific cause per 100000 individuals in a
population per year
 Age specific mortality rate- is the mortality rate limited to a particular age group per 1000
individuals in that age group per year
 Infancy mortality rate – the number of deaths of infants under one year old per 1000live births per
year
 Standardized mortality ratio – a ratio that compares the observed number of deaths in a study
population to the number that would be expected based on age specific rates in a standard population
 Neonatal mortality rate – number of deaths among children under 28 days of age during a given time
period. Expressed per 1000 live births
 Post neonatal mortality rate – number of deaths among children from 28 days up to but not including
one year of age during a given time period. Usually expressed per 1000 live births
 Maternal mortality rate – number of deaths during a given time period among women while
pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy irrespective of the duration and the site of
the pregnancy ,from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management, but
not from accidental or incidental causes. Usually expressed per 100,000 live births
 Death – to – case ratio- is the number of deaths attributed to a particular disease during a specified
time period dived by the number of new cases of that disease identified during the same time
period.
 Case fatality rate-is the proportion of persons with a particular condition who die from that
condition.
 Proportionate mortality- this is the proportion of deaths in a specified population over a period of
time attributable to different causes.
Determinants of mortality
 Biological factors – age,sex,genetic predisposition
 Environmental factors – pollution,sanitation,living condition
 Socioeconomic factors- income,education,access to healthcare
 Behavioral factors – lifestyle choices
 Healthcare factors – availability,quality,and accessibility of medical care
 Epidemiologic studies of morbidity

 Morbidity rate is the rate at which a disease or illness occurs within a population
 It is calculated by dividing total number of disease cases by total population. Often reported in rates
per 100000 persons
 Epidemiologic studies of morbidity focus on understanding the frequency,distribution,and
determinants of diseases and health conditions within populations.
 The studies aim to identify risk factors, monitor trends and inform public health interventions.
Measures of morbidity
1. Incidence rate- number of new cases per population at risk per time period
2. Prevalence rate – number of existing cases per population at a specific time point
3. Cumulative incidence – proportion of a population that develops a condition over a specified period
4. Attack rate – proportion of individuals who become ill in a defined population during an outbreak
Measures to prevent disease transmission

 These are a range of strategies aimed at reducing the spread of infectious diseases and promoting population health. The measures
include:
1. Understanding disease transmission – having a good understanding of disease transmission and modifying behavior is crucial in
reducing the likelihood of infectious diseases.
2. Hand Hygiene – regular hand washing with soap and water is considered one of the most important ways to prevent disease
transmission.
3. Immunization – this is a preventive measure to reduce the spread of vaccine-preventable diseases.
4. Environmental measures – such as using insect repellant, wearing protective clothing, draining stagnant water to prevent
mosquito-borne diseases.
5. Respiratory hygiene – covering coughs and sneezes, wearing face masks and staying at home when sick are important measures
to prevent the spread of respiratory infections.
6. Abstinence and safe practices – the most effective way to prevent sexually transmitted diseases is to abstain from sexual
intercourse or practice safe sexual behaviors.
7. Practice good food safety techniques
8. Take travel precautions
9. Disease surveillance and monitoring