Applying Descriptive Epidemiology

Applying Descriptive Epidemiology

Discussions are designed to promote dialogue between faculty and students, and students and their peers. In the discussions, students should

demonstrate an understanding of the concepts for the module;

integrate professional resources;

engage in meaningful and respectful dialogue with classmates; and

express thoughts clearly and logically.

Course Outcomes

This discussion provides documentation of student ability to meet the following course outcomes:

CO2: Apply biostatistical procedures in the public health environment to identify and solve epidemiological issues.

CO3: Critique proposed, ongoing and/or completed epidemiological studies or research.

CO4: Interpret the output from statistical computing packages to draw appropriate inferences and report results effectively.

CO5: Apply basic epidemiological methods (e.g. study designs and measures) and statistical methods (qualitative and quantitative) to real world outbreaks or case studies.

Due Date

This discussion follows the standard discussion participation requirements as outlined in the Syllabus. You are required to post a minimum of three times in each discussion. These three posts must be on a minimum of two separate days. You must respond to the initial discussion question by 11:59 p.m. MT on Wednesday of Week 3. To receive credit for a week’s discussion, you may begin posting no earlier than the Sunday immediately before each module opens.

Requirements

Review the discussion grading rubric by clicking the Options icon and select the Show Rubric button. You can see the evaluation criteria and points associated for each criterion.

Discussions should elicit thoughtful discourse among peers,?similar to?those in a physical classroom, and serve as a platform for fluid exchange of ideas, weaving your understanding of the week’s concept to the given topic. Clarity of writing, rules of grammar, and punctuation are important. Research might be required on your part to be an informed participant, with proper credit given to original authors and sources to meet Chamberlain University’s plagiarism policies, but Discussions?are not?asking you to write a scholarly essay.

Please acquaint yourself with the attendance requirements?for this course, purpose,?and?participation requirement?by visiting the?Discussion Participation?section of the?Syllabus.?

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Preparing the Assignment

Discussion Prompt

We found this week that there are two types of epidemiological studies, descriptive and analytic. Descriptive epidemiology describes the problem using person, place, and time. There are variations to every disease when we consider these factors, both infectious and chronic. Descriptive epidemiology can find the problems for analytic epidemiology to study more.

 Explore different conditions or diseases that are of interest to you or impact your community. Select one to learn more about and describe it to your class keeping in mind all the aspects of descriptive epidemiology. Using national databases, think about the problem, agent, condition, host characteristics, environmental concerns, and temporal variation. Does the disease change with the season? Do you find the disease higher in certain races or countries? Find studies that support your descriptions.

CIA: The World Factbook (Links to an external site.)

US County Health Rankings & Roadmaps (Links to an external site.)

United Health Foundation: America’s Health Rankings (Links to an external site.)

CDC Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) (Links to an external site.)

WHO: Health Statistics and Information Systems