Definitions
Define epidemiology
What is the study of the distribution and determinants of diseases, injuries, disability, and mortality in populations, and the application of this study to the control of health problems in populations
Define population
What is A collection of people who share common observable characteristics
Every member of the population has an equal chance of being selected
Simple random sampling
Includes the individuals who happen to be most easily accessible to the researcher
Convenience sampling
Explain the difference between categorical and continuous variables
Categorical Contain a finite number of categories or distinct groups ("categories", yes/no, Likert scale...)
Continuous are Numeric variables that have an infinite number of values between any two values (age, height, weight)
Define distribution
What is the occurrence of health conditions/outcomes varies in populations; some subgroups of the populations more frequently affected than others
Define sample
What is A subgroup that has been selected from the population
Uses a systematic procedure to select a sample of a fixed size
Systematic sampling
Individuals volunteer themselves to participate in the study by responding to advertisements, leaflets etc.
Voluntary response sampling
Temperature is what type of variable?
Interval (Continuous)
Define risk factor
What is A factor (exposure) that increases the chance or probability of getting the outcome
Define outcome
What is All the possible results that may stem from exposure to a causal factor
Population split into nonoverlapping groups, strata, following which, simple random sampling applied in each group
Stratified random sampling
Individuals are selected based on non-random criteria, and not every individual has a chance of being included
Non-random/Non-probability
Contains more than two categories; Categories are not ordered is what type of variable?
Nominal (Categorical)
Define exposure
What is Contact with a disease-causing factor (risk factor)
Define statistic
What is a numerical descriptor of a sample, e.g., average systolic BP of the sample of UB students who are participating in my study
Population divided into groups, clusters, following which, clusters are chosen (instead of individuals)
Cluster sampling
The sample may not be representative of the population, leading a researcher to make wrong conclusions about the population by studying this sample
Issues with convenience sampling methods
These are interval variables, but with the condition that 0 (zero) of the measurement indicates that there is none of that variable. What type of variable would this be?
Ratio (Continuous)
Define determinants
What is “An individual risk factor or set of factors that is/are causally related to a health condition, outcome, or other defined characteristic.”
Define parameter
What is a numerical descriptor of a population, e.g., average systolic BP of UB students, average age of residents of Buffalo
Every unit in the population has a known probability of being selected in the sample
Random/Probability Sampling
The characteristics of the people who respond could be different from the population
Issues with voluntary response sampling methods
How much did you like the pasta on this scale: Not at all / Its OK / I like it / I like it very much
is what type of variable?
Ordinal