Epidemiology: Global And Public Health

Homelessness and HIV/AIDS NUR 408: Epidemiology: Global and Public Health University of Phoenix Epidemiology is the study of the distribution of diseases in populations and of factors that influence the occurrence of disease. Epidemiology examines epidemic and endemic diseases; it is based on the observation that most diseases do not occur randomly, but are related to environmental and personal characteristics that vary by place, time, and subgroup of the population. The epidemiologist attempts to determine who is prone to a particular disease; where risk of the disease is highest; when the disease is most likely to occur and its trends over time; what exposure its victims have in common; how much the risk is increased through exposure; and how many cases of the disease could be avoided by eliminating the exposure. Epidemiologic research has helped to explain the transmission of communicable diseases by discovering what exposures or host factors were shared by individuals who became sick. Modern epidemiologists have contributed to
an understanding of factors that influence the risk of chronic diseases. Epidemiology has established and shown that acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) is associated with certain sexual practices. By identifying personal characteristics and environmental exposures that increase the risk of disease, epidemiologists in research have provided crucial input to risk assessments and contribute to the formulation of public health policy. This paper study has used in part, descriptive epidemiologic studies.
This type of epidemiology provided information about the occurrence of disease in a population or its subgroups and trends in the frequency of disease over time. Data sources include death certificates, special disease registries, surveys, and population censuses. Descriptive measures are useful for identifying populations and subgroups at high and low risk of disease and for monitoring time trends for specific diseases. They provide the leads for analytic studies designed to investigate factors responsible for such disease profiles. There is also an element of analytical epidemiology. This seeks to identify specific factors that increase or decrease the risk of disease and to {text:bookmark-start} quantify {text:bookmark-end} the associated risk. Outcome measures include incidence, mortality, and survival rates in both the intervention and control
groups. The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), which is found in bodily fluids such as blood, semen, vaginal secretions, and breast milk, destroys the immune system by inserting its own genetic material into white blood cells called T cells. Over time, T cells are killed and HIV replicates. As the concentration of T cells falls, the immune system weakens, leaving the body open to opportunistic infections. The disease progresses through four stages, the last of which is full-blown AIDS when the body has little natural immunity left. The average time from HIV infection to AIDS is 10 years, and a person may live for several months to five years after the diagnosis.