Can prevalence be lower than incidence?
Prevalence is based on both incidence and duration of illness. High prevalence of a disease within a population might reflect high incidence or prolonged survival without cure or both. Conversely, low prevalence might indicate low incidence, a rapidly fatal process, or rapid recovery.
What factors affect prevalence?
Factors that influence the prevalence are the number of incident cases, the deaths, and the recoveries, as is depicted in figure 2. Given a steady state, the prevalence approximately equals the product of the incidence rate and the mean duration of disease.
What is the relationship between incidence duration and prevalence of disease in a population?
The relationship between prevalence and incidence For example, if the incidence of a disease is low but the duration of disease (i.e. until recovery or death) is long, the prevalence will be high relative to the incidence.
What are epidemiological factors?
1: Epidemiologic Factors Events, characteristics, or other definable entities that have the potential to bring about a change in a health condition or other defined outcome.
Why is epidemiology so important?
The importance of epidemiology cannot be overstated. Epidemiology saves lives and improves global, long-term health. The aims of epidemiology are to prevent and reverse negative health outcomes, and the uses of epidemiology are most important for communities that experience a lot of poverty or instability.
Is Epidemiology a good career choice?
Epidemiology is a very important career. However, there is the general idea that epidemiologists are statisticians who work in a government office crunching numbers to find patterns in health related problems.
What is the difference between hard science and soft science?
“Hard” sciences include things like physics, math, and chemistry, while “soft” sciences include things like sociology and philosophy. The terms hard and soft refer strictly to the way the scientific method is used.