Epidemiology

Epidemiology is the study of factors that influence the health and illness of populations. The three levels of causation of health problems include individual behavioral level, individual biological level, and political-economic ecological level.

Individual behavioral level: Variation in patient behavior is generally shunned; a strong emphasis is placed on making sure that patients do exactly what is expected from them. With behavioral interventions, in contrast, patient behavior is the key and the goal is to change it. In considering issues such as the high rate of preventable illness or racial disparities in health, behavioral interventions are key. This chapter reviews what is known about the success and failure of behavioral interventions and speculates about why some interventions are more successful than others.

Individual biological level: The biological world contains an incredibly diverse variety of individuals. At the ground level of common sense, there are alligators, ants, beetles, marmots, moles, mushrooms, ostriches, roses, trees, and whales. At this ground level, biological individuals are physically-bounded, relatively well-integrated, autonomous agents, the ones listed being amongst those that can be readily detected with the senses.

Political-economic ecological level: Political ecology is the study of the relationships between political, economic and social factors with environmental issues and changes. Political ecology differs from apolitical ecological studies by politicizing environmental issues and phenomena.

The traditional approach in performing epidemiological trials by using paper questionnaires is both costly and time-consuming. The questionnaires have to be transformed to analyzable data and a large number of personnel are needed throughout the procedure. Modern communication tools, such as the web, cell phones and other current and future communication devices, allow rapidly and cost-efficient assembly of data on determinants for lifestyle and health for broad segments of the population. Epidemiology is the study of how often diseases occur in different groups of people and why. Epidemiological information is used to plan and evaluate strategies to prevent illness and as a guide to the management of patients in whom disease has already developed. Epidemiologists aim to understand the causes of health problems by looking at the relationship between agents, hosts, and environmental factors that affects health.

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With Regards,

Sarah Jhonson

Editorial Assistant

Advances in Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety.