Descriptive epidemiology is defined as epidemiological studies and activities with descriptive components that are much stronger than their analytic components or that fall within the descriptive area of the descriptive-analytic spectrum.

Descriptive epidemiology uses observational studies of the distribution of disease in terms of person, place, and time. The study describes the distribution of a set of variables, without regard to causal or other hypotheses. Personal factors include age, gender, SES, educational level, ethnicity, and occupation.

Descriptive epidemiology searches for patterns by examining characteristics of person, place, & time . These characteristics are carefully considered when a disease outbreak occurs, because they provide important clues regarding the source of the outbreak.

Epidemiologic studies fall into two categories: experimental and observational.

Basic epidemiologic methods tend to rely on careful observation and use of valid comparison groups to assess whether what was observed, such as the number of cases of disease in a particular area during a particular time period or the frequency of an exposure among persons with disease, differs from what might be …

3.2 Types of epidemiological studies

• cross-sectional studies.
• case-control studies.
• cohort studies.
• intervention studies.

Epidemiology examples include classical, clinical, population, sample, and data-focused types.

The purpose of epidemiology is to understand what risk factors are associated with a specific disease, and how disease can be prevented in groups of individuals; due to the observational nature of epidemiology, it cannot provide answers to what caused a disease to a specific individual.

By definition, epidemiology is the study (scientific, systematic, and data-driven) of the distribution (frequency, pattern) and determinants (causes, risk factors) of health-related states and events (not just diseases) in specified populations (neighborhood, school, city, state, country, global).

Epidemiology is the study of those factors affecting the health of a given population. Public Health is the management of those factors. Together, they act as a concept known as preventive medicine.

Epidemiology is a specific concentration within the public health field. While public health is an all-encompassing area of study, this discipline focuses on uncovering the particular patterns and causes of disruptions in public health.

It is the scientific method of investigation problem-solving used by disease detectives— epidemiologists, laboratory scientists, statisticians, physicians and other health care providers, and public health professionals—to get to the root of health problems and outbreaks in a community.

Epidemiological methods are used for disease surveillance to identify which hazards are the most important. Epidemiological studies are also used to identify risk factors which may represent critical control points in the food production system.

Are epidemiologists considered medical doctors? No. While epidemiologists study and investigate the causes and sources of diseases in much the same way as medical doctors, they’re not considered actual physicians.

Governmental public health agencies have an obligation to prevent disease and to protect and promote the health of all people within their jurisdiction. This public health obligation can be described as the three (3) core public health functions: assessment, policy development and planning, and assurance.

The core functions of Public Health include Assessment, Policy Development, and Assurance.