The two main reasons for conducting epidemiologic descriptive research are for scientific and administrative analysis. Scientists seek to find factors associated with health outcomes, while administrators use the data to generate plans for public health programs. Their joint efforts help promote public health and increase the likelihood of effective public health initiatives.
For this Discussion, please select a significant public health topic. Then address the following:
Describe your selected health topic by providing three to five characteristics related to person (e.g., age, race, sex, occupation, marital status), place, (political or geographic; macro or micro), and time (calendar time, seasonal variation). Be sure to report epidemiological data and not just general observations.
Identify how one could obtain the raw data to determine the descriptive epidemiology of your health condition (e.g., surveys, questionnaires, medical records, lab testing, etc.). Please discuss how the method(s) of ascertainment would influence the completeness of case identification as well as the case definition/diagnostic criteria used.
Post an example of a hypothesis about a possible association between an exposure and an outcome that could be generated from the descriptive epidemiological data you have provided.