Summary

Epidemiology concerns the frequency, pattern, and causes of disease in populations. It is one of the most important modern sciences underpinning health and healthcare - including medicine, public health and professions allied to medicine. Concepts of Epidemiology explains and illustrates the key concepts (language, principles and methods) that underpin the science of epidemiology and its applications to policy making, health service planning and health promotion. Richly illustrated, there are exercises to help readers deepen their understanding, with detailed material captured in tables. Each chapter ends in a summary, and all technical and specialised terminology is explained and defined in a glossary. The book places heavy emphasis on integrating the ideas of epidemiology. Topics include: the nature and scope of epidemiology; the epidemiological concept of population; variation in disease by time, place and person; error, bias, risk modification and confounding; cause and effect; the concepts of natural history, spectrum, iceberg, population patterns and screening; risk and measures of disease frequency; presentation and interpretation of epidemiological data on risk; study design; and theoretical, ethical, contextual, practical and critical foundations of epidemiology.