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Epidemiology, Aims and Scope

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Encyclopedia of Public Health

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Definition

Epidemiology is defined as “the study of the distribution and determinants of health related states or events in specified populations, and application of this study to control of health problems. Study includes observation, surveillance, hypothesis‐testing analytic research methods, and experiments. Distribution refers to analysis according to time, place, and classes of persons affected. Determinants are the physical, biologic, social, cultural, and behavioral factors influencing health. Health‐related states or events include diseases and injuries, causes of death, behavior such as use of tobacco, reactions to preventive or therapeutic regiments, and provision and use of health services. Specified populations are those with identifiable characteristics, such as precisely known numbers. Application to control makes explicit the purpose of epidemiology – to promote, protect, and preserve good health” (Last 2001).

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Introduction

“Based on what it has done...

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References

  1. Ahrens W, Krickeberg K, Pigeot I (2005) An introduction to epidemiology. In: Ahrens W, Pigeot I (eds) Handbook of Epidemiology. Springer, Berlin, pp 1–40

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  2. Bhopal R (2002) Concepts of Epidemiology: An integrated introduction to the ideas, theories, principles and methods of epidemiology. Oxford University Press, Oxford

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  3. Gordis L (2004) Epidemiology. Elsevier Saunders, Philadelphia

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  4. Last J (2001) A Dictionary of Epidemiology, 4th edn. Oxford University Press, New York

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  5. Mausner J, Kramer S (1985) Epidemiology. WB Saunders, Philadelphia

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  6. Rothman K, Greenland S (1998) Modern Epidemiology, second edn. Lippincott – Raven Publishers, Philadelphia

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  7. Saracci R (2004) Caminante no hay camino, se hace camini al andar. Eur J Epidemiol 19:725–728

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Epidemiology, School of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia

    Hristina Vlajinac

Authors
  1. Hristina Vlajinac
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Network EUROlifestyle Research Association Public Health Saxony-Saxony Anhalt e.V. Medical Faculty, University of Technology, Fiedlerstr. 27, 01307, Dresden, Germany

    Wilhelm Kirch (Professor Dr. Dr.) (Professor Dr. Dr.)

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© 2008 Springer-Verlag

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Vlajinac, H. (2008). Epidemiology, Aims and Scope . In: Kirch, W. (eds) Encyclopedia of Public Health. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-5614-7_1006

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-5614-7_1006

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4020-5613-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4020-5614-7

  • eBook Packages: MedicineReference Module Medicine

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