Descriptive Epidemology

Chapter 4 Descriptive Epidemiology

Questions 1: The Variables in the table represent what type of data?

Answer: The data represented in the table on page 115 is regarded as nominal data. Nominal data is defined as unordered categories or classes (e.g. gender, race, ethnicity, marital status and occupation).

Question 2: Describe the extent of the public health problem of female breast cancer according to place?

Answer: White females in San Francisco tend to have the highest breast cancer incident rate and the lowest cancer rate for them is within Atlanta. Out of all ethnicities surveyed White females has the highest cancer rate in Detroit even thought it was middle of the road compared to their other rates within metropolitan areas. Black women had the highest rate in the city of San Francisco and the lowest rate within Detroit. All other women category had the highest rate in San Francisco and lowest within Atlanta. The data shows that of the women survey at the rate per 10,000 had the highest incidence of breast cancer within the metropolitan area of San Francisco.

Question 3: Would age-Adjusted rates be more appropriate for comparing the risk of female breast cancer among geographic areas and racial groups? Explain.

Answer: Age-Adjusted rates is a technique used to better allow populations to be compared when the age profiles of the populations are quite different. To adjust for age under this direct method of standardization, age-specific rates in each group must be calculated, as well as the age structure of the standard population. Age adjustment is commonly used when comparing prevalence’s in different populations. It is not used to derive life expectancy, which is calculated directly from the age-specific mortality rates, with no reference population required.

Question 4: What does this tell you about the age distribution among the geographic populations?

Answer: A crude rate is the ratio of the number of people in which the event of interest...