This document discusses risks associated with diseases and health conditions. It defines risk as the probability of an event occurring and distinguishes between communicable and non-communicable diseases. It also explains that people's perceptions of risk often differ from actual risks and can underestimate or overestimate risks from lifestyle factors. Personal perceptions of risk are influenced by familiarity with an activity and whether it is enjoyed or approved. The document defines epidemiology as studying disease patterns to identify causes and risk factors.

1. Chapter 1C

2.  Understand why people’s perception of risks is
often different from the actual risks, including
underestimating and overestimating the risks
due to diet and other lifestyle factors in the
development of heart disease
 Be able to distinguish between correlation and
causation

3.  Communicable diseases – infectious diseases:
caused by different organisms
 Non-communicable diseases – non-infectious
disease. Ex.: heart disease and cancer

4.  In science, risk describes the
probability that an event
will happen.
 Probability means the
change or likelihood of the
event, calculated
mathematically.

5.  Car crush=1 in 5747
 Flying= 1 in 4.5-5.5 million

6.  Personal perception of risk is based on a variety of
factors which include:
 1. how familiar you are with the activity
 2. how much you enjoy the activity
 3. whether or not you approve of the activity

7.  The study of patterns of health and disease to
identify causes of different conditions and
patterns of infection.
 Risk factors – factors which affect the risk of an
event happening.
 If many factors influence your chance of having
a disease, it is called a multifactorial disease.

8.  Correlation – a strong tendency for two sets of data to
change together.
 Causation – when a factor directly causes a specific effect.