The document provides an overview of the history, philosophy, and uses of epidemiology. It discusses how Hippocrates in 400 BC first attempted to explain disease occurrence from a rational viewpoint. It also mentions John Graunt in 1662 publishing the first analysis quantifying disease patterns, and John Snow in 1854 mapping cholera cases to identify contaminated water pumps as the source. The philosophy of epidemiology includes adhering to ethical norms to build public trust and ensure accountability. Key uses of epidemiology are assessing community health, making individual health decisions, searching for disease causes, and completing the clinical picture of outbreaks.

1. History, Philosophy, and
Uses of Epidemiology
BIOSTATISTICS

2. By definition, epidemiology is the study (scientific, systematic, and data-driven) of
the distribution (frequency, pattern) and determinants (causes, risk factors) of
health-related states and events (not just diseases) in specified populations
(neighborhood, school, city, state, country, global).
EPIDEMIOLOGY?
History, Philosophy, and Uses of Epidemiology
Page 02 of 15
What is
Principles of Epidemiology, 3rd Edition
logy (study of).
demos (people)
epi (upon)

3. HISTORY
HISTORY
https://www.cdc.gov/csels/dsepd/ss1978/lesson1/section3.html
CIRCA 400 B.C.
Hippocrates attempted to explain disease
occurrence from a rational rather than a
supernatural viewpoint. In his essay
entitled “On Airs, Waters, and Places,”
Hippocrates suggested that environmental
and host factors such as behaviors might
influence the development of disease.
Page 04 of 15
hippocrates

4. This publication was the first to
quantify patterns of birth, death,
and disease occurrence, noting
disparities between males and
females, high infant mortality,
urban/rural differences, and
seasonal variations
Another early contributor to
epidemiology was John Graunt, a
London haberdasher and
councilman who published a
landmark analysis of mortality data
in 1662
1662

5. WILLIAM FARR
FARR
built upon Graunt’s work
by systematically
collecting and analyzing
Britain’s mortality
statistics
considered the "father of
modern vital statistics and
surveillance" developed
many of the basic practices
used today in vital statistics
and disease classification
He concentrated his efforts
on collecting vital statistics,
assembling and evaluating
those data, and reporting to
responsible health
authorities and the general
public
1800

6. https://www.cdc.gov/csels/dsepd/ss1978/lesson1/section2.html
Page 08 of 15
1854 1854
Snow believed that water was a source of infection
for cholera, he marked the location of water pumps
on his spot map, then looked for a relationship
between the distribution of households with cases of
cholera and the location of pumps
Snow had noted that districts with the
highest death rates were serviced by two
water companies: the Lambeth Company
and the Southwark and Vauxhall Company
spot map cholera mortality
1854 JOHN SNOW
conducted a series of investigations in London that warrant his being considered the
“father of field epidemiology"

7. mid- and late-1800s
1980s
1930s and 1940s
1990s
1960s and early 1970s
1990 and after 2001
19TH AND 20TH CENTURIES
Most investigators
focused on acute
infectious diseases
Epidemiologists extended
their methods to
noninfectious diseases
Health workers applied
epidemiologic methods to
eradicate naturally occurring
smallpox worldwide
Related fields of
molecular and genetic
epidemiology took root,
Epidemiology was
extended to the studies of
injuries and violence
Epidemiologists have had to
consider not only natural
transmission of infectious
organisms

8. PHILOSOPHY
PHILOSOPHY ethics
“. . . norms for conduct that distinguish
between . . . acceptable and
unacceptable behavior.”
refers to
These norms also help members of the discipline to
coordinate their actions or activities and to establish the
public’s trust of the discipline
Ethical norms also serve the aims or goals of research and
apply to people who conduct scientific research or other
scholarly or creative activities, and there is a specialized
discipline, research ethics, which studies these norms.

9. why is it
important to
adhere ethical
norms in research
many of the norms
of research
promote a variety
of other important
moral and social
values
ethical norms in
research also help
to build public
support for
research
many of the
ethical norms help
to ensure that
researchers can be
held accountable to
the public
5.
4.
3.
some of these norms
promote the aims of
research, such as
knowledge, truth, and
avoidance of error
research often involves
a great deal of
cooperation and
coordination among
many different people
in different disciplines
and institutions
1.
2.

10. USES
USES
https://www.cdc.gov/csels/dsepd/ss1978/lesson1/section3.html
Page 06 of 15
ASSESSING THE
COMMUNITY’S HEALTH
MAKING INDIVIDUAL
DECISIONS
Assess the health of a population or
community, relevant sources of data
must be identified and analyzed by
person, place, and time (descriptive
epidemiology)
Many individuals may not realize that
they use epidemiologic information
to make daily decisions affecting
their health
m o r e m o r e

11. Much epidemiologic research is
devoted to searching for causal
factors that influence one’s risk of
disease. Ideally, the goal is to
identify a cause so that
appropriate public health action
might be taken
SEARCHING FOR CAUSES
COMPLETING THE CLINICAL
PICTURE
When investigating a disease
outbreak, epidemiologists rely
on health-care providers and
laboratorians to establish the
proper diagnosis of individual
patients.

12. Historical Use
The historical use of epidemiology documents the patterns, types, and causes of morbidity
and mortality over time
Community
Health Use
“To diagnose the health of the community and the condition of the people, to measure the
true dimensions and distribution of ill-health in terms of incidence, prevalence, disability and
mortality; to set health problems in perspective and define their relative importance; to
identify groups needing special attention.”
Health Services
Use
“to study the working of health services with a view to their improvement. Operational
research translates knowledge of (changing) community health and expectations in terms of
needs for services and measure [sic] how these are met.”
Risk Assessment
Use
“to estimate from the group experience what are the individual risks on average of disease,
accident and defect, and the chances of avoiding them.”
Disease
Causality Use
“To search for causes of health and disease by computing the experience of groups defined
by their composition, inheritance and experience, their behaviour [sic] and environments.”

13. QUIZ TIME
GOODLUCK!

14. MATCHING
TYPES
EPIDEMIOLOGY
SPOT MAP
1990s
ETHICS
JOHN SNOW
MID-AND-LATE-1800S
1960S AND EARLY 1970S
1980s
1930s AND 1940s
1990 AND AFTER 2001
This refers to the “. . . norms for conduct that
distinguish between . . . acceptable and
unacceptable behavior.”
By definition, ____________ is the study of the
distribution and determinants of health-related
states and events in specified populations
Snow believed that water was a source of infection
for cholera, he marked the location of water pumps
on his ___________, then looked for a relationship
between the distribution of households with cases
of cholera and the location of pumps
__________ is a year when health workers applied
epidemiologic methods to eradicate naturally
occurring smallpox worldwide
.___________ is a year when most investigators
focused on acute infectious diseases
2pts

15. TRUE FALSE
Ethical norms also serve the aims or goals of research and
apply to people who don’t conduct scientific research or other
scholarly or creative activities
bagsak ka gurl?

16. TRUE FALSE
Many of the ethical norms help to ensure that researchers
can’t be held accountable to the public
bagsak ka gurl?

17. TRUE FALSE
Ethical norms in research also help to build public support for
research
gandah ka gurl?

18. TRUE FALSE
Some of these norms don’t promote the aims of research,
such as knowledge, truth, and avoidance of error
bagsak ka gurl?

19. TRUE FALSE
Many of the norms of research promote a variety of other
important moral and social values
gandah ka gurl?

20. TRUE FALSE
On 1980s, epidemiologists have had to consider not only
natural transmission of infectious organisms
bagsak ka gurl?

21. TRUE FALSE
On 1990s, epidemiology was extended to the studies of
injuries and violence
bagsak ka gurl?

22. TRUE FALSE
When assessing the community’s health, this assess the health
of a population or community, relevant sources of data must
be identified and analyzed by person, place, and time
(descriptive epidemiology)
gandah ka gurl?

23. TRUE FALSE
Completing the clinical picture, is when investigating an
outbreak, epidemiologists don’t rely on health-care providers
and laboratorians to not establish the proper diagnosis of
individual patients
bagsak ka gurl?

24. TRUE FALSE
When searching for causes, epidemiologic research is devoted
to searching for causal factors that influence one’s risk of
disease.
gandah ka gurl?

25. a. Hippocrates
b. Socrates
c. Galen
d. Aristotle
__________ attempted to explain disease
occurrence from a rational rather than a
supernatural viewpoint

26. a. 1800
b. 1854
c. 1980s
d. 1662
Another early contributor to epidemiology was John
Graunt, a London haberdasher and councilman who
published a landmark analysis of mortality data in
________.

27. a. Historical
b. Community
Health Use
c. Risk
Assessment Use
d. Health
Services Use
The ______ use of epidemiology documents
the patterns, types, and causes of morbidity
and mortality over time

28. a. Historical
b. Community
Health Use
c. Risk
Assessment Use
d. Health
Services Use
The ______ use of epidemiology documents
the patterns, types, and causes of morbidity
and mortality over time

29. “To diagnose the health of the community and the condition of
the people, to measure the true dimensions and distribution of
ill-health in terms of incidence, prevalence, disability and
mortality; to set health problems in perspective and define
their relative importance; to identify groups needing special
attention.”
a. Historical
b. Community
Health Use
c. Risk
Assessment Use
d. Health
Services Use

30. “to study the working of health services with a
view to their improvement. Operational research
translates knowledge of community health and
expectations in terms of needs for services and
measurehow these are met.”
a. Disease
Causality Use
b. Community
Health Use
c. Risk
Assessment Use
d. Health
Services Use

31. a. Disease
Causality Use
b. Community
Health Use
c. Risk
Assessment Use
d. Health
Services Use
“to estimate from the group experience what are
the individual risks on average of disease, accident
and defect, and the chances of avoiding them.”

32. “To search for causes of _____ __ _____ by computing
the experience of groups defined by their composition,
inheritance and experience, their behaviour and
environments.”
a. Disease
Causality Use
b. Community
Health Use
c. Types, and
Causes
d. Health and
Disease
2ptsFOR 2 POSSIBLE ANSWERS

33. a. Hippocrates
b. John Graunt
c. John Snow
d. William Farr
Considered the "father of modern vital statistics and
surveillance" developed many of the basic practices
used today in vital statistics and disease classification

34. a. John Snow
b. William Farr
c. John Graunt
d. Hippocrates
Conducted a series of investigations in London that
warrant his being considered the “father of field
epidemiology"