Descriptive and Analytic Epidemiology

Epidemiology is such a broad field that epidemiology essays come in numerous shapes and forms. For instance, a student writing a public health essay can decide to narrow the topic down and write an essay on descriptive and analytic epidemiology. Just as the topic suggests, an essay on descriptive and analytic epidemiology will basically describe the causes of the major diseases, and an analysis of how they can be prevented. When writing an essay on descriptive and analytic epidemiology, the student needs to have a complete understanding of the various diseases categories. The essay will basically entail classification of which diseases are viral, fungal or bacterial, for instance. It would be unacceptable if due to lack of familiarity with the disease categories, the student comes up with a misleading public health essay. For this reason, an essay on descriptive and analytic epidemiology calls for thorough research. After the writer of the essay has described the diseases, he or she must analyze how they can be treated. Here, the student should suggest and explain various treatment and prevention modes. As the old adage goes, prevention is better than cure. Therefore, the main focal point for all public health essays should be on how to prevent diseases. A very crucial factor to observe when writing a public health essay such as an essay on descriptive and analytic epidemiology is to use language that is simple. The essays should be done in language that can be understood by the ordinary man, the writer’s background in medicine notwithstanding. It would be pointless to write an essay that would require the reader to seek the services of an interpreter.

Descriptive and Analytic Epidemiology essay example

According to McEwen (2002), descriptive epidemiology is concerned with the number of times as well as hoe the risk factors are distributed which enable to determine how fast the disease spreads thus enabling the formulation etiological research hypothesis. Analytical epidemiology on the other hand deals with research to learn the risks and factors that can prevent diseases as well as protect individuals from diseases (p.122). Descriptive epidemiology is used to determine how people are connected to time and as well as place. For instance, if crime rate in a region increases, it has effects on some health factors and this should be considered. Any person living in such high crime areas is highly vulnerable by being a victim during such a period of time. Descriptive epidemiology has encouraged the study of the likelihood of the health events. For example the incidence of most thefts and robberies may be triggered by some holidays as people are in need of money to celebrate such events e.g. Christmas holiday thus many are at a risk of being short, injured and murdered by gangsters. Analytical epidemiologists rely on the data obtained by descriptive epidemiology professionals to search for patterns that show causes of diseases (McEwen, 2002, p.122).

The final target of both analytical and descriptive epidemiology is to minimize the occurrence of diseases by learning the risk factors. Both do help public health institutions by provision of information which may help in reduction of disease. Descriptive epidemiology helps in the estimation of the effects caused by diseases and injuries. It also assists in detecting a disease and break as well as contribution to good planning of health events (McEwen, 2002, p.122).