ACVPM - EPIDEMIOLOGY AND BIOSTATS
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS SOLVED 100%
CORRECT!! 2026 NEWEST UPDATE
Define epidemiology - ANSWER✔✔largely concerned with
disease prevention and therefore with the succession of
events which result in the exposure of specific types of
individual to specific types of environment. Epidemiologists
ID exposures and evaluate associations with health, welfare,
productivity and other outcomes of interest
what is the major difference between epidemiologists and
laboratory scientists? - ANSWER✔✔ epidemiologists study
health and disease outcomes in the real world (under field
conditions)
what is the primary study design of epidemiology -
ANSWER✔✔ observational
define inductive reasoning - ANSWER✔✔process of making
generalized inferences about causation based on repeated
observations
define deductive reasoning - ANSWER✔✔process of inferring
general law of nature exists and has application in specific or
,local instance where a hypothesis about a law of nature
starts and observations are made to challenge the law
define what a cause is in epidemiology - ANSWER✔✔a cause
is any factor that produces a change in the severity or
frequency of the outcome
define the component-cause model - ANSWER✔✔based on
concepts of necessary and sufficient causes developed by
Rothman in 1976. Necessary cause is one without which the
disease CANNOT occur (the factor will ALWAYS be present if
the dz occurs). Sufficient cause always producers the disease
(if the factor is present, DZ will follow). Component-cause is
one of a NUMBER of factors that in COMBINATION constitute a
sufficient cause. Factors may be present simultaneously or in
sequence.
define causal complements in the component-cause model -
ANSWER✔✔additional components beyond the selected one
that form sufficient causes for the exposure factor
define the prevention paradox - ANSWER✔✔large numbers of
ppl must participate in prevention to benefit the relatively
few + large benefit of prevention at level of group often
offers little to each of the individuals of the group.
what are the 3 measures that are used to interpret results of
,benefit-cost analysis for a decision - ANSWER✔✔1) net
present value (difference between total present value of
benefits and costs) 2) benefit-cost ratio (ratio of total present
benefits to costs) 3) internal rate of return (interest rate that
would make total present value of benefits equal to costs)
what are 4 approaches to a decision analysis in vet med -
ANSWER✔✔1) math equation 2) pay off matrix 3)process flow
chart 4) decision tree
what are steps of a decision tree analysis - ANSWER✔✔1)
specify decision context 2) develop a decision model with
options, consequences, desirability, likelihood of event 3)
represent the decision model in tree format where
consequences of each decision are nodes linked by branches
what are the types of nodes in a decision tree and what do
they represent - ANSWER✔✔decision: choice between 2 or
more options (test or not to test), chance or probability:
events that are at least partially determined by chance such
as likelihood of disease is present terminal: final outcome
with no further conseuquences
how is desirability of final outcome expressed in decision
analysis - ANSWER✔✔via utility of terminal node - utility any
measurement that can be used to compare outcomes and
determine which outcome is most desirable (e.g., financial
gain or prognosis)
, what are 2 variables found in decision trees -
ANSWER✔✔probability and utility
how to analyze decision trees in vet epi - ANSWER✔✔1) fold
back 2) sensitivity analysis 3) risk profile analysis
what is fold back analysis of decision tree -
ANSWER✔✔expected utility for each decision is calculated by
adding values obtained when utility of each outcome of that
terminal node is multiplied by probability that outcome will
occur (every fold back starts from some node in tree, which is
referred as root node for the fold back - mostly a decision
node)
what is sensitivity analysis of decision tree - ANSWER✔✔a
series of fold backs over a range of values for one or more
variables - two way sensitivity analysis is when two values
are varied at same time resulting in a series of thresholds or
break-even points at which expected utility for each decision
is equal and resulting curves are called indifference curves
what is risk profile analysis of decision tree - ANSWER✔✔fold
back of decision tree doesn't convey how likely each result is
that focuses on obtaining highest expected utility - risk
profile analysis expressed probability of occurrence of each
outcome of a particular set of decisions
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS SOLVED 100%
CORRECT!! 2026 NEWEST UPDATE
Define epidemiology - ANSWER✔✔largely concerned with
disease prevention and therefore with the succession of
events which result in the exposure of specific types of
individual to specific types of environment. Epidemiologists
ID exposures and evaluate associations with health, welfare,
productivity and other outcomes of interest
what is the major difference between epidemiologists and
laboratory scientists? - ANSWER✔✔ epidemiologists study
health and disease outcomes in the real world (under field
conditions)
what is the primary study design of epidemiology -
ANSWER✔✔ observational
define inductive reasoning - ANSWER✔✔process of making
generalized inferences about causation based on repeated
observations
define deductive reasoning - ANSWER✔✔process of inferring
general law of nature exists and has application in specific or
,local instance where a hypothesis about a law of nature
starts and observations are made to challenge the law
define what a cause is in epidemiology - ANSWER✔✔a cause
is any factor that produces a change in the severity or
frequency of the outcome
define the component-cause model - ANSWER✔✔based on
concepts of necessary and sufficient causes developed by
Rothman in 1976. Necessary cause is one without which the
disease CANNOT occur (the factor will ALWAYS be present if
the dz occurs). Sufficient cause always producers the disease
(if the factor is present, DZ will follow). Component-cause is
one of a NUMBER of factors that in COMBINATION constitute a
sufficient cause. Factors may be present simultaneously or in
sequence.
define causal complements in the component-cause model -
ANSWER✔✔additional components beyond the selected one
that form sufficient causes for the exposure factor
define the prevention paradox - ANSWER✔✔large numbers of
ppl must participate in prevention to benefit the relatively
few + large benefit of prevention at level of group often
offers little to each of the individuals of the group.
what are the 3 measures that are used to interpret results of
,benefit-cost analysis for a decision - ANSWER✔✔1) net
present value (difference between total present value of
benefits and costs) 2) benefit-cost ratio (ratio of total present
benefits to costs) 3) internal rate of return (interest rate that
would make total present value of benefits equal to costs)
what are 4 approaches to a decision analysis in vet med -
ANSWER✔✔1) math equation 2) pay off matrix 3)process flow
chart 4) decision tree
what are steps of a decision tree analysis - ANSWER✔✔1)
specify decision context 2) develop a decision model with
options, consequences, desirability, likelihood of event 3)
represent the decision model in tree format where
consequences of each decision are nodes linked by branches
what are the types of nodes in a decision tree and what do
they represent - ANSWER✔✔decision: choice between 2 or
more options (test or not to test), chance or probability:
events that are at least partially determined by chance such
as likelihood of disease is present terminal: final outcome
with no further conseuquences
how is desirability of final outcome expressed in decision
analysis - ANSWER✔✔via utility of terminal node - utility any
measurement that can be used to compare outcomes and
determine which outcome is most desirable (e.g., financial
gain or prognosis)
, what are 2 variables found in decision trees -
ANSWER✔✔probability and utility
how to analyze decision trees in vet epi - ANSWER✔✔1) fold
back 2) sensitivity analysis 3) risk profile analysis
what is fold back analysis of decision tree -
ANSWER✔✔expected utility for each decision is calculated by
adding values obtained when utility of each outcome of that
terminal node is multiplied by probability that outcome will
occur (every fold back starts from some node in tree, which is
referred as root node for the fold back - mostly a decision
node)
what is sensitivity analysis of decision tree - ANSWER✔✔a
series of fold backs over a range of values for one or more
variables - two way sensitivity analysis is when two values
are varied at same time resulting in a series of thresholds or
break-even points at which expected utility for each decision
is equal and resulting curves are called indifference curves
what is risk profile analysis of decision tree - ANSWER✔✔fold
back of decision tree doesn't convey how likely each result is
that focuses on obtaining highest expected utility - risk
profile analysis expressed probability of occurrence of each
outcome of a particular set of decisions
