NR503 Epidemiology Midterm Exam UPDATE
QUESTION AND ANSWERS
How does social justice and health inequities influence population health care provision? Why is this
critical information for the provision of evidence-based care?
More and more studies are being conducted to look at the relationship of sustained exposure to toxic
stress to a variety of poor health outcomes and high-risk behaviors. These behaviors include such
things as cutting, hypervigilance, promiscuity, eating disorders, poor school performance, depression,
violence, suicidal ideation/attempts, and justice system involvement. These are just a few of the many
behaviors found to be associated with sustained exposure to toxic stress. Studies such as these
illustrate the importance of understanding the social determinants of poor health and the potential
for doing good and preventing harm to aggregates and populations by targeting exposures to such
things as child abuse and neglect for prevention, early recognition, and intervention.,
Vital Statistics
Vital statistics provide important outcome measures that APRNs can monitor and compare over time
and analyze by demographic variables to detect such things as health disparities. In the United States,
the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) collects the official records of births, deaths,
marriages, divorces, fetal deaths, and induced terminations of pregnancies from state and local health
departments (Aschengrau & Seage, 2013). Personnel from local health departments review the data
from death certificates, including demographic data, looking at the immediate cause of death and any
contributing factors of death, and recording multiple causes of death. Local data are sent to a state
office for collation and then sent to the NCHS, which provides this information to the public on its
website (http://www.cdc.gov/nchs) and in an annual publication, Vital Statistics of the United States
(Friis & Sellers, 2009). APRNs can access national and global health statistics from multiple agency
sources, including government agencies, to identify health trends and patterns (Partners, 2014).
However, due to the lack of agencies and/or resources in certain populations or regions, health
information might not be available or might be limited in scope
Morbidity
Refers to ill health in an individual and the levels of ill health in a population or group.
Mortality
Mortality rates, also known as death rates, can be useful when evaluating and comparing populations.
As stated earlier, there are many factors that can affect the natural history of disease, and measuring
mortality allows investigators to compare death rates among and within populations
Cases
Refers to individuals who acquire a certain disease or condition.
Social Justice
the defense of human dignity by ensuring that essential human needs are met and that essential
human rights are protected for all people
Epidemiology
the study of disease distribution within populations and the risk factors that affect increases or
decreases in distribution.
Incidence
, Incidence rates describe the occurrence of new events in a population over a period of time relative
to the size of the population at risk,Incidence provides information about the rate at which new cases
occur and is a measure of risk. Incidence rates provide us with a direct measure of how often new
cases occur within a particular population and provide some basis on which to assess risk.
Prevalence
Prevalence rates describe the number of all cases of a specific disease or attribute in a population at a
given point in time relative to the size of the population at risk. Period prevalence measures the
number of cases of disease during a specific period of time and is a measure of burden
Outcomes
The possible results of an experiment
Inter-professional collaboration
Multiple health care workers from a variety of professions working together to deliver evidence-
informed, patient centered health care
Healthy People 2020
Healthy People 2020 is a national document with agreed-upon national objectives that guides and
assists APNs to focus on and identify levels of population healthcare for persons across the life span.
There is clearly a strong and compelling linkage between epidemiological concepts, the three levels of
prevention, and the goals of Healthy People 2020. The study and application of epidemiological
principles enables the APN to make comprehensive, evidence-based clinical decisions for patients and
populations.
Determinants of health
the range of personal, social, economic, and environmental factors that influence health status
Risk analysis
the process of identifying and analyzing potential issues that could negatively impact key business
initiatives or critical projects in order to help organizations avoid or mitigate those risks.
What is the Campaign for Action?
envisions a world where all Americans have access to high quality patient-centered care in a health
care system where nurses contribute as essential partners in achieving success.
Primary Prevention
Primary prevention refers to the process of altering susceptibility or reducing exposure to susceptible
individuals and includes general health promotion and specific measures designed to prevent disease
prior to a person getting disease. Interventions designed for primary prevention are carried out during
the stage of susceptibility and can include such things as providing immunizations to change a
person's susceptibility. Actions taken to prevent tobacco usage are another example of primary
prevention.
Secondary Prevention
The early detection and prompt treatment of a disease at the earliest possible stage are referred to as
secondary prevention. The goals of secondary prevention are to either identify and cure a disease at a
very early stage or slow its progression to prevent complications and limit disability. Secondary
QUESTION AND ANSWERS
How does social justice and health inequities influence population health care provision? Why is this
critical information for the provision of evidence-based care?
More and more studies are being conducted to look at the relationship of sustained exposure to toxic
stress to a variety of poor health outcomes and high-risk behaviors. These behaviors include such
things as cutting, hypervigilance, promiscuity, eating disorders, poor school performance, depression,
violence, suicidal ideation/attempts, and justice system involvement. These are just a few of the many
behaviors found to be associated with sustained exposure to toxic stress. Studies such as these
illustrate the importance of understanding the social determinants of poor health and the potential
for doing good and preventing harm to aggregates and populations by targeting exposures to such
things as child abuse and neglect for prevention, early recognition, and intervention.,
Vital Statistics
Vital statistics provide important outcome measures that APRNs can monitor and compare over time
and analyze by demographic variables to detect such things as health disparities. In the United States,
the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) collects the official records of births, deaths,
marriages, divorces, fetal deaths, and induced terminations of pregnancies from state and local health
departments (Aschengrau & Seage, 2013). Personnel from local health departments review the data
from death certificates, including demographic data, looking at the immediate cause of death and any
contributing factors of death, and recording multiple causes of death. Local data are sent to a state
office for collation and then sent to the NCHS, which provides this information to the public on its
website (http://www.cdc.gov/nchs) and in an annual publication, Vital Statistics of the United States
(Friis & Sellers, 2009). APRNs can access national and global health statistics from multiple agency
sources, including government agencies, to identify health trends and patterns (Partners, 2014).
However, due to the lack of agencies and/or resources in certain populations or regions, health
information might not be available or might be limited in scope
Morbidity
Refers to ill health in an individual and the levels of ill health in a population or group.
Mortality
Mortality rates, also known as death rates, can be useful when evaluating and comparing populations.
As stated earlier, there are many factors that can affect the natural history of disease, and measuring
mortality allows investigators to compare death rates among and within populations
Cases
Refers to individuals who acquire a certain disease or condition.
Social Justice
the defense of human dignity by ensuring that essential human needs are met and that essential
human rights are protected for all people
Epidemiology
the study of disease distribution within populations and the risk factors that affect increases or
decreases in distribution.
Incidence
, Incidence rates describe the occurrence of new events in a population over a period of time relative
to the size of the population at risk,Incidence provides information about the rate at which new cases
occur and is a measure of risk. Incidence rates provide us with a direct measure of how often new
cases occur within a particular population and provide some basis on which to assess risk.
Prevalence
Prevalence rates describe the number of all cases of a specific disease or attribute in a population at a
given point in time relative to the size of the population at risk. Period prevalence measures the
number of cases of disease during a specific period of time and is a measure of burden
Outcomes
The possible results of an experiment
Inter-professional collaboration
Multiple health care workers from a variety of professions working together to deliver evidence-
informed, patient centered health care
Healthy People 2020
Healthy People 2020 is a national document with agreed-upon national objectives that guides and
assists APNs to focus on and identify levels of population healthcare for persons across the life span.
There is clearly a strong and compelling linkage between epidemiological concepts, the three levels of
prevention, and the goals of Healthy People 2020. The study and application of epidemiological
principles enables the APN to make comprehensive, evidence-based clinical decisions for patients and
populations.
Determinants of health
the range of personal, social, economic, and environmental factors that influence health status
Risk analysis
the process of identifying and analyzing potential issues that could negatively impact key business
initiatives or critical projects in order to help organizations avoid or mitigate those risks.
What is the Campaign for Action?
envisions a world where all Americans have access to high quality patient-centered care in a health
care system where nurses contribute as essential partners in achieving success.
Primary Prevention
Primary prevention refers to the process of altering susceptibility or reducing exposure to susceptible
individuals and includes general health promotion and specific measures designed to prevent disease
prior to a person getting disease. Interventions designed for primary prevention are carried out during
the stage of susceptibility and can include such things as providing immunizations to change a
person's susceptibility. Actions taken to prevent tobacco usage are another example of primary
prevention.
Secondary Prevention
The early detection and prompt treatment of a disease at the earliest possible stage are referred to as
secondary prevention. The goals of secondary prevention are to either identify and cure a disease at a
very early stage or slow its progression to prevent complications and limit disability. Secondary
