44. Epidemiology PROFESSIONAL ENGLISH IN USE FOR MEDICINE

PROFESSIONAL ENGLISH IN USE FOR MEDICINE

44. Epidemiology

A	Rates The study of the spread and control of diseases in the community (epidemiology) requires analysis of frequency – the number of times something occurs in a particular period. We talk about frequency using word combinations with rate: A birth rate: the number of births in a population (group of people) B death (mortality) rate: the number of deaths in a population C case fatality rate: the number of deaths from a particular disease D survival: the number of patients still alive after treatment for a particular disease The birth rate in Singapore is 10.2 per 1,000 population. The infant mortality rate in Singapore is 3.0 per 1,000 live births. Other words used to talk about frequency Malaria is common in many developing countries. Malaria is uncommon/ rare in developed countries.
B	Incidence and prevalence The prevalence of a disease is the number of people in a population who have the disease at a particular time. The incidence of the disease is the number of new cases of the disease during a particular tine. The incidence of malaria is high in many developing countries. The incidence of malaria is low in many developed countries. The incidence of HIV infection is highest in sub-Saharan Africa. The incidence of HIV infection is lowest in the Caribbean. Note: you don’t say ‘The incidence of malaria is common’ The incidents of a disease in different groups are often compared.
C	Association and causation Studying the incidence of disease in particular groups of people can lead to the discovery of causation – what makes it occurs. For example, the high incidence of lung cancer among cigarette smokers suggests that smoking is the causative factor in the development of lung cancer. However, care must be taken not to assume every association between a disease and a measured variable is causative. To say there is an association between two things simply means that they occur together in a certain situation. For example, several studies have indicated high rates of lung cancer in cooks. Although this could be a consequence of their work (perhaps caused by carcinogens in fumes from frying), it may be simply because professional cooks smoke more than the average. In other words, smoking might confound the association with cooking.

EXERCISES

44.1	Complete the sentences. Look at A and B opposite to help you. 1 The proportion of episodes of illness that end and fatally is the __________ __________ rate. 2 The proportion of people who die in a particular period is the __________ rate.
44.2	Complete the text, using the correct grammatical form of each word. Look at the table and at A, B, And  C above to help you. Incidence of lung cancer (Surveillance and Risk Assessment Division, CCDP; Health Canada)
44.3	Find prepositions in A, B and C opposite that can be used to make word combinations with the words in the box. Then use the correct forms of the words to complete the sentences. affected association incidence lead rare 1 Recent surveys showed that the ______________ ______________HIV cases had come down in the southern states of India. 2 Epidemiologic data suggest an ______________ ______________ obesity and depression, but further studies are needed. 3 Appropriate preventive measures should ______________ ______________ a reduction in the mortality rate. 4 Thalassaemia is ______________ ______________ people of Northern European origin. 5 Male and female soldiers are equally ______________ ______________ post-traumatic stress disorder.

Answer key