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Wednesday, December 7, 2016

PRINCIPLE IN EPIDEMIOLOGY: IDENTIFICATION OF RISK FACTORS OR DETERMINANTS


By: Andi Agus Mumang, S.KM
An epidemiology expert clearly and plainly should know about the risk factors for a disease / health problems ranging from phase exposed till phase of handling cases. Such phases have been described in the first node of the node management of epidemiology. In These stages used to identify the risk factors as root causes and then formulated in a developing hypotheses to prove there is relationship or not on the incidence of disease.

Methods in identifying risk factors are presented in the form of epidemiological design and frequency distribution by the place, people and time at each node epidemiology. So that would make it easier to identify the cause of the dominant (dominant risk factor). Next, perform the stages of development of a hypothesis to know the presence or absence of linkages between suspected risk factors on the incidence of the disease (the significance of risk factors).

As an example:

Case: TB by Mycrobacterium tuberculosis

In a study of medical microbiology, Mycro.tuberculosis is the strongest factor that cause of TB cases. Someone who found tubercle bacilli in his/her bodies (susceptible), means that person is identified had TB. Until the process can develop into subclinical (there is pathological changes to the appearance of symptoms) until the event of sickness (clinical phase). All these stages are starting from TB bacterial infection on the person. On the other hand, an epidemiologist trying to examine more deeply what causes until the exposure occurred, where and when the course of the exposure (the principle of epidemiological studies on people, places and times).
So is then pushed the epidemiologist to make identification. The supposition which allow exposure to a disease is called a risk factor. Other epidemiological principle used that multicausal factor is definitely. That is, the occurrence of a disease followed by various causes. Not is only the main cause, but also other causes. This is then assessed in the identification of risk factors. In the case of TB, some of the risk factors is nutritional and immune status, population density, household contact history, housing conditions and behaviors.
Identification of the risk factors in disease diagnosis phase can be done. For example, in the case of TB, a factor involved in diagnosis is the selection of populations and strategies, taking sputum, making preparations to the test laboratory. Likewise, recovery phase (treatment /healing). It could allow a risk factor is compliance with treatment, drugs, PMO, motivation and commitment of officers, etc.


Here's the thing done by an epidemiologist in tackling a health problem. Many factors must be considered as well as the many factors that must to be identified whose purpose is to obtain accuracy to the study of a disease or health problem

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