Writing Homework Help

INTRODUCTION:

Part of public health is defining patterns and problems in health. That is the subset of public health called epidemiolgy. Here is a great definition of epidemiology from the CDC 1.

“By definition, epidemiology is the study (scientific, systematic, and data-driven) of the distribution (frequency, pattern) and determinants (causes, risk factors) of health-related states and events (not just diseases) in specified populations (neighborhood, school, city, state, country, global). It is also the application of this study to the control of health problems (Source: Principles of Epidemiology, 3rd Edition (Links to an external site.)).

This lesson focuses on Distribution (where) and Determinants (why). We can use these simple strategies to discover about the health of our communities.

PREPARATION:

First watch this great TED talk on Cholera in London. It is surprisingly entertaining for such a serious subject. Instead of trusting the convention that illness was caused by smells, he looked at patterns to discover a distribution.

(Links to an external site.)http://www.ted.com/talks/steven_johnson_tours_the_ghost_map

Then read this. This is a more current article that maps socio-economic and racial factors with heat conditions, a risk for heat stroke and death. They found that people of color are far more likely to live in extreme urban heat zones.

https://cnn.it/3i860qh (Links to an external site.) 

A big part of studying health is to be able to look at patterns or DISTRIBUTIONS. We need to describe the pattern and what may contribute to it, also known as a DETERMINANT, before an intervention can be designed.

ASSIGNMENT:  Pick a health concern. Describe a NOVEL determinant for it. The determinant (contributor factor) can be any of those discussed in the CDC lecture from last week (behavioral, social, environmental or genetic factors). Then describe  a way to map out the distribution pattern for your health concern (distribution). 

Do not describe someone else’s study or a historical problem, think of your own. For example don’t say you want to look at smokers and lung cancer OR DIABETES AND OBESITY. This has already been done. BE A DETECTIVE. THINK OF SOMETHING INTERESTING TO YOU.

Do not pick more than one determinant (ie exercise and diet). One problem/one novel determinant/one way to map or study it.