Question

Write some outside metarial as same as this article "A life course approach to chronic disease epidemiology: conceptual models, empirical challenges and interdisciplinary perspectives" by Yoav Ben-Shlomo, Diana Kuh. And Explain how this article can be related to our life.

Answer 1

The purpose of the article is to study how biological and social factors during gestation,childhood,adolescence and earlier adult life independently,cumulatively and interactively influence later life and disease.

the article is explaining about the existence of an association between suspected cause and disease

The study design that can explain about association between suspected cause and disease is COHORT STUDY

DEFINITION:

The cohorts are identified prior to the appearance of the disease under investigation

The study groups,so identified,are observed over a period of time to determine the frequency of disease among them

The study proceeds forward from cause to effect .

CONCEPT OF COHORT:

In epidemiology the term cohort is defined as a group of people who share a common characteristic or experience within a defined time period

e.g age ,occupation,exposure to the drug or vaccine,pregnancy,insured people etc .

Thus a group of people born on the same day or in same period of time form a 'birth cohort'

Persons exposed to a common drug or vaccine or infection within a defined period constitute an 'exposure cohort'.

ELEMENTS OF A COHORT STUDY:

1.SELECTION OF STUDY SUBJECTS:

the subjects of a cohort study are assembled in one of the two ways -either from general population or select groups of population that can be readily studied

2.OBTAINING DATA ON EXPOSURE:

Information about exposure may be obtained directly from the

• cohort members
• review of records
• medical examination or special tests
• environmental surveys

3.SELECTION OF COMPARISON GROUPS:

There are many ways of assembling comparison groups:

• Internal comparisons
• External comparisons
• Comparison with general population rates

4.FOLLOW UP

• Periodic medical examination of each member of the cohort
• reviewing physician and hospital records
• mailed questionnaires ,telephone calls,periodic home visits

5.ANALYSIS:

The data is analysed in terms of

• Incidence rates of outcome among exposed and non -exposed
• Estimation of risk​​​​​​​

CONCLUSION:

It can be related to our life where

• Incidence can be calculated
• Several possible outcomes related to exposure can be studied simultaneously
• Cohort studies Provide a direct estimate of relative risk
• Dose response ratios can be calculated   
• Since comparison groups are formed before disease developed,certain forms of bias can be minimised like mis -classification of individuals into exposed and unexposed groups.​​​​​​​

Many chronic diseases like lung cancer,cardiovascular diseases,hypertension all these diseases can be compared and estimation of risk is known

by this we can know the risk of mortality

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