Different Measures of Disease Are Useful to Evaluate and Assess

question 1

Essay

Different measures of disease are useful to evaluate and assess public health programs and needs in different situations. For each of the following scenarios, (a) state which measure would best support your goal, and (b) explain why you chose that measure.
Measures of disease:
I = incidence rate
P = prevalence
L = lifetime prevalence
M = crude mortality rate (crude death rate)
R = simple sex ratio
A. To demonstrate the risks of car-train crashes at railroad crossings without warning signals
B. To demonstrate the amount of children's exposure to secondhand cigarette smoke
C. To estimate the number of persons who have had leukemia during their lifetimes
D. To estimate the number of healthcare facilities needed to support patients with Alzheimer's disease
E. To argue that mortality from HIV infection is a more serious public health problem in one region of the United States than another
F. To argue that heart disease should get more funding than HIV
G. To compare the number of boys and girls who experience near-death from drowning in a city

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Definitions:

Entrenched Meanders

Deeply incised meanders in a river or stream that retain their winding course because the land elevation change has been rapid compared to the lateral motion of the river.

Base Level

The lowest point to which a river or stream can erode its channel, often sea level for rivers.

Uplift

The vertical elevation of the Earth's surface due to natural causes such as tectonic movements or volcanic activity.

Terraces

Flat, step-like surfaces on a sloped piece of land, created either by natural processes like river erosion and glacial activity or by human agricultural practices.