Epidemiology

Epidemiology is the scientific study of the patterns, causes, and effects of health and disease conditions in defined populations. It plays a crucial role in public health by helping to identify risk factors for disease, determining how diseases spread, and developing strategies to control and prevent them. Key aspects of epidemiology include: 1. **Descriptive Epidemiology**: This involves summarizing the health status of populations and identifying trends by examining who, what, when, and where of disease incidence.