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Environmental epidemiology: an introduction to its merits and problems
1State Department of Health, Hazard Evaluation Emergency Response (HEER), Honolulu, HI 96813.
Hawaii Medical Journal
|March 1, 1991
Summary
Epidemiology has evolved from studying infectious diseases to analyzing diverse health events and patterns to uncover causes. Environmental Epidemiology is a growing subspecialty focused on environmental health factors.
Area of Science:
- Epidemiology
- Environmental Epidemiology
- Public Health
Background:
- Epidemiology has broadened its scope beyond infectious diseases to encompass a wide range of health events.
- It is now recognized as a systematic methodology for describing and analyzing health phenomena.
- The core principle is that disease patterns reveal underlying causes, facilitating etiologic discovery.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the expansion of epidemiological research interests.
- To introduce Environmental Epidemiology as an emerging subspecialty.
- To note the establishment and early meetings of the International Society for Environmental Epidemiology.
Main Methods:
- Systematic methodology for description and analysis of health events.
- Pattern identification to discover etiologic factors.
- Observational studies to understand disease distribution and determinants.
Main Results:
- Epidemiology now addresses diverse diseases and health events.
- Environmental Epidemiology has emerged as a distinct subspecialty.
- The International Society for Environmental Epidemiology was founded in 1989.
Conclusions:
- Epidemiology provides a framework for understanding health patterns and causes.
- Environmental factors are increasingly recognized as crucial in disease etiology.
- The growth of Environmental Epidemiology signifies a key development in public health research.