Public Health Glossary

The proportion of an at-risk population that develops a disease during a specified time period, often used in outbreak investigations.

The application of statistical methods to biological, medical, and public health data for the purpose of drawing inferences and making decisions.

The proportion of individuals diagnosed with a specific disease who die from that disease within a specified time period.

A distortion of the estimated effect of an exposure on an outcome caused by the presence of a third variable associated with both the exposure and the outcome.

The identification and follow-up of persons who may have been exposed to an infected individual to prevent further transmission of disease.

Disability-Adjusted Life Year; a measure of overall disease burden expressed as the number of years lost due to ill health, disability, or early death.

The constant presence or usual prevalence of a disease or infectious agent within a given geographic area or population group.

The occurrence of cases of a disease in a community or region clearly in excess of normal expectancy.

A traditional model of infectious disease causation involving the interaction of agent, host, and environment.

A particular type of health difference that is closely linked with social, economic, or environmental disadvantage.

The attainment of the highest level of health for all people, requiring the removal of obstacles such as poverty, discrimination, and lack of access to care.

The capacity of individuals to obtain, process, and understand basic health information needed to make appropriate health decisions.

The resistance to the spread of an infectious disease in a population when a sufficiently high proportion of individuals are immune.

The number of new cases of a disease occurring in a specified population during a defined time interval.

The state of being diseased or unhealthy within a population; often measured as morbidity rate.

The number of deaths in a given population over a specific time period, usually expressed per 1,000 or per 100,000 population.

The occurrence of more cases of a disease than expected in a given area or among a specific group of people over a particular period of time.

An epidemic occurring worldwide or over a very wide area, crossing international boundaries, and usually affecting a large number of people.

The total number of existing cases of a disease in a population at a given time, including both new and previously diagnosed cases.

Quality-Adjusted Life Year; a measure of disease burden that accounts for both the quality and quantity of life lived, used in health economic evaluations.

The ratio of the probability of an event occurring in an exposed group to the probability of it occurring in a non-exposed group.

The systematic application of a test or inquiry to identify individuals at sufficient risk of a specific disorder to warrant further investigation or direct preventive action.

The economic and social conditions that influence individual and group differences in health status, including income, education, employment, and living conditions.

The ongoing systematic collection, analysis, and interpretation of health-related data essential to planning, implementation, and evaluation of public health practice.

An infectious disease caused by a pathogen that has jumped from a non-human animal to a human, such as rabies, Ebola, or avian influenza.