Incidence (epidemiology)
Incidence (epidemiology)
Incidence (pronounced: /ˈɪnsɪdəns/) in epidemiology is a measure of the probability of occurrence of a given medical condition in a population within a specified period of time. Although sometimes loosely expressed simply as the number of new cases during some time period, it is better expressed as a proportion or a rate.
Etymology
The term 'incidence' originated from the Latin word 'incidere' which means 'to fall upon, happen to'. In epidemiology, it refers to the occurrence, rate, or frequency of a disease.
Definition
In epidemiology, incidence is a measure of disease that allows us to determine a person's probability of being diagnosed with a disease during a given period of time. Therefore, incidence is the number of newly diagnosed cases of a disease. An incidence rate is the number of new cases of a disease divided by the number of persons at risk for the disease. In contrast, prevalence is the total number of cases of a disease existing in a population. A high incidence of a disease means that there are many cases of the disease occurring, and the disease is spreading rapidly.
Calculation
The incidence rate is calculated by dividing the number of new cases by the total number of at-risk individuals in the population, then multiplying by a constant, usually 1,000 or 100,000. The result is often reported per 1,000 or per 100,000 people.
Related Terms
- Prevalence: The total number of cases of a disease in a given population at a specific time.
- Morbidity rate: The frequency with which a disease appears in a population.
- Mortality rate: A measure of the number of deaths in a given population.
- Epidemiology: The study and analysis of the distribution, patterns and determinants of health and disease conditions in defined populations.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Incidence (epidemiology)
- Wikipedia's article - Incidence (epidemiology)
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