Nutritional epidemiology
Nutritional Epidemiology
Nutritional epidemiology (pronunciation: nu·tri·tion·al e·pi·de·mi·ol·o·gy) is a branch of epidemiology that studies the relationship between diet and health. The term is derived from the Greek words "epi", meaning "upon", "demos", meaning "people", and "logos", meaning "study".
Definition
Nutritional epidemiology is a science that studies the relationship between dietary habits and health outcomes. It involves the study of the diet's role in the cause, prevention, and management of diseases. The field uses various methods from epidemiology and biostatistics to search for correlations between dietary intake and disease outcomes.
History
The field of nutritional epidemiology has evolved over the years. It began with simple observational studies and has now grown into a complex field that uses sophisticated methods to measure diet and health outcomes. The first studies in this field were conducted in the early 20th century, focusing on the role of diet in scurvy and rickets.
Methods
Nutritional epidemiology uses a variety of methods to collect data, including food frequency questionnaires, 24-hour dietary recalls, and dietary records. These methods are used to estimate the intake of nutrients and other dietary components. The data collected is then analyzed using statistical methods to find associations between diet and disease.
Challenges
One of the main challenges in nutritional epidemiology is the difficulty in accurately measuring diet. This is due to the complexity of the diet, the variability in food composition, and the difficulty in recalling past dietary intake. Other challenges include the long latency period of many diseases and the influence of confounding factors.
Related Terms
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Nutritional epidemiology
- Wikipedia's article - Nutritional epidemiology
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