Uses of Epidemiology

J N Morris

Int J Epidemiol. 2007;36(6):1165-1172.

Conclusion

Epidemiology is today the Cinderella of the medical sciences. The proposition might, however, be advanced that public health needs more epidemiology, and so does medicine as a whole, and, it may be said, society at large. Public health needs more epidemiologythis is the most obvious intellectual basis for its further advance. Epidemiology, moreover, as a tried instrument of researchwith its modern developments in sampling and surveys, small-number statistics, the follow-up of cohorts, international comparisons, field experiment and family study; and with its extensions to problems of genetics as well as environment, to physiological norms as well as disease, the psychological as well as the physical, morbidity as well as mortalityepidemiology now offers the possibility of a new era of collaboration between public health workers and clinical medicine. Such a collaboration could be on equal terms, each making their particular contribution to the joint solving of problems. There is abundant evidence today that clinicians would very much welcome such a development.

Medicine as a whole needs more epidemiology, for without it cardinal areas have to be excluded from the consideration of human health and sickness. Epidemiology, moreover, is rich with suggestions for clinical and laboratory study, and it offers many possibilities for testing hypotheses emerging from these. One of the most urgent social needs of the day is to identify rules of health living that might do for us what Snow and others did for the Victorians, and help to reduce the burden of illness in middle and old age which is so characteristic a feature of our society. There is no indication whatever that the experimental sciences alone will be able to produce the necessary guidance. Collaboration between clinician, laboratory scientist and epidemiologist might be more successful. The possibilities are at present unlimited, if often neglected.

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Read in opening a discussion at the Section of Preventive Medicine and Infectious Diseases at the Annual Meeting of the British Medical Association, Glasgow, 1954, and since expanded. First published BMJ 1955;2:395-401. Reprinted with permission.

Cite this: Uses of Epidemiology - Medscape - Dec 01, 2007.

First Reproductive 'Cycle' in a Scottish City ^[2,4,5,6,7]
	Social class of husband
Findings in married women	I and II	III	IV and V
Physique of women-height
5 ft 1 in. (155 cm) or smaller (%)	12	24	28
Intelligence
Above average on matrix test (%)	80	42	26
Education
Leaving school over minimum age (%)	56	14	3
Housing
Living >2 per room (%)	2	7	15
Family Budget^a,b
Average weekly income (after compulsory deductions)	150s	129s	119s
Nutrition^a
Calcium intake (mg/day)	1219	1071	868
Animal protein intake (g/day)	48.6	44.0	40.4
Reproduction
Under-20 years old (%)	2	11	17
30 years old or over (%)	22	10	7
Pre-nuptial conception (%)	15	24	37
Babies 5 1/2 lb (2.5 kg) or less at birth (%)	4	8	10
Child Care
Fully breastfeeding at 3 months^a (%)	60	37	29
'Potting' regularly at end of first month (%)	72	49	28

This Table deals with local married primigravidae 'booked' for the Aberdeen Maternity Hospital, 1948-52; and includes 85-90% of all who were eligible. Data are for periods varying from 1 year (818 cases) to 5 years (4365 cases). Social classes I and II include the professions and business; class III are the skilled workers; IV and V, the semi-skilled and unskilled workers. Items^a are for samples of the total ^bclerical workers in social class III are included with classes I and II for family budget only. For other reasons, also, the sample of classes I and II for Budgets was not altogether satisfactory.

First Reproductive 'Cycle' in a Scottish City ^[2,4,5,6,7]
	Social class of husband
Findings in married women	I and II	III	IV and V
Physique of women-height
5 ft 1 in. (155 cm) or smaller (%)	12	24	28
Intelligence
Above average on matrix test (%)	80	42	26
Education
Leaving school over minimum age (%)	56	14	3
Housing
Living >2 per room (%)	2	7	15
Family Budget^a,b
Average weekly income (after compulsory deductions)	150s	129s	119s
Nutrition^a
Calcium intake (mg/day)	1219	1071	868
Animal protein intake (g/day)	48.6	44.0	40.4
Reproduction
Under-20 years old (%)	2	11	17
30 years old or over (%)	22	10	7
Pre-nuptial conception (%)	15	24	37
Babies 5 1/2 lb (2.5 kg) or less at birth (%)	4	8	10
Child Care
Fully breastfeeding at 3 months^a (%)	60	37	29
'Potting' regularly at end of first month (%)	72	49	28

Working of Health Services: A: Treatment of Minor Ailments by School Health Service ^[15] Before and After the National Health Service
Year	No. of pupils	No. of defects treated at school clinics
1947	5 034 275	1 190 754
1952-53	6 088 000	1 154 467

Working of Health Services: A: Treatment of Minor Ailments by School Health Service ^[15] Before and After the National Health Service
Year	No. of pupils	No. of defects treated at school clinics
1947	5 034 275	1 190 754
1952-53	6 088 000	1 154 467

*Serious*' *Clinical Medicine in a General Practice* ^[2,16] During 1 Year, 1949-50
Age	Frequency of serious problems per 100 persons	Proportion these formed of all the doctor's work with age group (%)
0-14	22	20
15-44	23	34
45-64	41	55
65+	83	76
All ages	32	43

*Functions of Occupational Health Service, 1951*., ^[17] Analysis of Sample Attendances at 12 Industrial Medical Officers' Clinics
No. of attendances in year	1952
Proportion for 'occupational reasons'	79%
Proportion for 'non-occupational reasons'	21%

Impact of a New Therapy., ^[18,19] Death Rates per Million From Diabetes at 20-35 Years of Age, Males
Social class	1921-23	1930-
I and II	64	26
III	50	25
IV and V	46	35

First Reproductive 'Cycle' in a Scottish City ^[2,4,5,6,7]
	Social class of husband
Findings in married women	I and II	III	IV and V
Physique of women-height
5 ft 1 in. (155 cm) or smaller (%)	12	24	28
Intelligence
Above average on matrix test (%)	80	42	26
Education
Leaving school over minimum age (%)	56	14	3
Housing
Living >2 per room (%)	2	7	15
Family Budget^a,b
Average weekly income (after compulsory deductions)	150s	129s	119s
Nutrition^a
Calcium intake (mg/day)	1219	1071	868
Animal protein intake (g/day)	48.6	44.0	40.4
Reproduction
Under-20 years old (%)	2	11	17
30 years old or over (%)	22	10	7
Pre-nuptial conception (%)	15	24	37
Babies 5 1/2 lb (2.5 kg) or less at birth (%)	4	8	10
Child Care
Fully breastfeeding at 3 months^a (%)	60	37	29
'Potting' regularly at end of first month (%)	72	49	28

Coronary and Cerebrovascular Disease Among Medical Practitioners. ^[22,27] Number of 'First Attacks', 1947-50 (Men Aged 40-64)
	General practitioners	Other doctors
Coronary heart disease	82	33
Cerebrovascular disease	14	13
Man-years of observation	10 800	8620

Coronary and Cerebrovascular Disease Among Medical Practitioners. ^[22,27] Number of 'First Attacks', 1947-50 (Men Aged 40-64)
	General practitioners	Other doctors
Coronary heart disease	82	33
Cerebrovascular disease	14	13
Man-years of observation	10 800	8620

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Uses of Epidemiology

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