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Fundamentals of epidemiology - an evolving text - Are you looking ...

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4.<br />

Specification <strong>of</strong> units for incidence density is essential, since the number has no me<strong>an</strong>ing in<br />

itself (for example, the incidence density could be expressed per person-week, per personmonth,<br />

etc., with a different numerical value for the incidence density in each case). In<br />

contrast, proportions have no units, though a scaling factor is <strong>of</strong>ten used in order to write<br />

the number in a more readable fashion, e.g., 153 per 100,000 is a more easily read number<br />

th<strong>an</strong> 0.00053, but either form is correct <strong>an</strong>d complete for prevalence or incidence<br />

proportion.<br />

a. Rate (relative)<br />

b. Proportion<br />

c. Proportion<br />

d. Neither - this is (only) a ratio<br />

e. Rate (relative) - ch<strong>an</strong>ge in cases / ch<strong>an</strong>ge in time relative to population<br />

_____________________________________________________________________________________________<br />

EPID 168 Measuring disease <strong>an</strong>d exposure - Assignment solutions - 124<br />

rev. 9/3/1999

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