Reference no: EM133454212
Epidemiological scenario:
We will investigate the incidence of Lyme disease in a population of 1000 individuals who live in a wooded area. We will follow these individuals for two years, during which time we will record any cases of Lyme disease that occur. We will divide the population into two groups: those who use insect repellent regularly (group A, n=500) and those who do not (group B, n=500).
Step 1: Calculate person-time
Person-time refers to the amount of time that each individual is at risk of developing the disease. In our scenario, we will follow the population for two years, so each individual will contribute 2 years of person-time. We need to calculate the total person-time for each group of individuals.
Group A: Total person-time =
Group B: Total person-time =
Step 2: Calculate the number of cases
During the two-year follow-up period, we observed a total of (fill-in total cases here) _____ cases of Lyme disease.
Group A: 8 cases of Lyme disease occurred among individuals who use insect repellent regularly.
Group B: 12 cases of Lyme disease occurred among individuals who do not use insect repellent regularly.
Step 3: Calculate the incidence rate
The incidence rate is the number of new cases of disease that occur within a population during a specified time period. It is calculated by dividing the number of new cases by the total person-time at risk.
Group A: Incidence rate =
Group B: Incidence rate =
Step 4: Calculate the risk difference
The risk difference is the difference in incidence rates between the two groups. It tells us how much more or less likely individuals in one group are to develop the disease compared to individuals in the other group. It is calculated by subtracting the incidence rate in one group from the incidence rate in the other group.
Risk difference = Incidence rate in group B - Incidence rate in group A
Risk difference =
Step 5: Calculate the risk ratio
The risk ratio compares the risk of disease in one group to the risk in another group. It is calculated by dividing the incidence rate in one group by the incidence rate in the other group.
Risk ratio = Incidence rate in group B / Incidence rate in group A
Risk ratio =
Conclusion: Express in a statement.