Question 1

Why do social sciences increasingly contribute to epidemiological study of health and disease patterns?

Accepted Answer

Interest has grown because chronic, non-infectious diseases became major causes of morbidity and mortality in Western populations, and these conditions are strongly influenced by lifestyle variables shaped by social and cultural forces. Infectious disease distribution and control also depend on human behavior and its social and cultural determinants.

Question 2

How does the book explain the role of lifestyle in chronic, non-infectious diseases?

Accepted Answer

Chronic, non-infectious diseases are influenced by behavioral factors such as obesity, sedentary lifestyle, and stress. These behavioral factors are themselves encouraged or constrained by social and cultural forces, making social and cultural understanding necessary for explaining risks like hypertension.

Question 3

What kind of etiological models does the book emphasize for infectious and behavioral disease processes?

Accepted Answer

It emphasizes etiological models focusing on psychological, biological, and socio-cultural characteristics of hosts, rather than treating analysis as exclusive concern with a specific agent or only an individual exposure or behavioral risk. Advances in statistics and computing support testing multivariate causal models.