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• Epidemiology Terms

- D -

• Death-To-Case Ratio

The number of deaths attributed to a particular disease during a specified time period divided by the number of new cases of that disease identified during the same time period.



• Demographic Information

The ``person'' characteristics--age, sex, race, and occupation--of descriptive epidemiology used to characterize the populations at risk.



• Denominator

The lower portion of a fraction used to calculate a rate or ratio. In a rate, the denominator is usually the population (or population experience, as in person-years, etc.



• Dependent Variable

In a statistical analysis, the outcome variable(s) or the variable(s) whose values are a function of other variable(s) (called independent variable(s) in the relationship under study).



• Descriptive Epidemiology

The aspect of epidemiology concerned with organizing and summarizing health-related data according to time, place, and person.



• Determinant

Any factor, whether event, characteristic, or other definable entity, that brings about change in a health condition, or in other defined characteristics.



• Direct Transmission

The immediate transfer of an agent from a reservoir to a susceptible host by direct contact or droplet spread.



• Distribution

In epidemiology, the frequency and pattern of health-related characteristics and events in a population. In statistics, the observed or theoretical frequency of values of a variable.



• Dot Plot

A visual display of the actual data points of a noncontinuous variable.



• Droplet Nuclei

The residue of dried droplets that may remain suspended in the air for long periods, may be blown over great distances, and are easily inhaled into the lungs and exhaled.



• Droplet Spread

The direct transmission of an infectious agent from a reservoir to a susceptible host by spray with relatively large, short-ranged aerosols produced by sneezing, coughing, or talking.