NR 586NP  Week 4 Assignment: Application of Epidemiology

Application of Epidemiology

Student name

NR 586

Chamberlain University

Professor Name

Submission Date

NR586NP Week 4 Application of Epidemiology Assignment Template

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 General Instructions

• Carefully read the assignment guidelines and rubric.
• Complete the Application of Epidemiology template below to answer the questions related to your investigation. Use complete sentences. Use of this template is required. If the template is not used, a 10% deduction will be applied. See the rubric. Save the template and include your name in the file name.
• Follow APA grammar, spelling, word usage, and punctuation rules consistent with formal, scholarly writing.
• Provide an in-text citation from three scholarly sources to support your writing.
• Abide by Chamberlain University’s academic integrity policy.
• Submit the completed Application of Epidemiology template to the Week 4 Assignment Dropbox.

Include the following sections (detailed criteria listed below and in the grading rubric.

Prevalent Infectious and Chronic Diseases

1. Describe the selected geographic region.

Chicago is a good metropolitan city in the US that is home to more than 2.7 million people. The city is characterized as a diverse city in terms of demography, in terms of various ethnicities, cultures, and socioeconomic status. Chicago’s climate can be described as cold winters and hot summers, and the city is divided into numerous neighbourhoods, which are also different. There is a mixture of state and private hospitals under the healthcare system that includes clinics and community health centres that aim at ensuring that the various needs of the citizens are addressed.

1. Identify the prevalent infectious and chronic diseases in the region.

The prevalent infectious diseases in Chicago are influenza, HIV/AIDS, and the latest disease, COVID-19. The Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) has information about such conditions in some detail, citing the effect they have on the community. Other chronic diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes, and hypertension, are other serious health problems that cause high morbidity and mortality among the residents.

1. Compare and contrast the prevalence of diseases in the selected region with disease rates and trends in a different geographic area of your choosing, noting similarities and differences.

In the comparison of Chicago to another city, Houston, Texas, the two cities face the issues of chronic diseases, including diabetes and hypertension. The pattern of some infectious diseases is, however, unequal; the case of tuberculosis is on the rise in Houston, and this can be explained by the large number of immigrants and also by its proximity to the southern border. In its turn, the prevalence rate of HIV/AIDs is greater in Chicago, which might be attributed to several demographic and behavioral factors.

1. Discuss the variables that contribute to the noted similarities and differences.

These trends are influenced by the socioeconomic status, access to healthcare, population density, and health promotion activities. In Chicago, the cause of both infectious and chronic disease distribution is other disparities such as income inequalities, education differences, and healthcare differences amongst neighbourhoods. The trends of immigration and cultural factors can have a more decisive effect on the occurrence of diseases in Houston.

1. Provide an in-text citation from one scholarly source to support your writing.

(Anderson et al., 2022)

An Application of the Epidemiological Model

1. S: Select and describe one of the prevalent diseases noted in the previous section.

Among the primary issues of the Chicago community, one can outline HIV/AIDS. The virus attacks the body’s immune system, rendering people susceptible to infection as well as certain cancers. Infection predominantly occurs through unprotected sexual intercourse, needle sharing, and mother-to-child during birth or through breastfeeding.

1. Discuss physical and social determinants of health that influence the disease process.

The physical determinants involve the availability of healthcare facilities where testing and treatment services are available. Things such as stigma of HIV, socioeconomic status, education, and access to preventive commodities such as condoms and clean needles are the social determinants. Low-resource communities, as well as those more susceptible to poverty impacts, can be affected more in terms of their rates of transmission, as they do not have access to medical services and prevention methods.

1. Identify and explain one epidemiological model that will be applied to the selected disease (i.e., Epidemiological Triangle, Web of Causation, or another legitimate epidemiological model).

The Epidemiological Triangle model will be used to analyse HIV/AIDS. The model pays attention to the relationship between the agent (HIV), the host (human), and the environment, which provides hints to the dynamics of the disease transmission.

1. Apply the epidemiological model to the selected disease in a well-developed, comprehensive manner, addressing the entire model.

Agent: Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), which infects the CD4 cells of the immune system.

Host: Homo sapiens, human beings, who are susceptible to the infection and rely on such behaviours as unprotected sex and sharing needles and biological factors, including underlying sexually transmitted diseases.

Environment: The spread of HIV is influenced by the Chicago environment, socioeconomic status, cultural orientation, and availability of healthcare services and the health policies of the population. It is probable that the regions, in which the poverty level is higher and where the opportunity to access healthcare is not available, will have a higher rate of transmission.

1. Provide an in-text citation from one scholarly source to support your writing.

(Kalinichenko et al., 2022)

Levels of Prevention

The prevention strategies are classified into three levels:

• Primary Prevention: This is aimed at preventing the existence of the disease by reducing the risk factors.
• Secondary Prevention: It is targeted at preventing the diseases at an early stage, as well as timely intervention to avoid the development of the disease.
• Tertiary Prevention: This is meant to address the impacts of disease and prevent complications in the infected individuals.

1. Discuss one primary prevention to address the disease.

The application of knowledge on sexual education and the use of condoms can avert HIV. Besides, a preventive measure could be the provision of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to more people at risk.

1. Discuss one secondary prevention to address the disease.

This is due to early diagnosis through routine screening of HIV, especially in high-prevalence communities. Early infection will lead to early initiation of the antiretroviral treatment (ART), which will be capable of containing the viral load and reducing the risks of transmission.

1. Discuss one tertiary prevention to address the disease.

Regular ART intake is the key to persons with HIV. HIV-related morbidity and mortality are reduced by means of holistic care, including regular check-ups of the virus loads and CD4, opportunistic infection treatment, and psychological support, which enhances the quality of life.

Reflection

On the one hand, the advanced practice nurses can monitor the prevention strategies based on the epidemiological data analysis, community evaluation, and liaising with the authorities of the public health of the community to examine the outcomes of the interventions. They can also engage in lifelong learning so as to remain abreast with the latest best practices and trends in prevention and care of HIV.

In my practice, I will involve the education of patients on the prevention of HIV, encouraging regular testing, and other related issues of the following treatment programs. I will also have a policy of encouraging preventive care and breaking the stigma of HIV.

1. Reflect on what you have learned from this assignment.

The assigned task has also contributed to my additional learning about the complex interrelation between various factors influencing the prevalence of diseases and the importance of the personalised approach to prevention in the health of the whole population.

For the week 2 Assignment of this class visit: NR586NP Week 2 Assignment