Public Health Glossary

Decode complex terminology and master the language of public health.

E-health

Definition: E-health refers to the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) for health, encompassing a wide range of services…

Read Definition

Early Warning System

Definition: An Early Warning System (EWS) in public health is a systematic process designed to detect and identify potential health…

Read Definition

Ecological Study

Definition: An ecological study is an observational epidemiological study in which the unit of analysis is a group or population,…

Read Definition

Economic Evaluation

Definition: Economic evaluation in public health systematically compares the costs and consequences of different health interventions or programs to inform…

Read Definition

Effect Modification

Definition: Effect modification occurs when the magnitude or direction of an association between an exposure and an outcome differs across…

Read Definition

Effectiveness

Definition: Effectiveness refers to the extent to which a public health intervention, program, or policy achieves its intended outcomes under…

Read Definition

Efficacy

Definition: Efficacy refers to the extent to which an intervention (e.g., a vaccine, drug, or public health program) produces a…

Read Definition

Elimination (of disease)

Definition: Elimination of disease refers to the reduction to zero of the incidence of a specified disease in a defined…

Read Definition

Emerging Infectious Disease

Definition: An Emerging Infectious Disease (EID) is a disease that has newly appeared in a population, or has existed previously…

Read Definition

Empowerment

Definition: Empowerment in public health is the process by which individuals and communities gain increasing control over decisions and actions…

Read Definition

Enabling Factors

Definition: Enabling factors are the practical resources, skills, and environmental conditions that facilitate or make possible the performance of an…

Read Definition

Endemic

A disease or condition regularly found among particular people or in a certain area.

Read Definition

Enhanced Surveillance

Definition: Enhanced surveillance refers to the intensified, often temporary, collection, analysis, and interpretation of health data beyond routine surveillance activities.…

Read Definition

Environmental Health

Definition: Environmental Health is the branch of public health focused on the interrelationships between people and their environment, specifically assessing,…

Read Definition

Environmental Justice

Definition: Environmental Justice is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people, regardless of race, color, national origin, or…

Read Definition

Epidemic

Definition: An epidemic refers to a sudden, unexpected increase in the number of cases of a disease or health-related event…

Read Definition

Epidemiological Curve

Definition: An epidemiological curve is a graphical representation (histogram) showing the number of new cases of an illness or health…

Read Definition

Epidemiological Transition

Definition: The Epidemiological Transition describes the shift in disease patterns in a population, typically from a high prevalence of infectious…

Read Definition

Epidemiology

The study of the distribution and determinants of health-related states or events in specified populations, and the application of this study to the control of health problems.

Read Definition

Epigenetics

Definition: Epigenetics refers to heritable changes in gene expression that occur without altering the underlying DNA sequence. These modifications can…

Read Definition

Equity (Health Equity)

Definition: Health equity means everyone has a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible, removing obstacles to…

Read Definition

Eradication (of disease)

Definition: Eradication of a disease refers to the complete and permanent worldwide reduction to zero incidence of infection caused by…

Read Definition

Ethical Review Board

Definition: An Ethical Review Board (ERB), often known as an Institutional Review Board (IRB) in the United States, is an…

Read Definition

Etiology

Definition: Etiology is the scientific study of the causes or origins of a disease or health condition. It investigates the…

Read Definition

Evaluation Research

Definition: Evaluation research is the systematic process of assessing the design, implementation, and outcomes of programs, policies, or interventions to…

Read Definition

Evidence-Based Public Health

Definition: Evidence-Based Public Health (EBPH) is the systematic process of integrating the best available research evidence with public health expertise…

Read Definition

Evidentialism

Definition: Evidentialism in public health is the principle asserting that public health policies, programs, and interventions must be systematically informed…

Read Definition

Excess Mortality

Definition: Excess mortality refers to the number of deaths from all causes during a crisis or specific period that are…

Read Definition

Expected Utility

Definition: Expected utility is a concept from decision theory that quantifies the anticipated value or satisfaction an individual or group…

Read Definition

Explanatory Model

Definition: An explanatory model refers to an individual's or group's personal, culturally shaped understanding of an illness, encompassing its perceived…

Read Definition

Exposure

Definition: In public health, **exposure** is the state of being in contact with a source of a hazardous agent, environmental…

Read Definition

Externality

Definition: An externality occurs when the production or consumption of a good or service imposes a cost or confers a…

Read Definition