Glossary Term:

Title

epidemiology

Phonetic

<b>ep</b>-ih-<b>deem</b>-ee-<b>AHL</b>-uh-jee

Description

The study of diseases in populations (large groups of people from the general population who share a common factor such as age, sex, or health condition) by collecting and analyzing statistical data. In the field of cancer, epidemiologists look at how many people have cancer; who gets certain types of cancer; and what factors (such as environment, job hazards, family patterns, and personal habits, like smoking and diet) are linked to developing cancer.