Question

What term describes the measure of the number of new cases of a specific condition occurring over a certain time period, in comparison to the general healthy population?

a) Prevalence rate
b) Mortality rate
c) Incidence rate
d) Morbidity rate

Answer 1

The term for the measure of new cases of a condition in a certain time period compared to the overall population is the incidence rate.

The correct answer is option c) Incidence rate

Step-by-step explanation:

The term that describes the measure of the number of new cases of a specific condition occurring over a certain time period, in comparison to the general healthy population, is c) Incidence rate. This epidemiological measure is essential for understanding risk factors and the spread of disease. Unlike prevalence rate, which includes both new and existing cases, the incidence rate strictly accounts for new cases within a set population over a specified time period. The mortality rate, on the other hand, is concerned with the number of deaths from a disease expressed per 100,000 individuals in a population, and the morbidity rate focuses on the proportion of individuals affected by a disease at a given time.

For instance, when examining the occurrence of a disease such as HIV, epidemiologists use both the prevalence and incidence rates. The prevalence rate indicates the total burden of HIV on a population, accounting for all people living with HIV, while the incidence rate provides insight into the rate at which new HIV infections are occurring.