Age Group
A category of people defined by a similar age range.
Glossary A–Z
Published canonical terms. Aliases redirect to canonical pages.
Agent
A disease-causing or health-affecting factor involved in the occurrence of illness.
Antibiotic
A drug used to kill or inhibit the growth of susceptible bacteria.
Antibody
A protein produced by the immune system in response to a specific antigen.
Attack Rate
A cumulative incidence measure used in outbreak settings.
Attitude
A person's settled way of thinking or feeling that may influence health behavior.
Bias
Systematic error distorting study validity.
Case
An instance of a particular disease, injury, or health condition.
Case
An individual identified as having a particular disease or health condition.
Cohort Study
Study following exposed and unexposed groups over time.
Confounding
Mixing of effects between an exposure and another factor.
Contact
A person or interaction involving potential exposure to an infected individual.
Control
A comparison subject or group used to evaluate differences in a study.
Correlation
A statistical relationship between two or more variables.
COVID-19
An infectious respiratory disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
Cross-Sectional Study
A study that examines a population at a single point in time.
Culture
The laboratory cultivation of microorganisms or cells for diagnostic evaluation.
Demographic Characteristic
A measurable attribute used to describe a population or subgroup.
Diagnosis
The identification of a disease or condition through clinical evaluation and evidence.
Distribution
The pattern of occurrence of a variable, event, or condition across values, groups, or places.
Education Level
The highest level of formal education completed by a person.
Effectiveness
The degree to which an intervention achieves its intended effect under real-world conditions.
Endemic
Constant presence of a disease in a region or population.
Epidemic
Occurrence of disease above expected levels in a community.