Epidemiology Course
Due date: Nov 08, 2024; Name: __________________________________________________
A study was conducted to determine cervical mortality among women in three woredas
(refer table below)
Woreda Age group
15-24 25-44 45+ Total
A Population 300 400 700 1400
Cases 32 80 400 512
Mortality rate
B Population 400 600 400 1400
Cases 80 177 255 512
Mortality rate
C Population 700 400 300 1400
Cases 165 135 212 512
Mortality rate
Q1. A. Which woreda has the highest prevalence based on the observed crude mortality rate?
B. Do you recommend standardization for this study is important? Why?
ONLY HAND WRITTEN ANSWERES ON THE QUESTION SHEET ARE ACCEPTED
Epidemiology Course
Due date: Nov 08, 2024; Name: __________________________________________________
For questions 2 to 4 use the following table:
Q2. If you are consulted to give advice of comparing woredas A, B and C having the data below,
what type of standardization would you advise? Why?
Q3. Compute the appropriate standardization.
Woreda Age group
15-24 25-44 45+ Total
A Population 300 400 700 1400
Cases 512
Mortality rate
B Population 400 600 400 1400
Cases 512
Mortality rate
C Population 700 400 300 1400
Cases 165 135 212 512
Mortality rate
Q4.A. Based on the standardization you use, which woreda has highest mortality? Where would
you advice people to live in order to minimize their risk of death?
B. Interpret your findings!
ONLY HAND WRITTEN ANSWERES ON THE QUESTION SHEET ARE ACCEPTED
Epidemiology Course
Due date: Nov 08, 2024; Name: __________________________________________________
For questions 5 to 6 use the following table:
Q5. Do direct standardization using mortality rate for woreda “A” as the standard population.
Woreda Age group
15-24 25-44 45+ Total
A Population 400 600 1000 2000
Cases 30 80 400 510
Mortality rate
B Population 500 800 700 2000
Cases 80 175 255 510
Mortality rate
C Population 700 800 500 2000
Cases 165 135 210 510
Mortality rate
Q6. A. Based on the standardization you use, which woreda has highest mortality? Where would
you advice people to live in order to minimize their risk of death?
B. Interpret your finding!
ONLY HAND WRITTEN ANSWERES ON THE QUESTION SHEET ARE ACCEPTED
Epidemiology Course
Due date: Nov 08, 2024; Name: __________________________________________________
1. On 4th September 1999, the Woreda Health Manager (WHM) of Shola woreda received a
report of an epidemic of unknown disease that had affected villages 1 and 2 in the woreda. He
was informed that the sick were presenting with sudden onset of vomiting, weakness and acute
watery diarrhoea. Two people had already from the disease. On further investigation it was
noted that the index cases were seen two days ago.
• What would be the case definition?
• How does the WHM verify the existence of an epidemic of cholera?
The woreda epidemic management committee did a thorough investigation and collected the data
that is summarized in the table below.
Table. Cases and deaths of cholera in Shola, from 1st to 14th September 1999.
Date Cases Deaths
1st 2 1
2nd 2 1
3rd 8 0
4th 4 0
5th 5 0
6th 3 0
7th 0 0
8th 1 0
9th 4 0
10th 2 0
11th 5 0
12th 5 0
13th 5 0
14th 2 0
Total 48 2
• Draw a graph to show epidemic of cholera in Shola using the data provided in the above
table.
• Describe the graph since the onset of the first case. How do you explain the multiple peaks
seen in the graph?
ONLY HAND WRITTEN ANSWERES ON THE QUESTION SHEET ARE ACCEPTED
Epidemiology Course
Due date: Nov 08, 2024; Name: __________________________________________________
The Woreda epidemic management team also summarized the cases of cholera by locality and sex
as seen in the table below.
Table 2. Distribution of cases by villages and sex, in Shola woreda.
Villages Population Cases of cholera Total cases Attack rate
at risk per 100,000
Male Female
1 30,000 12 7 19
2 20,000 12 3 15
3 40,000 4 9 13
4 10,000 0 1 1
Total 100,000 28 20 48
• Did the disease equally affect males and females? (assume male to female ratio is 1:1)
• Calculate the attack rate for each village, in Shola woreda.
Refers to table 3. What age groups were most affected by cholera?
Table3. Distribution of cases by age
Age groups Population at risk Number of cases Attack rate per
100,000 population
0-4 20,000 10
5-9 15,000 17
10-14 15,000 11
15-19 10,000 6
20 and above 40,000 4
• Based on your answers to previous questions what hypothesis could you make regarding
the place and the group at risk of getting the disease in Shola woreda?
ONLY HAND WRITTEN ANSWERES ON THE QUESTION SHEET ARE ACCEPTED