Descriptive Epidemiology: Using Person, Place, and Time to Study Population Health Problems

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Sep 1, 2025

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Descriptive Epidemiology: Data Sources and Data Collection

Descriptive epidemiology deals with describing disease patterns using three major categories: person, place, or time (Friis & Sellers, 2021). Consider the following example:

Over the last weekend, six people went to the Alcan City Hospital emergency room with similar symptoms. The laboratory results for the six patients were indicative of an infection due to Escherichia coli (E. coli). Patient interviews revealed they had all eaten a meal at Sam’s Sandwich Food Truck during the Alcan City Fair within 48 hours of going to the hospital. Further inquiries by the Alcan City public health officials identified that the source of the E. coli contamination was the lettuce that Sam’s had purchased from M&L Produce (a produce supplier located in Tempe, Arizona). Epidemiologists from the Arizona State Health Department determined that the lettuce that M&L supplied Sam’s was from a farm located in Xion, California (the key supplier for M&L Produce).

Aside from the six patients who sought treatment, epidemiologists tracked down and conducted interviews with 400 of the fair attendees to identify any potential cases who did not seek treatment and compare data with those who attended but did not become ill. Interview questions pertained to descriptive aspects of the outbreak (person, place, and time). Analysis of data collected on foods eaten allowed the epidemiologists to narrow it down and identify sandwiches served by Sam’s Sandwich Food Truck at the fair on Saturday as the source of infection. Alcan City public health officials were quick to visit the food truck to inquire into their food management and handling. The food truck owner was cooperative and helpful in providing licensing, permits, operations, and sales information.

Descriptive epidemiologic studies are often conducted as precursors to analytic studies. Epidemiologic concepts are used to gather data to better understand and evaluate health trends in populations. Data, such as characteristics of the persons affected, place where an incident occurred, and time of occurrence, are collected and analyzed to look for patterns in an effort to identify emerging health problems. It was in just this way that the HIV/AIDS epidemic was first identified.

In this Discussion, you will apply the epidemiologic concepts of time, place, and person to a specific population health problem. You will also consider methods for obtaining data to study an issue.

Resources

Be sure to review the Learning Resources before completing this activity.
Click the weekly resources link to access the resources.

WEEKLY RESOURCES

To prepare:

Examine Table 3.2 in your Curley textbook. Select a topic from the table to use for this Discussion.
Locate two scholarly articles that provide background information about the problem.
Identify a specific population affected by your selected health problem.
Research the patterns of the disease in your selected population using the epidemiologic characteristics of person, place, and time.
Consider methods for obtaining data to examine the association you selected.
Ask yourself: How would the methods I select influence the accuracy of case identification, definition, and diagnosis

By Day 3 of Week 2

Post a cohesive response that addresses the following:

Describe your selected health problem using the epidemiologic model (person, place, and time), with a focus on the population affected by this problem.
Discuss sampling methods you could use to collect primary data to describe and study your health problem.
Identify two secondary data sources that you could use to collect the data needed to address this topic.
Explain how these methods and sources

Here are guidelines to tackle this assignment step by step so it’s clear and structured:

Step 1: Understand the Core Task

You need to:

Pick a health problem from Table 3.2 in Curley’s textbook (e.g., obesity, diabetes, opioid use, asthma, etc.).
Apply the epidemiologic model (person, place, time) to describe the problem in a specific population.
Discuss how you’d collect data (primary + secondary sources).
Explain how the methods/sources affect accuracy in case identification, definition, and diagnosis.

Step 2: Suggested Structure

Introduction

Define descriptive epidemiology.
Briefly introduce the chosen health problem (e.g., childhood obesity or opioid overdose).
State why it’s important to study using person, place, and time.

Section 1: Describe the Health Problem (Person, Place, Time)

Person: Who is affected? (e.g., children, older adults, minority groups, low-income populations).
Place: Where is it happening? (specific city, state, community, or region).
Time: When is it happening? (seasonal patterns, trends over years, peak times).

(Example: Opioid overdoses are highest among middle-aged men in rural U.S. counties, with sharp increases during the COVID-19 pandemic period).

Section 2: Sampling Methods for Primary Data

Discuss how you’d collect your own data:
- Simple random sampling (equal chance for participants).
- Stratified sampling (divide population by age, gender, or risk level).
- Cluster sampling (select entire groups, e.g., hospitals or schools).
Explain why your chosen method works best for your health problem.

Section 3: Secondary Data Sources

Pick two strong sources, such as:

CDC WONDER (for mortality, morbidity, outbreaks).
National Health Interview Survey (NHIS).
Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS).
State or local health department registries.
Hospital discharge data or EMRs (Electronic Medical Records).

Section 4: Accuracy & Case Identification

Explain how definitions and data collection methods affect accuracy.
Example: Using self-reported surveys may cause recall bias, while EMRs provide more accurate diagnoses but may exclude uninsured populations.
Note how clear case definitions (what counts as a “case”) influence findings.

Conclusion

Restate the importance of using person, place, time in descriptive epidemiology.
Emphasize how primary and secondary data sources work together.
Highlight how proper sampling and accurate case identification improve public health interventions.

Step 3: Writing Tips

Use APA citations for at least two scholarly articles plus your textbook.
Keep sections clear and aligned with the prompts.
Tie back to population health impact.

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“Epidemiologic Data Sources and Sampling Methods in Public Health Research”
“Using Person, Place, and Time to Investigate Health Problems: A Descriptive Epidemiology Approach”

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