Prevalence, Cumulative Incidence, and Incidence Rate

Prevalence and incidence measures are often used in epidemiology and biostatistics. The measures are used to provide information regarding the total number of cases of a disease and the likelihood of a disease affecting a particular population. “Prevalence refers to the proportion of participants with a disease at a particular point in time” (Sullivan, 2012).

In contrast, “incidence reflects the likelihood of developing a disease among a group of participants free of the disease who are considered at risk of developing the disease over a specified observation period” (Sullivan, 2012). Combined, this information provides public health officials, such as epidemiologists, with cohesive information of the risk and impact of a disease.

Based on the module readings, respond to the following:

• Explain the difference between prevalence and incidence measures.
• Illustrate the difference between the prevalence, cumulative incidence, and incidence rate using an example or scholarly references.
• What are some problems with estimating the cumulative incidence rate?

Write your initial response in 3 paragraphs. Apply APA standards to citation of sources.

Sullivan, L. M. (2012). Essentials of biostatistics in public health. Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett Publishers. ISBN-13: 9781449623944