Background and Epidemiology

Cesarean delivery: background, trends, and epidemiology.

OBJECTIVE To examine trends in cesarean delivery for the overall population and for women with "no indicated risk" for cesarean section, and to summarize the available literature on "maternal request" cesarean deliveries. FINDINGS Nearly 3 in 10 births were delivered by cesarean section in 2004 (29.1%), the highest rate ever reported in the United States. The overall rate has increased by ove...

Colon and Rectal Cancer Summary Colorectal Cancer Background and Epidemiology

Despite the availability of approved screening and early detection tests, colorectal cancer remains the third most common malignancy in both men and women. It is estimated that 103,170 new cases of colon cancer and 40,290 new cases of rectal cancer will occur in the United States in 2012. This represents about 9% of all cancers diagnosed. It is also the second leading cause of death from cancer...

Biomarkers: background, classification and guidelines for applications in nutritional epidemiology.

One of the main problems in nutritional epidemiology is to assess food intake as well as nutrient/food component intake to a high level of validity and reliability. To help in this process, the need to have good biomarkers that more objectively allow us to evaluate the diet consumed in a more standardized, valid and precise way has often been commented upon. There are various definitions of bio...

Historical background and epidemiology of cerebrospinal meningitis (CSM).

The ZInEP Epidemiology Survey: background, design and methods.

This article introduces the design, sampling, field procedures and instruments used in the ZInEP Epidemiology Survey. This survey is one of six ZInEP projects (Zürcher Impulsprogramm zur nachhaltigen Entwicklung der Psychiatrie, i.e. the "Zurich Program for Sustainable Development of Mental Health Services"). It parallels the longitudinal Zurich Study with a sample comparable in age and gender,...