Desenvolvimento histórico-epistemológico da Epidemiologia e do conceito de risco

Abstract

Statistical reasoning in health practice was disseminated by epidemiology and is widely used in various health fields. This paper revisits the historical development of epidemiology and the concept of risk, responsible for the use of statistical chance as part of causal thinking in health sciences. The study covered the period from 1872 to 1965, and the documental base consisted of scientific articles related to the development of epidemiology as a field, particularly in the American Journal of Hygiene, as well as scientific books. Three phases were identified in the development of epidemiology: constitution, exposure, and risk. The article proceeds to discuss epistemological and social and health aspects required for the historical understanding of each phase. It concludes by stressing the relevance of critical reflection on epidemiological science and its relationship to health practice, especially in public health, in order to optimize its current use and foster its on-going creative reconstruction.

Children’s vulnerability to health damages: elements, applicability and perspectives

“…The concept of risk evolved from a generic reading about unhealthy conditions of life -Epidemiology of Constitution -as well as from a statistical and quantitative view in order to measure the phenomena and their relationship between cause and outcomes -Epidemiology of Exposition and Risk [12]. The concept of risk assesses the mathematical chances for people to get ill when they possess characteristics and/or behaviors that identify them with those suffering from a certain illness.…”

“…The concept of risk assesses the mathematical chances for people to get ill when they possess characteristics and/or behaviors that identify them with those suffering from a certain illness. However, the concept of vulnerability evaluates the potential for illness or not of a person or group who are under the same conditions [10,12]. This association aims to identify, between population, what people are more susceptible to be sick or to suffer harm, in order to adopt preventive actions or barriers to the advance of illness [9-10].…”

“…This association aims to identify, between population, what people are more susceptible to be sick or to suffer harm, in order to adopt preventive actions or barriers to the advance of illness [9-10]. These conceptual features show that the risk has limitations about subjective situations, such as experiences or meanings and, consequently, holds its impact in the process of ailment [10,12].…”

Análise preditiva do protocolo de identificação de fatores de risco para alteração de fala e linguagem (PIFRAL)

“…(Fernandes et al, 2013;Costa et al, 2013 Para epidemiologistas, risco é uma probabilidade, diferente do imaginário de ameaça e perigo (Ayres, 2002;Ayres, 2011;Junior, 2015).…”

“…Dessa forma, foi possível levantar e testar hipóteses causais para diferentes agravos, não necessariamente com um olhar para agentes infecciosos, mas com possibilidades de investigação de fatores que aumentam a chance de ocorrência de um agravo, os fatores de risco, ou que protegem dele, os fatores de proteção (Ayres, 2011).…”