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Epidemiology and Principles of Research

   

Added on  2021-04-17

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Running head:EPIDEMIOLOGY AND PRINCIPLES OF RESEARCHEpidemiology and Principles of ResearchName of student:Name of university:Author note:

1EPIDEMIOLOGY AND PRINCIPLES OF RESEARCHAbstractStroke is known to be a major factor for patient mortality and morbidity when speaking on theglobal basis. In Australia, the condition has been projected to be a leading contributor to poorhealth outcomes of the nation’s population. There exist incontestable inconsistencies in thedistribution of the burden of the disease. The indigenous population has been indicated to sufferstroke at a much higher rate as compared to their counterpart. Stroke causation is chieflymultifactorial and different risk factors interact in a complex manner. There is a need ofimplementing evidence based strategies for addressing the confounding issues in the near future.

2EPIDEMIOLOGY AND PRINCIPLES OF RESEARCHStroke acts as a significant contributing factor for the total disease burden on a globalscale and research indicates it to be preceding coronary heart disease as the cause of death.Further, stroke is a notable reason for disability among individuals. Stroke is defined as thecondition in which cell death in brain is due to poor supply of blood. It is the acute loss of brainfunction due to impairment of blood supply. As per the World Health Organization definition forstroke, it is the "neurological deficit of cerebrovascular cause that persists beyond 24 hours or isinterrupted by death within 24 hours" (1). Medical science classifies stroke into two categories;hemorrhagic, as a result of bleeding, and ischemic, as a result of the absence of blood flow. Signsof such a condition include the restriction to feel or move a side of the body, loss of vision to oneside, and difficulties in speaking or understanding. Research indicates that ischemic strokeconstitutes almost 80% of the total stroke cases (2).In Australia, the prevalence of stroke can be estimated on the basis of self-reported datacollected from the 1998, 2003 and 2009 Surveys of Disability, Ageing and Carers (SDACs)conducted by the ABS (Australian Bureau of statistics). In the year 2009, approximately 375,759Australians have had suffered a stroke in their lifetime. Overall, the incidence of stroke wasmuch higher in males as compared to female (1.9% as compared to 1.3%). 70% of people whohad suffered a stroke had the age and above (3). In Australia, the burden of stroke mostly affectsthe disadvantaged populations within the different communities in a disproportionate manner.Those living in the low socioeconomic group have more chances of suffering from a stroke. Thetrend is further magnified in indigenous population (4). As per the reports of AIHW, the overallstroke incidence is found to be twice among the indigenouspopulation. Disparities in risk factorprevalence among the two groups contribute to this discreet burden of stroke between thecountry’s populations.

3EPIDEMIOLOGY AND PRINCIPLES OF RESEARCHThe burden of stroke mortality is compounding, and the direct impact of stroke on thecentral nervous system is the cause of a wide array of disability. Survival from stroke and thecomprehensive rehabilitation process is a major cause off increased cost to the healthcare system.Stroke was the cause of death for 8300 individuals in Australia in the year 2010 and accountedfor 6% of all deaths in the country (5). Research indicates that death rates due to stroke increaseconsiderably with age. More females died due to stroke as compared with males. However, age-specific rates were found to be higher in males than females between the ages of 55 and 84.Expanded research on this arena indicates that hemorrhagic stroke is more associated with loss ofgood health when a comparison is done to ischemic stroke. This can be attributed to the highercase fatality rate among those with younger age. Raw mortality rate defining stroke burdenemphasizes that the issue can only be controlled with better management strategies addressingthe distinct risk factors. The healthcare expenditure for strokes in the country is in millions and accounts foralmost 7% of total healthcare expenditure for all cardiovascular diseases. It is to be highlightedin here that healthcare expenditure is not only a result of expenditure incurred due to a residentialcare facility. The cost of healthcare is also related to admission of hospital-admitted patients, out-of-hospital medical services and pharmaceuticals. Reports of the year 2008–09, the totalestimated expenditure on stroke as indicated by research was found to be more for males ascompared to females (6).Research highlights that the complications of suffering stroke are multivariate. Thecommon complications include brain edema, pneumonia, urinary tract infection, seizures,clinical depression, and deep venous thrombosis. The main aim of management guidelines forstroke focuses on improvement in quality of life of patients, through primary, secondary and

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