Question

Study unit of ecological study is

• A. Population
• B. Patient
• C. Community
• D. Case

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

The unit of ecological study refers to the element being examined in ecological research. In the context of social and preventive medicine, ecological studies typically focus on understanding the relationships between environmental factors and health outcomes at a broader level. The correct option among the provided choices is:

• Population

This is because:

1. Population: In ecological studies, researchers investigate the health attributes and outcomes across groups of individuals rather than focusing on single subjects. A population can encompass a diverse range of individuals grouped by shared characteristics or geographical areas.

2. Patient: This term usually references an individual who is receiving medical treatment, not a collective group studied in ecological research.

3. Community: While close to the correct concept, a community may refer to specific groups within a population, used more in sociological contexts rather than in ecological studies.

4. Case: This term refers to a specific instance of a disease, which is typically associated with case-control studies, focusing on individual occurrences rather than population trends.

Thus, in ecological studies in social and preventive medicine, the correct unit of study is 'Population'. This approach enables the examination of associations between environmental exposures and health outcomes at a macro level, revealing patterns and contributing factors that may be less apparent at the individual level.