Cumulative incidence

Cumulative incidence is a measure in epidemiology that refers to the number of new cases of a specific disease or condition in a population during a specific period of time. It is often used in public health to determine the risk of developing a particular disease over a certain period of time.

Definition

Cumulative incidence is defined as the number of new cases of a specific disease in a population during a specific period of time, divided by the number of people at risk of developing the disease during that period. It is a measure of the risk of developing the disease over the time period of interest.

Calculation

The calculation of cumulative incidence involves dividing the number of new cases of a disease by the number of individuals in the population at risk of developing the disease at the beginning of the time period. This is then multiplied by 100 to convert it to a percentage.

Use in Epidemiology

In epidemiology, cumulative incidence is used to estimate the risk of developing a disease over a specific period of time. It is particularly useful in studies where the population at risk is clearly defined and the time period of interest is fixed.

Limitations

One limitation of cumulative incidence is that it assumes that all individuals in the population are at equal risk of developing the disease. This may not be the case if there are differences in risk factors among individuals in the population. Additionally, cumulative incidence does not take into account the time at which individuals develop the disease, which can be important in understanding the progression of the disease.

See Also

• Incidence (epidemiology)
• Prevalence
• Epidemiology
• Public health

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