Medidas de frecuencia, asociación e impacto en investigación aplicada

Abstract

In the society's current knowledge and information is necessary to have basic tools to measure the epidemic phenomena such as illness, disability or workplace accidents. The ways of measuring are instruments that they must know and apply to plan and take decisions on Public Health and Labour/Occupational Health. The aim of this article is to inform about the most important measures of frequency, association and impact used in applied research, clinical or Public Health to try to measure, to value and estimate the importance of health problems and diseases related work, The occupational risk factors and other events related to safety and healthy working conditions and ultimately with the Workers' Health. We describe the theoretical concepts of ways to measure in epidemiology, their interpretation and practical application of basic indicators used in the practice of professionals in the Health Sciences. Its usefulness is essential to have an objective, reliable and precise information to make sound decisions and allow relevant to the prevention, labour/occupational safety, care and rehabilitation of the workers.