Let’s be honest: studying Epidemiology 1 can feel like you are learning a new language where “Normal” has a mathematical definition and “Bias” isn’t just an opinion—it’s a structural flaw in your thinking. Epidemiology is the foundation of public health; it’s the science of figuring out why some people get sick while others stay healthy.
Below is the exam paper download link
Past Paper On Epidemiology 1 For Revision
Above is the exam paper download link
When you sit for your exam, the professors aren’t just checking if you know the definition of a “Pandemic.” They want to see if you can think like a detective. Can you look at a table of data and calculate the risk of a lung infection? Can you spot the “Confounding Variable” that makes a study look true when it’s actually a coincidence?
The secret to moving from “confused” to “exam-ready” is active revision. Using past papers allows you to see the specific calculation patterns and study designs that examiners love to revisit. To help you sharpen your analytical lens, we’ve tackled the high-yield questions that frequently anchor Epidemiology 1 finals.
FAQ: Master the Fundamentals of Epidemiology
1. What is the difference between “Incidence” and “Prevalence”? This is the “Question One” of almost every paper.
Incidence: Refers to new cases only. It measures the speed of an outbreak. Think of it as the water flowing into a bathtub.
Prevalence: Refers to all cases (new and old) at a specific time. It measures the total burden of disease. Think of it as the total amount of water sitting in the tub.
Exam Tip: If a disease is cured quickly or kills quickly, the prevalence will be low, even if the incidence is high.
2. How do I choose between a “Cohort Study” and a “Case-Control Study”? This is a classic 10-mark “Compare and Contrast” favorite.
Cohort Study: You start with healthy people, group them by exposure (e.g., smokers vs. non-smokers), and follow them forward in time to see who gets sick. (Prospective).
Case-Control Study: You start with people who are already sick (Cases) and compare them to healthy people (Controls) to look backward at what they were exposed to. (Retrospective).
Pro-tip: If the disease is rare, always go with a Case-Control study.
3. What is a “Confounding Variable” and how do I spot one? A confounder is a “third party” that distorts the relationship between an exposure and a disease. For example, if a study says “Drinking Coffee causes Heart Disease,” but it turns out all the coffee drinkers also smoke, Smoking is the confounder. To be a confounder, the variable must be linked to both the exposure and the outcome.
4. How do I calculate an “Odds Ratio” (OR) versus “Relative Risk” (RR)?
Relative Risk (RR): Used in Cohort studies. It is the probability of the event in the exposed group divided by the probability in the unexposed group.
Odds Ratio (OR): Used in Case-Control studies. It is the odds of exposure among cases divided by the odds of exposure among controls.
Calculation Tip: If the result is 1.0, there is no association. If it’s greater than 1.0, the exposure is harmful. If it’s less than 1.0, the exposure is protective.
Your Revision Strategy: The “Data-Driven” Mindset
Don’t just read the paper provided below; use it to stress-test your “Calculation Logic.”
The 2×2 Table Drill: Almost every epidemiology question can be solved by drawing a 2×2 table. Practice labeling your columns (Disease +/-) and your rows (Exposure +/-) correctly every single time.
The “Bias” Hunt: For every study mentioned in the past paper, ask: “Is there Selection Bias or Information Bias?” If the researchers only interviewed people at a gym, their results won’t represent the general population.
The Chain of Infection: Be ready to describe how a disease moves. Know your Reservoir, Portal of Exit, Mode of Transmission, and Susceptible Host.
Download Your Revision Toolkit
Ready to see if you have the “detective” mind required for an epidemiology final? We’ve sourced a comprehensive past paper that covers the fundamental principles of frequency measures, study designs, and outbreak investigation.
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Last updated on: March 6, 2026
New information gained / new value takehome
- Prevalence: Refers to all cases (new and old) at a specific time.
- Exam Tip: If a disease is cured quickly or kills quickly, the prevalence will be low, even if the incidence is high.
- Pro-tip: If the disease is rare, always go with a Case-Control study.
- ” If the researchers only interviewed people at a gym, their results won’t represent the general population.
This content was developed using AI as part of our research process. To ensure absolute accuracy, all information has been rigorously fact-checked and validated by our human editor, Collins Murithi.
External resource 1: Google Scholar Academic Papers
External resource 2: Khan Academy Test Prep
Reference 1: KNEC National Examinations
Reference 2: JSTOR Academic Archive
Reference 3: Shulefiti Revision Materials
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