ABSTRACT
Epidemiology is concerned with the distribution and determinants of health and disease in populations. It has diverse applications in the prevention and management of illness, injury and disability and has contributed importantly to our understanding of occupational lung disorders. This chapter gives a brief overview of epidemiological methods and illustrates the ways in which they have been exploited in order to identify, characterise and control occupational causes of lung disease. At the end of the chapter, a list of references is provided for readers who wish to explore the topic in greater depth.
