The distribution of a disease can be described by recording which person was affected (who), the place where the case occurred (where) and the time when it occured (when). Information about the person affected should include their age, sex, ethnic group, religion, occupation and marital status (Figure 40.2). Place of illness may be household, kebele or woreda. Time of illness can be recorded as a day, week, month or year.
Can you describe the distribution of malaria and pneumonia in Table 40.1 by the age of the patients (compare those aged five years old or younger, with those aged over five years), and the sex of the patients? Express your answer in words and construct a table showing the distribution of cases based on their age and sex.
| Age/sex of patients | Malaria cases (4) | Pnuemonia cases (3) |
|---|---|---|
| Age | ||
| < = 5 years | 1 | 3 |
| > 5 years | 3 | 0 |
| Sex | ||
| male | 1 | 2 |
| female | 3 | 1 |