Epidemiology and public health at CDC.

Epidemiology is the study of the distribution and determinants of health-related states or events in specified populations and the application of this study to control health problems. However, in public health, the terms "field epidemiology" and "applied epidemiology"--which emphasize use of results in public health settings--define the practice of epidemiology at CDC. Epidemiology has been characterized as the basic science of public health, and its practice at CDC has shaped the agency's development and will contribute to its future success.