My main goal in life is to be happy. Is that not everyone’s goal? Even if your goal is to save the world, deep down it’s because you think this will make you happy! I’ve had ups and down in achieving this goal. This trimester I will explore epidemiology as the possible answer to achieving a perpetual state of happiness.
Now you’re thinking what does epidemiology have anything to do with happiness? Well here is my reasoning:
Epidemiology studies the distribution of disease in populations with the goal of finding everything that can influence or cause a disease to ultimately intervene and prevent disease all together. Making everyone healthier.
The world health organization defines health as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” That sounds like happiness to me!
According to the Epidemiology text by Leon Gordis fourth edition: “The premise underlying epidemiology is that disease, illness, and ill health are not randomly distributed in human populations.” So, if the lack of “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being” is not random, neither is the presence of it. I just have to find what interventions I need to take to increase my chances of achieving this state. Epidemiology I think will give me the best chances of succeeding at this.
I welcome comments and suggestion. Keep in mind though, for those that will argue that the answer to happiness is God, and may suggest I read the bible rather then Gordis…. this blog is part of my epidemiology assignment. I might take a theology class next semester if epidemiologically speaking this increases my chances of being happy....
Is epidemiologically even a word? I'm a family Doctor from Nicaragua not an English major.
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