One objective of epidemiology is to identify the etiology and risk factors associated with a disease.

• A. To determine the extent of disease found in the community
• B. To identify etiology and risk factors
• C. To study the natural history of disease
• D. To evaluate health care delivery measures

Answer: (D)

Epidemiology aims to identify the causes and determinants of disease, including etiology and the factors that increase risk. This knowledge directly informs how and why diseases occur, guiding prevention and targeted interventions for those at higher risk. That’s why identifying etiology and risk factors is the best choice: it captures the core goal of understanding what causes disease and who is more likely to develop it. The other options describe different public health activities—measuring how widespread a disease is in a community, studying how a disease progresses over time, and evaluating health care delivery—focus on burden, natural history, or health systems rather than the underlying causes and determinants.