1. What is Prevalence?

Prevalence measures the proportion of a population affected by a condition at a specific time. It's expressed as a percentage and helps understand disease burden in populations.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the prevalence formula:

Where:

• \( Number\ of\ Cases \) — Count of individuals with the condition
• \( Population \) — Total population at risk

Explanation: The formula divides the number of cases by the total population and multiplies by 100 to convert to a percentage.

3. Importance of Prevalence Calculation

Details: Prevalence helps public health officials allocate resources, track disease patterns, and evaluate intervention effectiveness.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter the number of cases and total population. Both values must be positive numbers, and cases cannot exceed population.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What's the difference between prevalence and incidence?
A: Prevalence measures existing cases at a point in time, while incidence measures new cases over a period.

Q2: What are typical prevalence ranges?
A: Varies by condition. Common diseases may have prevalence >5%, rare diseases <0.1%.

Q3: When is prevalence most useful?
A: For chronic conditions where duration is long (e.g., diabetes, hypertension).

Q4: What are limitations of prevalence?
A: Doesn't show when disease occurred or duration. Can be affected by changes in diagnosis or survival.

Q5: How does prevalence relate to public health?
A: High prevalence may indicate need for screening programs or treatment services.