Which of the following are the three descriptors used in descriptive epidemiology?

• A. Person, Place, Time
• B. Age, Sex, Occupation
• C. Geography, Date, Outcome
• D. Case, Control, Exposure

Answer: (A)

In descriptive epidemiology, patterns of health events are described by who is affected, where it happens, and when it occurs. The three descriptors are Person, Place, and Time. Person covers characteristics of individuals or groups such as age, sex, race, occupation, and other demographic factors. Place refers to geographic location and environmental context—where the cases occur, like country, city, neighborhood, or setting. Time captures when events happen—specific dates, seasons, or intervals over which patterns are observed and trends or outbreaks can be identified.

This framework helps reveal who is at risk, where transmission or occurrence is more likely, and how patterns change over time, guiding hypotheses about causes and opportunities for intervention. Other choices might mix study-design terms or focus on attributes that are part of the description but do not represent the standard three-way framework of descriptive epidemiology. Therefore, the three descriptors used are Person, Place, and Time.