populaatiokohtaisen

Populaatiokohtainen is a Finnish adjective meaning related to or based on a population as the unit of analysis. It is formed from the word population (populaatio) and the suffix -kohtainen, which denotes a relation or applicability to what precedes it. The inflected form populaatiokohtaisen is the genitive singular (and also used in some other cases depending on sentence structure), as in phrases like populatioakohtaisen tutkimuksen mukaan.

In scientific and statistical contexts, populaatiokohtainen describes approaches, data, or conclusions drawn from or applicable to a population or defined population group rather than to individuals. For example, a populaatiokohtainen tutkimus uses data from a whole population or a clearly defined population subset to estimate parameters or assess outcomes. This is often contrasted with kuvatun tapauskohtaisen tai yksilötasoisesti tarkastelevan tutkimuksen lähestymistapojen kanssa, which focus on individuals or case-based analyses.

The term is commonly used in epidemiology, public health, demography, and medical research, where distinctions between population-based and individual-based methods influence study design, sampling, and interpretation. Populaatiokohtainen data aggregation can yield different insights than case-level data, emphasizing prevalence, incidence, or risk at the population level.

Typical usage examples include statements like populaatiokohtaisen tutkimuksen mukaan or populaatiokohtaisen datan perusteella. The term can also serve as a broader descriptor for policies, indicators, or surveillance systems designed to monitor health or social phenomena at the population level. In Finnish scholarly writing, it is often paired with nouns such as tutkimus, data, tai suunnitelma to specify the population-based nature of the work.