Clin. Epi. Study Designs - Observational

Question 1

describe epidemiologic study designs and increasing strength of evidence

Answer 1

Question 2

describe case control studies

Answer 2

Question 3

describe cross-sectional studies

Answer 3

• measure the prevalence of disease
• assess both exposure and disease at the same time (simultaneously)
  
  • no time lapse

Question 4

describe ecological studies

Answer 4

• cross-sectional ecological studies relate the frequency with which some characteristic (e.g. smoking) and some outcome of interest (e.g. lung cancer) occur in the same geographic area (e.g. a city, state, country)
• in contrast to all other epidemiologic studies, the unit of analysis in ecological studies is populations not individuals