Chapter 2: Evaluating Health Claims

Question 1

5 Types of Scientific Evidence

Answer 1

Experimental, Epidemiological, Clinical, Personal, Anecdotal

Question 2

Experimental

Answer 2

Controlled, well designed, experiments based on scientific method

Question 3

Experimental steps?

Answer 3

• Experimental & control groups
• Large sample size
• Randomisation
• Placebo
• Blind/Double-blind/Cross0ver

Question 4

Clinical

Answer 4

What is evidenced in clinical practice

Question 5

Personal

Answer 5

Something you have experienced

Question 6

Blind experiment/ double blind experiment?

Answer 6

Blind: Involves use of placebo, subjects do not if getting treatment or in control group
Double Blind: Neither subject nor tester know which is placebo and which is treatment

Question 7

Assessing credibility?

VETO

Answer 7

o	Source?
o	Peer-reviewed?
o	Authors?
o	Faulty reasoning?
o	Evidence?
o	Date?

Question 8

Scientific Evidence Problems?

Answer 8

Problem: Time/Ethics
Alternatives: Animal models, Tissue culture, computer modelling

Question 9

Scientific Method?

Answer 9

Question, Research, Hypothesis, Test, Analyze, Determine Hypothesis was true or false, Report Results

Question 10

Anecdotal

Answer 10

Based on a story you hear

Question 11

Placebo

Answer 11

Has no effect on variable being tested, cannot tell difference; has no physiological effects

Question 12

Cross over

Answer 12

One part of experiment a group receives the placebo, second part same group receives treatment

Question 13

Epidemiological

Answer 13

Use of population data without intervention

-Information is derived from associations that do not imply cause and effect. Evidence is observational only