Study Design Terminology

Question 1

Descriptive:

Answer 1

Employs observation and surveys.

• ‘Person, place and time’
• Observational
• What
• Who
• Where
• When

Question 2

Analytic:

Answer 2

Uses statistical, mathematical, or computational techniques

• Associations: exposures
  and outcomes
• Causation
• Observational or
  intervention studies
• Why

Question 3

Prevalence:

Answer 3

the proportion of a defined population who have a
disease at a point in time

Question 4

What is the GATE frame?

Answer 4

Graphic Appraisal Tool for
Epidemiological studies

Question 5

What is included within the GATE frame? (PECOT)

Answer 5

• population
• exposure/comparison
• outcome
• time

Question 6

Ecological fallacy:

Answer 6

e.g. if a specific neighbourhood has a high crime rate, one might assume that any resident living in that area is more likely to commit a crime.

Question 7

Temporal Sequence:

Answer 7

the order in which events occur over time

Question 8

Prevalence equation

Answer 8

= (no. of ppl with disease at time point)/(total no. of ppl in population)

Question 9

Guts of analytic epidemiology?

Answer 9

Is the exposure associated with the outcome? = Does the exposure increase or decrease the occurrence of the outcome?

Question 10

What does PECOT stand for?

Answer 10

Population Exposure Comparison Outcome Time

Question 11

Relative risk

Answer 11

How many times as likely is the exposed group to develop the outcome than the comparison group

Question 12

What is relative risk equal to?

Answer 12

Ratio of the incidences (IExposed/
IComparison)

Question 13

What is the null value?

Answer 13

Exposure doesn’t change occurrence of outcome, so no association between exposure and outcome

Question 14

What is the null value of relative risk?

Answer 14

1

Question 15

What does a relative risk value higher than 1 mean?

Answer 15

If outcome is bad it is a risk factor

Question 16

What does a relative risk value lower than 1 mean?

Answer 16

If outcome is bad it is a protective factor

Question 17

How do you interpret relative risk?

Answer 17

The exposed group were X as likely to develop the outcome compared to control group

Question 18

Risk difference (attributable risk)

Answer 18

How many extra/fewer cases of the outcome in the exposed group are
attributable to the exposure

Question 19

How to report risk difference?

Answer 19

There were X extra/fewer cases if outcome in exposed group in comparison

(Report differently for incidence proportion and
incidence rate)

Question 20

Aetiology

Answer 20

the cause, set of causes, or manner of causation of a disease or condition.

Question 21

What does relative risk provide?

Answer 21

Clues to aetiology (causes)
Strength of association

Question 22

What does Risk Difference provide?

Answer 22

Impact of exposure
Impact of removing exposure

Question 23

Observational

Answer 23

observe people’s exposures and what happens to them

Question 24

Measures of occurrence

Answer 24

Incidence proportion (IP)
Incidence rate (IR)

Question 25

Measures of association

Answer 25

Relative risk Risk difference (attributable risk)

Question 26

Incidence proportion:

Answer 26

Number of people who develop the disease in a specific period / Number of people at risk of developing the disease at the start of the period

Question 27

Incidence rate:

Answer 27

Number of people who develop the disease in a specific period / Number of person-years at risk of developing the disease

Question 28

Relative risk equations

Answer 28

Rate ratio= IRE / IRC Risk ratio = IPE / IPC

Question 29

Risk difference equations

Answer 29

IRE – IRC IPE - IPC

Question 30

Historical cohort studies

Answer 30

* Use existing data * Reconstruct follow-up period in the past

Question 31

Odds ratios

Answer 31

Measure of association - Ratio of odds instead of incidences How many times as likely cases are to have the exposure compared to controls

Question 32

Interpreting the odds ratio

Answer 32

Interpret the same as the relative risk (in this course)

Question 33

Randomisation

Answer 33

Randomly assign participants to intervention or control

Question 34

Successful randomisation means?

Answer 34

confounding is an unlikely reason for differences in outcomes between groups

Question 35

Non -adherence

Answer 35

Participants don’t do what they’re supposed to Can include doing what the other group is doing

Question 36

Clinical Equipoise

Answer 36

is the requirement that researchers only provide an experimental treatment if the evidence for the experimental treatment is equal to that available for the standard treatment

Question 37

Beneficence

Answer 37

refers to the obligations that we have to ‘benefit’ others. In research it is the obligation to ensure that the research is generating something of value that justifies the costs

Question 38

Non-maleficence

Answer 38

the obligation that we have not to harm others without a justifying reason. In research this means being aware of the various potential harms to participants and others, and either taking steps to avoid these or ensuring that the benefits are sufficient to justify the harms

Question 39

A vulnerable person

Answer 39

is any person who is more at risk of exploitation, because of social or physical disadvantages

Question 40

A conflict of interest

Answer 40

is a situation where a person holds two or more potentially incompatible interests. These are of concern in research where the researcher(s) have interests that might compromise the values and standards of ethically appropriate research

Question 41

Informed consent

Answer 41

is ordinarily required when participants are enrolled in research studies

Question 42

Adequately informed consent requires:

Answer 42

* Disclosure of the purpose, risks, and processes of the study * Reasonable efforts from the researcher to explain this information * That the person is competent to give consent * The absence of any coercive factors (including financial inducements)

Question 43

Justice requires:

Answer 43

* Transparency * That all people are considered of equal worth * That efforts are made to make society equitable