6: Ecologic, Cross-Sectional, and Case-Control Study Designs Flashcards
Prevalence (point)
all cases of a disease in a population of interest at a specified point in time
Incidence
new cases of a disease that occur among a population at risk during a specified period of time
How study designs differ (10)
- number of observations made
- directionality of exposure
- data collection methods
- timing of data collection
- unit of observation
- availability of subjects
- Amount of resources required
- complexity
- rigor
- unit of analysis
Manipulation>YES, Randomization>YES, study type?
Experimental
Manipulation>YES, Randomization>NO, study type?
Quasi-Experimental
Manipulation>NO, Randomization>NO, study type?
Observational
Manipulation of study factor
exposure of interest controlled by investigator
Randomization of study subjects
random process to determine exposure of study subjects
Experimental Studies
maintains greatest control over research
Quasi-Experimental Studies
natural experiments (i.e. John Snow)
Observational Studies
when it may be impractical or unethical to do experimental
Types of Observational Studies
Descriptive and Analytic
Descriptive Studies
Cross-sectional and Ecologic (hypothesis generation)
Analytic Studies
Case-Control and Cohort (hypothesis testing)
2x2 Table
represents association between exposure and disease status
Ecologic Studies (unit of analysis? exposure? data type?correlations?)
Unit of Analysis: group, NOT individual
Level of Exposure: unknown for each individual in unit being studied
Data Type: generally secondary data
Correlations: obtained between exposure rate and disease rates among different groups or populations
Types of Ecologic Studies
Ecologic Comparison and Ecologic Trend
Ecologic Comparison Study
examines exposure rates and disease rates among DIFFERENT GROUPS over the same time period. (economic, environmental, lifestyle measures)
Ecologic Trend Study
examines CHANGES in exposure and changes in disease within the SAME community, country or other aggregate unit