Introduction to Case-Control Study Design

Question 1

What is a case-control study?

Answer 1

Identify cases; Identify non-cases

Ascertain previous exposure of everyone

Question 2

Why are cohort studies not useful for examining rare conditions?

Answer 2

A very large sample would be needed to identify potential rare conditions

e.g. examine all women given pethidine during labour to identify few cases of children with leukaemia

Question 3

Why are case-control studies usually favoured over cohort stuides?

Answer 3

Short duration

Uses patient recall / records

Question 4

Draw the table used as a template to calcualte an odds ratio

Answer 4