Lecture 10: Cross sectional studies - alcohol as an example

Question 1

What are cross sectional studies?

Answer 1

• snapshot of exposure and outcomes at a point in time - PREVALENCE
• descriptive or analytical
• generate hypothesis
• issue with temporal sequence
• easier and more cost effective than longitudinal studies
• identify risk groups

Question 2

What are the limitations of cross sectional studies?

• use alcohol as an example

Answer 2

• Temporal sequence
• Can’t capture changes in individuals behaviour
• good for the big picture not good for looking at the impacts on individuals
• integrity of survey: recall of participants, truthfulness of participant and participants using standard measures

Question 3

How does alcohol contribute to the global burden of disease?

Answer 3

• has chronic and acute health effects
• impacts on social functioning: family violence and disfunction, crime and other antisocial behaviours
• large burden on resources
• huge burden of disability due to alcohol disorders
• injury and alcohol-attributable deaths are responsible for a large proportion of the alcohol burden
• health burden of alcohol falls inequitably on Maori