Research and Study Design

Question 1

What is epidemiology

Answer 1

the study of the distribution and determinants of disease in human populations.

Question 2

What is an incidence rate

Answer 2

the number of new cases that develop over a certain time period

Question 3

what is prevalence rate

Answer 3

the number of current cases at a given point in time

Question 4

what is the iceberg phenomenon

Answer 4

the fact that not all cases of disease can be detected because some individuals will be asymptomatic, so you are only accounting for a certain percentage of the diseased population not the whole group

Question 5

What are the criteria of a risk factor

Answer 5

1. temporal relation
2. Dose response
3. Strength of Association
4. Consistency
5. Biological Plausibility

Question 6

What is temporal relation as a criteria of a risk factor

Answer 6

Exposure precedes the outcome (must be satisfied)

Question 7

What is Dose Response as criteria for a risk factor

Answer 7

Does increasing the dose increase the probability or severity of the outcome

Question 8

What is Strength of Association as criteria for a risk factor

Answer 8

is the probability or rate of an outcome higher in exposed group than the unexposed group

Question 9

What is consistency as criteria for a risk factor

Answer 9

do studies in different settings and groups provide the same results

Question 10

What is biological plausibility as criteria for a risk factor

Answer 10

does the association make biological sense

Question 11

What is primary prevention

Answer 11

preventing the disease befor it occurs, you don’t have the disease

Question 12

What is secondary prevention

Answer 12

When you are at risk for developping the disease, and you take measures to prevent from developping the disease

Question 13

What is Tertiary prevention

Answer 13

when you have the disease and manage the symptoms soften the impact of the ongoing disease

Question 14

What are descriptive studies

Answer 14

studies that simply describe what is seen. (incidence and prevalence) they describe the distribution of the disease

Question 15

What are analytic studies

Answer 15

studies that attempt to determine associations between a disease and possible risk factors and quantify risks. they elucidate the determinants of the disease

Question 16

What is the difference between observational studies and experimental studies

Answer 16

experimental studies is when the investigator has control over the study conditions.
Observational studies are when the investigator has little control over the study conditions.

Question 17

How do descriptive studies influence analytic studies

Answer 17

they help identify associated factors of the disease (potential causes), those factors are then further investigated by analytic studies

Question 18

What are Case reports

Answer 18

observational studies on interesting or unusual findings in a single individual

Question 19

What are Case Series

Answer 19

observational studies on interesting or unusual findings in a small group of individuals

Question 20

What are correlational/ecological studies

Answer 20

when you compare average levels of exposures and outcomes

Question 21

What are cross sectional surveys

Answer 21

surveys that are snapshots that assess prevalence of exposure and disease in a defined population

Question 22

What types of studies are descriptive studies

Answer 22

Case reports
Case series
Correlational studies
Cross sectional surveys

Question 23

What types of studies are analytic studies

Answer 23

Case-Control studies
Cohort Studies
intervention Studies

Question 24

What are the two different branches of analytic studies

Answer 24

observational studies

experimental studies

Question 25

What are the types of observational-analytic studies

Answer 25

case control study
cross sectional study
Cohort study

Question 26

What are the types of experimental-analytic studies

Answer 26

True Experiment

Quasi-experiment

Question 27

What is a case control study

Answer 27

an analytic-observational study with a single observation that looks at people with the disease, then looks retrospectively at the history of exposures. those are then compared to a control group of individuals without the disease.

Question 28

What is a cohort study

Answer 28

an analytic-observational with multiple observations that starts with a group of individuals with a certain risk factor or exposure, and follows them to see if they develop a certain disease. they are compared to a control group who doesn’t have the certain risk factor