Science of Nutrition Flashcards
What is nutrition?
Nutrition is the branch of Science that studies the process by which living organisms take in and use food for the maintenance of life, growth, reproduction, the functioning of organs and tissues, and the production of energy.
What is the highest level in the hierarchy of evidence?
Meta-Analyses
Meta-Analyses combine results from multiple studies to provide a more comprehensive understanding of a research question.
What follows Meta-Analyses in the hierarchy of evidence?
Systematic Reviews
Systematic Reviews summarize and evaluate existing studies on a particular topic.
What are Critically Appraised Topics?
Summaries of evidence that have been evaluated for quality and relevance
They provide a synthesis of the best available evidence on a specific question.
What are Critically Appraised Individual Articles?
Individual studies that have been assessed for their quality and relevance
These articles are reviewed and rated based on established criteria.
What type of study is characterized by random assignment to groups?
Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs)
RCTs are considered the gold standard in clinical research for evaluating the effectiveness of interventions.
What type of study follows a group of individuals over time to assess outcomes?
Cohort Studies
Cohort Studies track participants who share a common characteristic or experience to determine how these factors affect outcomes.
What is the focus of Case-Controlled Studies?
Comparing individuals with a specific condition to those without
These studies help identify factors that may contribute to the condition.
What do Case Series / Reports provide?
Detailed descriptions of individual cases or a series of cases
They are often used in clinical settings to document unusual or novel findings.
What type of information is categorized as Background Information / Expert Opinion?
Insights and recommendations based on professional experience and knowledge
This type of evidence is less robust and often used when other evidence is lacking.
What is the difference between filtered and unfiltered information?
Filtered information is critically appraised, whereas unfiltered information is not
Filtered information provides higher quality and more reliable evidence.
What is the primary focus of case-control studies?
Identifying individuals who have developed a disease and comparing their past exposure to potential causal factors against controls who haven’t contracted the disease
What is a major limitation of case-control studies?
They can be subject to selection bias
What type of study design is characterized as cross-sectional?
Case-control studies, as they only offer a snapshot in time
Fill in the blank: Case-control studies cannot detect _______.
relative risk
What is a selection bias?
A bias that occurs when individuals chosen for a study are not randomized in any way
What are cohort studies?
These studies take a ‘cohort’ of individuals and monitor them over time to determine if they develop a disease or condition etc.
What is a benefit of cohort studies?
Good for investigating rare exposures.
What can cohort studies look at over time?
Relative risk.
What can cohort studies determine regarding events?
Sequence of events.
What is a limitation of cohort studies?
Subject to selection bias.
What is required to investigate rare exposures in cohort studies?
Large numbers of individuals.
What type of bias can affect retrospective cohort studies?
Recall bias.
What is a benefit of Randomised Control Trials (RCT)?
Excellent at eliminating bias
RCTs are designed to reduce the influence of confounding variables.
What is another benefit of Randomised Control Trials?
Reduce spurious causality
RCTs help establish a clearer cause-and-effect relationship.
What is a limitation of Randomised Control Trials?
High cost
RCTs often require significant financial resources for implementation.
What is another limitation of Randomised Control Trials?
Take a long time to undertake
The duration of RCTs can extend over several years.
What is a time constraint related to Randomised Control Trials?
Limited by time to a degree
Long trials are still only 5-10 years in duration.
Can all studies be performed using an RCT design?
No
Certain types of studies or conditions may not be suitable for RCTs.
What is a Critically Appraised Individual Article?
An individual research article appraised by an expert in the field
What is the purpose of appraising a Critically Appraised Individual Article?
To determine the clinical usefulness of the article
What aspects are evaluated in a Critically Appraised Individual Article?
Appropriateness of study design, statistical methods used, potential conflicts of interest
True or False: Expert opinion pieces address the same elements as Critically Appraised Individual Articles.
False
Fill in the blank: Critically Appraised Individual Articles are appraised in a _______ manner.
[systematic]
What is a Critically Appraised Topic?
A research topic appraised by an expert in the field
It assesses the overall topic rather than individual articles.
How does a Critically Appraised Topic differ from a Critically Appraised Individual Article?
It assesses a topic in a systematic manner rather than evaluating a single article
This allows for a broader understanding of the topic’s relevance.
What is the aim of a Critically Appraised Topic?
To determine the usefulness of the articles in the area
This involves evaluating the quality and applicability of research findings.
What is a systematic review?
A type of literature review that uses systematic methods to collect data, analyze studies, and synthesize findings based upon a specific research question.
Systematic reviews are crucial for summarizing evidence in healthcare.
What are systematic reviews of RCTs considered to be a cornerstone of?
Evidence based medicine.
RCTs refer to Randomized Controlled Trials, which are vital for assessing the effectiveness of interventions.
Name a strength of systematic reviews.
They provide comprehensive summaries of existing research.
This allows for better-informed decision-making in clinical practice.
Name a weakness of systematic reviews.
They may be limited by the quality of the included studies.
If the underlying studies are flawed, the systematic review’s conclusions may also be compromised.
What are the strengths of systematic reviews?
- More robust than regular literature reviews
- Can be widely used for multiple purposes
- Intended to reduce bias through a systematic approach
Systematic reviews are comprehensive and structured evaluations of existing literature, providing a higher level of evidence.
What are the limitations of systematic reviews?
- Can still be subject to bias
- Can become out of date relatively quickly if not updated
Bias may arise from the reviewer’s perspective or from the selection of literature included in the review.
True or False: Systematic reviews completely eliminate bias.
False
While systematic reviews aim to reduce bias, they can still be influenced by the reviewer’s choices and the literature selected.
Fill in the blank: Systematic reviews are _______ than regular literature reviews.
[more robust]
This robustness refers to the comprehensive nature and structured methodology of systematic reviews.
What is a key characteristic of systematic reviews?
The systematic nature intended to reduce bias
This characteristic distinguishes systematic reviews from traditional literature reviews.
What is a meta-analysis?
A meta-analysis is a ‘study of studies’ that combines data from selected studies to determine an overall effect.
Meta-analysis is considered a comprehensive method for evaluating research findings across multiple studies.
Why is meta-analysis regarded as the ‘gold standard’ of evidence?
Because it uses statistical procedures to combine data from multiple studies, providing a more robust conclusion.
This method helps to mitigate biases that may occur in individual studies.
What organization is known for using meta-analysis techniques to inform medical decision making?
Cochrane UK.
Cochrane UK is a charity that aims to improve healthcare decisions through systematic reviews.
Fill in the blank: A meta-analysis is a _______.
‘study of studies’.
What statistical approach is used in meta-analysis?
Statistical procedures to combine data from selected studies.
This approach allows for the assessment of overall effects across various research contexts.
