Week 2 Flashcards
Why is research design important? (3)
To provide framework/methods
Allows structure when conducting
Tells us how it was conducted
What is the difference between Descriptive and Experimental/
Mechanistic research ?
Descriptive is ‘what’ is going on? Mechanistic is ‘why’ is it going on?
What is Observational studies?
There is no intervention.
Provides information on associations between an ‘exposure’ and an ‘event’ or ‘characteristics’ of the population
What is experimental studies?
Involves an intervention.
Allows for the determination of cause and effect if the study is designed appropriately
Cross sectional (CS) vs Longitudinal (L)?
(Assess, Measurements, Info, Examination, Example)
CS = assesses a phenomenon one point in time, L = Several
CS = Measures different samples/population once per, L = measures same over time
CS = Provides snapshot at given point, L = change on individual level
CS = Examines trends and changes of society/national L = Changes in the same people
CS = Health survey of England
L = Lothian birth cohort study
Describe Cross-sectional design: single group?
One sample of participants recruited from target population.
Info collected once
Type of question/example? = Association between this (energy intake and frailty) with this group (Migrant Women UK)
Describe Cross-sectional design: multiple groups?
Different groups of defined participants are recruited.
Information is collected from these people once
Compared at one time
Type of question/example? =
Is this group different from this group (athletes different from non-athletes? Is one patient group different from
another?) ?
Describe Retrospective design?
Backward looking, examine data that already exists
Tries to identify factors that predict whether something will happen
(e.g., disease, sports performance)
Type of question/example? = Does this (meeting the UK physical activity recommendations over a
lifetime) have an effect on this (have a protective effect against falling in older people) ?
Describe Prospective design?
Forward looking, collects new data, then sometimes, watch/wait
Waits for outcomes (e.g., development of disease, or sporting
performance)
Relates this to suspected influencing factors
Type of question/example? =
What is the relationship between this and this ? (premature mortality and red meat consumption?)
Describe case control studies?
Usually retrospective (but not exclusively), “Cases” have the outcome “Controls” do not have the outcome
Do things (diseases etc) relate to your lifestyle
Type of question/example? =
What is the association between this and this ?(allotment gardening and mental well-being)
Describe randomised controlled trial?
Forwards looking (prospective)
Participants are randomized into a “control” or “intervention” group.
Follow groups (with and without intervention) over time to determine a difference in outcomes
Type of question/example?= What is the effect of this (exercise) on this (on cognitive impairment in older adults
with mild to moderate dementia) ?
What study/ies focus on the present?
Cross sectional - Association with this and this group?
What study/ies focus on the past?
Retrospective - Does this have an effect on this?
Case control - Association between this and this?
What study/ies focus on the future?
Prospective cohort - What is the association between this and this?
Randomised control - What is the effect of this on this?
Describe the Quasi-experimental design?
Randomise particpants and/or control group
Only one group has intervention, without control we cannot properly say if the intervention is the cause?
Type of question/example? Does this (physical activity) prevent this (type 2 diabetes in south asian adults)
