Observational Study Design

Depending on the circumstances, a suspected association between a risk factor and a particular outcome can be evaluated using a variety of study designs. Studies may be either observational or analytic.

To prepare for this Assignment, identify an epidemiologic association of interest (e.g., smoking and lung cancer, obesity and heart disease, hormonal therapy and breast cancer).

To complete this Assignment, write a 2 page paper in which you describe how you would investigate the association in question using different observational study designs, including the following:

Cross-sectional (may be descriptive or analytic)
Case-control
Cohort
For each scenario, specify the study design and identify the advantages and disadvantages of that study design. Identify, where appropriate, the population(s) being studied, the exposure(s) and outcome(s) of interest, the length of follow-up (in cohort studies), the type of control (in case control studies) the method(s) of ascertainment for exposures and outcomes, and other factors you feel may be relevant to the proposed studies. You may want to refer to the STROBE statement in the Required Resources (von Elm, et al.) for relevant items to address in reports of observational studies