Which study design is best for establishing causality in epidemiology?
Practice Questions
Q1
Which study design is best for establishing causality in epidemiology?
Cross-sectional study
Case-control study
Cohort study
Ecological study
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
Which study design is best for establishing causality in epidemiology?
Step 1: Understand what causality means. Causality is when one thing directly affects another.
Step 2: Learn about different study designs in epidemiology, such as cohort studies, case-control studies, and cross-sectional studies.
Step 3: Recognize that cohort studies follow a group of people over time to see how exposure to a risk factor affects outcomes.
Step 4: Note that cohort studies can show the order of events (temporal relationships), which is important for establishing causality.
Step 5: Conclude that because cohort studies can track changes over time and show how exposures lead to outcomes, they are the best design for establishing causality.