What Is Epidemiological Research Methods?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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The concepts of epidemiology, the science that

uses statistical methods to investigate associations between risk factors and disease outcomes in human populations

, are developed using examples involving real data from published studies.

What are the 3 major types of epidemiologic studies?

EPIDEMIOLOGIC STUDY DESIGNS

Three major types of epidemiologic studies are

cohort, case-control, and cross-sectional studies

(study designs are discussed in more detail in IOM, 2000). A cohort, or longitudinal, study follows a defined group over time.

What are the methods of epidemiological studies?

The three major epidemiologic techniques are

descriptive, analytic, and experimental

. Although all three can be used in investigating the occurrence of disease, the method used most is descriptive epidemiology.

What type of research is epidemiology?

By definition, epidemiology is the

study (scientific, systematic, and data-driven) of the distribution

(frequency, pattern) and determinants (causes, risk factors) of health-related states and events (not just diseases) in specified populations (neighborhood, school, city, state, country, global).

What is the purpose of epidemiologic research?

The purpose of epidemiology is

to understand what risk factors are associated with a specific disease, and how disease can be prevented in groups of individuals

; due to the observational nature of epidemiology, it cannot provide answers to what caused a disease to a specific individual.

What are the 4 methods of epidemiology?

Epidemiological investigations can be grouped into four broad categories:

Observational epidemiology, experimental epidemiology, natural experiments, and Theoretical epidemiology

. Several types study designs and measures of relationship are used in these investigations.

What are the two main types of analytic studies?

Analytic studies fall into two categories:

experimental and observational

. Experimental studies, which include clinical and community trials, may be used to study the effects of new drugs or vaccines.

What are the 5 main objectives of epidemiology?

In the mid-1980s, five major tasks of epidemiology in public health practice were identified:

public health surveillance, field investigation, analytic studies, evaluation, and linkages

.

What are the 5 W’s of epidemiology?

The difference is that epidemiologists tend to use synonyms for the 5 W’s:

diagnosis or health event (what), person (who), place (where), time (when), and causes, risk factors, and modes of transmission (why/how)

.

What is the best study design?

Clinical question Suggested best study design Clinical Exam prospective, blind comparison to gold standard Diagnosis prospective, blind comparison to a gold standard Therapy RCT > cohort > case control > case series Prevention RCT > cohort study > case control > case series

What are the 4 types of research design?

There are four main types of Quantitative research:

Descriptive, Correlational, Causal-Comparative/Quasi-Experimental, and Experimental Research

. attempts to establish cause- effect relationships among the variables. These types of design are very similar to true experiments, but with some key differences.

Which is the most powerful epidemiological study?


Randomized, controlled clinical trials

are the most powerful designs possible in medical research, but they are often expensive and time-consuming. Well-designed observational studies can provide useful insights on disease causation, even though they do not constitute proof of causes.

What are the two types of epidemiology?

Epidemiologic studies fall into two categories:

experimental and observational

.

What is epidemiological evidence?

Epidemiological evidence says

that a particular exposure causes a particular harm within a certain population

. … Given high-quality epidemiological evidence, RR > 2 is sufficient for proof of specific causation when no other evidence is available but not necessary when other evidence is available.

What is the epidemiological process?

The Epidemiological Process. Epidemiologists

use a systematic approach to disease outbreak investigations

. Unlike some other scientific investigations, epidemiologists working a disease outbreak know that speedy solution of the outbreak means fewer lives lost or fewer people who get sick.

What are the 3 main elements of descriptive epidemiology?

In descriptive epidemiology, we

organize and summarize data according to time, place, and person

. These three characteristics are sometimes called the epidemiologic variables.

James Park
Author
James Park
Dr. James Park is a medical doctor and health expert with a focus on disease prevention and wellness. He has written several publications on nutrition and fitness, and has been featured in various health magazines. Dr. Park's evidence-based approach to health will help you make informed decisions about your well-being.