Study Designs

Catalog description

Design and interpretation of cross-sectional, case-control, and cohort studies (including controlled clinical trial). Design issues include sample size, bias, and relative advantages and disadvantages. Course objectives are to (1) know the difference between different epidemiologic study designs and relative advantages and disadvantages of each; (2) given a problem (usually a field situation), be able to design an appropriate epidemiologic study; (3) be able to effectively analyze and criticize published epidemiologic studies. Consists of lectures on the principles of epidemiologic study design and related issues (sample size calculations, validity and precision, and identification and minimizing of bias); basic analysis of epidemiologic data; and discussion of published epidemiologic studies. These include observational cohort studies (prospective and retrospective), crosssectional studies, case-control studies, and hybrid studies (ambidirectional and other hybrid designs).