[EPIDEMIOLOGY_LECTURE] Common Research Design Epidemiology

• What are the types of research designs?

  Qualitative Studies, Cross-sectional Survey, Cross-Sectional Ecologic Studies
• Research is the process of answering a question that can be answered by appropriately collected data.
• Research is the process of answering a question that can be answered by appropriately collected data.
• The research question is an interrogative statement that focuses on what variables or concepts are to be described and what variables or concepts are to be described and what relationships might exist between variables.
• The research question is an interrogative statement that focuses on what variables or concepts are to be described and what variables or concepts are to be described and what relationships might exist between variables.
• The rules that govern the process of collecting and arranging the data for analysis are called research designs.
• Hypothesis generation is the process of developing a list of possible candidates for the causes of the disease and obtaining initial evidence that supports one or more of these candidates.
• Hypothesis testing is done when one or more hypotheses are generated and then tested by making predictions from the hypotheses and examining new data to determine if the predictions are correct.
• "THE BASIC FUNCTION OF MOST EPIDEMIOLOGIC RESEARCH DESIGN"

  Describe the pattern of health problems accurately.
• "THE BASIC FUNCTION OF MOST EPIDEMIOLOGIC RESEARCH DESIGN"

  To enable a fair, unbiased comparison to be made between a group with and a group without a risk factor, a disease or a preventive or therapeutic intervention.
• "A GOOD EPIDEMIOLOGIC RESERCH DESIGN SHOULD PERFORM THE FOLLOWING FUNCTION"

  Enable a comparison of variable between two or more groups at one point in time or, in some cases, within one group before and after receiving an intervention or being exposed to a risk factor.
• "THE BASIC FUNCTION OF MOST EPIDEMIOLOGIC RESEARCH DESIGN"

  Allow the comparison to be quantified in absolute terms (as with a risk difference or rate difference) or in relative terms (as with a relative risk or odds ratio).
• "THE BASIC FUNCTION OF MOST EPIDEMIOLOGIC RESEARCH DESIGN"

  Allow the comparison to be quantified in absolute terms (as with a risk difference or rate difference) or in relative terms (as with a relative risk or odds ratio).
• "THE BASIC FUNCTION OF MOST EPIDEMIOLOGIC RESEARCH DESIGN"

  Allow the comparison to be quantified in absolute terms (as with a risk difference or rate difference) or in relative terms (as with a relative risk or odds ratio).
• "THE BASIC FUNCTION OF MOST EPIDEMIOLOGIC RESEARCH DESIGN"

  Permit the investigators to determine when the risk factor and the disease occurred, to determine the temporal sequence.
• "THE BASIC FUNCTION OF MOST EPIDEMIOLOGIC RESEARCH DESIGN"

  Minimize biases, confounding, and other problems that would complicate interpretation of the data.
• Research designs are often described as either observational or experimental.
• Research designs are often described as either observational or experimental.
• "QUALITATIVE RESEARCH"

  Generates hypotheses and initial exploration of issues in participants’ own language without bias of investigate.

  Advantages
• "QUALITATIVE RESEARCH"

  Generates hypotheses and initial exploration of issues in participants’ own language without bias of investigate.

  Advantages
• "QUALITATIVE RESEARCH"

  Cannot test study hypotheses Can explore only what is presented or stated Has potential for bias

  Disadvantages
• "CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEYS"

  Are fairly quick and easy to perform Are useful for hypothesis generation.

  Advantages
• "CROSS-SECTIONAL SURVEY"

  Do not offer evidence of a temporal relationship between risk factors and disease Are subject to late-look bias Are not good for hypothesis testing.

  Disadvantages
• "ECOLOGICAL STUDIES"

  Are fairly quick and easy to perform Are useful for hypothesis generation.

  Advantages
• "ECOLOGICAL STUDIES"

  Do not allow for causal conclusions to be drawn because the data are not associated with individual persons, are subject to ecological fallacy, and are not good for hypothesis testing.

  Disadvantages
• Investigators observe groups of study participants to learn about the possible effects of a treatment or risk factor.

  Observational Studies
• Investigators observe groups of study participants to learn about the possible effects of a treatment or risk factor.
• Observational Studies can be either descriptive or analytic.
• Observational Studies can be either descriptive or analytic
• Descriptive observational: no hypotheses are specified in advance, preexisting data are often used, and associations may or may not be causal.
• Analytic observational: hypotheses are specified in advance, new data are often collected, and differences between groups are measured.
• The investigators has more control over the assignment of participants, often placing them in treatment and control groups.

  Experimental Studies
• Distribution of health related states.

  Descriptive
• Describes disease occurrence as to person, place, time.

  Descriptive
• Studies generate hypotheses.

  Descriptive
• Determinants of health-related states.

  Analytic
• Examines associations between variables.

  Analytic
• Studies test hypotheses.

  Analytics
• "RESEARCH DESIGN"

  Involves an investigation of clinical issues by using anthropologic techniques such as ethnographic observation, open-ended semi structured interviews, focus groups, and key informant interviews.?

  Qualitative studies
• "QUALITATIVE STUDIES"

  Investigators attempt to listen to the participants without introducing their own bias as they gather data.