MPH 604
Week 3 Assignment
MPH 604 Principles of Epidemiology
Week 3 Assignment
Define the term case-control study, describing how cases and controls are selected.
Compare and contrast case-cross control studies with respect to their specific applications.
Using the textbook, list some examples of case-control and cross-sectional studies.
A case control is a form of observational analysis in which two sets with
dissimilar results are described and related based on some supposedly causal attribute. They are
therefore used to pinpoint features that may lead to a medical condition by contrasting patients
with the condition with patients who do not have the condition but are otherwise identical. In the
case group selection, the said controls must not be in a good health to be fit, this is because at
times, even the sick individuals are considered suitable. (Friis, 2011, pp. 357–365) This is
because those that are at risk of becoming a case should be included in the control category. As
long as the controls and the cases are independent from the interests in terms of the collection
and are collected from the same population, the case study meets the requirements deemed fit for
a case- control study.
The contrast case control study varies from the cross sectional study in that, the latter is
designed and specified to gather, sort and analyze data from the entire study population whereas
the former is defined and specified by the results rather than the risks factor exposure. (Friis,
2011, pp. 357–365). The areas in which the two strategies differ are the collection methods,
observations made (numbers), data collection timing, subject availability, the exposures
directionality, and the unit observation.
, Example of a case control study in the book are the cases of the birth defect research in
which anesthesia for the mother and the occurrence of birth defects in the fetus. (Friis, 2011, pp.
357–365). Another example is for the cancer research in the cases such as the; Childhood cancer
and parental smoking, the effectiveness of colonoscopic screening, the amount of tar generated
by cigarettes and the risk of cancers of the upper digestive tract, cancers in young women caused
by in utero exposure to diethylstilbestrol, the invasive cervical cancer and smoking, consumption
of chili peppers and the risk of gastric cancer and the lung cancer and green tea intake.
An example of the cross-sectional study in the book is the prevalence of smokeless
tobacco use, the incidence of neurodevelopmental disorders, the health needs of minorities, and
increases in disease risk factors. (Friis, 2011, pp. 357–365). Under this study, a survey was
conducted which targeted 9th grade smokeless tobacco uses in four school representatives in the
St. Paul area in the Minneapolis district. According to the findings, nearly 63 percent of boys and
24 percent of girls had used smokeless tobacco at some point in their lives, but just 18.5 percent
of boys and 2.4 percent of girls had used it in the previous week. Ethnicity was also linked to the
prevalence of use, especially among boys.
Describe the advantages and disadvantages of each of the following types of controls in a
case-control study:
Population based
A population-based case-control study is one in which the cases are drawn from a well-
defined population, such as a specific geographic region, and the controls are drawn from the
same group. Its advantageous in that it is based on a big sample size as data is collected from a
wide range and diverse population. (Gomes et al., 2017). It offers a good variation in that data is
easily rejected or sorted and still remain en route to the case analysis sue to its large size, it is
also easy to enroll and collect data due to the wide area of opportunity in the data collection
process.
Week 3 Assignment
MPH 604 Principles of Epidemiology
Week 3 Assignment
Define the term case-control study, describing how cases and controls are selected.
Compare and contrast case-cross control studies with respect to their specific applications.
Using the textbook, list some examples of case-control and cross-sectional studies.
A case control is a form of observational analysis in which two sets with
dissimilar results are described and related based on some supposedly causal attribute. They are
therefore used to pinpoint features that may lead to a medical condition by contrasting patients
with the condition with patients who do not have the condition but are otherwise identical. In the
case group selection, the said controls must not be in a good health to be fit, this is because at
times, even the sick individuals are considered suitable. (Friis, 2011, pp. 357–365) This is
because those that are at risk of becoming a case should be included in the control category. As
long as the controls and the cases are independent from the interests in terms of the collection
and are collected from the same population, the case study meets the requirements deemed fit for
a case- control study.
The contrast case control study varies from the cross sectional study in that, the latter is
designed and specified to gather, sort and analyze data from the entire study population whereas
the former is defined and specified by the results rather than the risks factor exposure. (Friis,
2011, pp. 357–365). The areas in which the two strategies differ are the collection methods,
observations made (numbers), data collection timing, subject availability, the exposures
directionality, and the unit observation.
, Example of a case control study in the book are the cases of the birth defect research in
which anesthesia for the mother and the occurrence of birth defects in the fetus. (Friis, 2011, pp.
357–365). Another example is for the cancer research in the cases such as the; Childhood cancer
and parental smoking, the effectiveness of colonoscopic screening, the amount of tar generated
by cigarettes and the risk of cancers of the upper digestive tract, cancers in young women caused
by in utero exposure to diethylstilbestrol, the invasive cervical cancer and smoking, consumption
of chili peppers and the risk of gastric cancer and the lung cancer and green tea intake.
An example of the cross-sectional study in the book is the prevalence of smokeless
tobacco use, the incidence of neurodevelopmental disorders, the health needs of minorities, and
increases in disease risk factors. (Friis, 2011, pp. 357–365). Under this study, a survey was
conducted which targeted 9th grade smokeless tobacco uses in four school representatives in the
St. Paul area in the Minneapolis district. According to the findings, nearly 63 percent of boys and
24 percent of girls had used smokeless tobacco at some point in their lives, but just 18.5 percent
of boys and 2.4 percent of girls had used it in the previous week. Ethnicity was also linked to the
prevalence of use, especially among boys.
Describe the advantages and disadvantages of each of the following types of controls in a
case-control study:
Population based
A population-based case-control study is one in which the cases are drawn from a well-
defined population, such as a specific geographic region, and the controls are drawn from the
same group. Its advantageous in that it is based on a big sample size as data is collected from a
wide range and diverse population. (Gomes et al., 2017). It offers a good variation in that data is
easily rejected or sorted and still remain en route to the case analysis sue to its large size, it is
also easy to enroll and collect data due to the wide area of opportunity in the data collection
process.
