ANALYTIC

Analysis/Measure of
STUDIES IN Type Definition/Features Uses/Application Advantages Disadvantages/Limitations
Association
EPIDEMIOLOGY
Observational Measures exposure -measure - less costly - cannot separate cause and Prevalence Ratio
Cross Sectional and disease at one magnitude of effect
point in time or over disease -shorter period of Prevalence exp
a short period of time - higher proportion of Prevalence nonexp
time -generate prevalence of cases with
hypothesis of a -early diagnosis long duration than that of Prevalence Difference
Prevalence disease etiology of diseases incidence cases -excess cases
proportion among P exp – P nonexp
exposed and - evaluation of -provide - response bias
unexposed are medical care/health information on
determined and service delivery diseases - observation bias
compared
-establish baseline
data

- for quantities that

vary with time and
disease with slow
onset and long
duration

Cohort Observational - starts with - identify risk - describe - time consuming and
disease-free factors complete expensive Risk Ratio
aka individuals experience
- identify protective - entails considerable Incidence Rate (IR)
Follow-up - divided into factors - study multiple expense in funding and among exposed
Longitudinal exposed and effects of an professional resources Incidence Rate (IR)
Incidence unexposed -identify exposure i.e among unexposed
Prospective prognostic factors benefits and - longer period of follow-up
Panel risks for chronic disease Cumulative Incidence
- describe the (CI) among exposed
natural history of - temporal - potential for observer bias Cumulative Incidence
disease sequence among unexposed
between
- project exposure and
new/excess case disease can be Risk Difference
for planning of established - number of new cases
acute care services
- allow IR exposed – IR unexposed
-assess calculation of
CI exposed – CI unexposed
effectiveness incidence rates
preventive IR total pop exp – IR
measures - rare exposures unexposed
 % Attributable Fraction
(AF)
- measure amount of
disease or death that
can be attributed to or
accounted by the
exposure
- measured in exposure
group and total
population

IR exp – IR unexp x 100

IR exp

CI exp – CI unexp x 100

CI exp

IR total pop – IR unexp x 100

IR total pop

Absolute number

%AF exp x Pop exposed

% AF total pop x Total pop

Case-Control Observational - show the - studying disease - inefficient for rare Odds Ratio (OR)
probability of with long latency exposures
exposure is greater a/c = ad
in those with -examine -cannot generate incidence b/d bc
disease than in multiple etiologic rates
those without factors of a -difficult to establish Protective factor
disease single disease temporal sequence
1
-quick and -prone to bias OR
inexpensive

-rare diseases
Experimental Experimental A procedure for Gives the -ethical issues 1. assess comparability
devising an strongest of groups by employing
aka experimental setting evidence of - bias statistical testing
wherein the cause and effect - use p value
intervention researcher relationship -threats to internal validity
randomized administers or 1. experimental mortality 2. determine treatment
controlled trial withholds a factor to 2. maturation effect effect
see how the 3. regression toward the
dependent variable mean effect
Rate control – Rate exposure
is affected by the 4. testing effect Rate control
independent 5. Hawthorne effect
variable
1 – Relative Risk
There is
manipulation of the
independent
variable

Longitudinal

Randomization
(randomized
allocation) –
assignment of
subjects into the
study groups is
determined by
chance

Use of comparison
groups