Biostatistics for Health Sciences course (PUBH151)

Lab exercises – Week 1

A. Identify the type of the following research questions.

1. As compared to placebo, is prophylactic anticoagulants more effective in preventing

thromboembolic events in people hospitalised with COVID‐19?
Answer: Prevention

2. Is yoga more effective than antidepressants in relieving depressive symptoms in women

with polycystic ovarian syndrome?
Answer: Therapy

3. Is maternal exposure to pesticides during pregnancy associated with increased risk of

acute childhood leukemia?
Answer: Etiology

4. Is there a difference in overall survival between obese children compared to children of

normal weight at initial diagnosis of leukemia?
Answer: Prognosis

5. Are adults with asthma at a higher risk of being infected, hospitalised or of poorer
clinical outcomes from COVID-19?
Answer: Etiology

6. In people with COVID-19, is saliva testing more accurate in detecting SARS-CoV-2 than
nasopharyngeal swabbing?
Answer: Diagnosis

7. Compared to placebo, is remdesivir treatment associated with better clinical outcomes

in hospitalised patients with COVID-19?
Answer: Therapy

8. Is there a difference in cancer risk between women with preeclampsia and women with
a normal pregnancy?
Answer: Etiology

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9. Is preoperative anemia associated with survival outcomes in patients with endometrial
cancer?
Answer: Prognosis

10. As compared to polymerase chain reaction (PCR), is immunochromatographic tests

(ICTs) more accurate for the detection of norovirus in stool specimens?
Answer: Diagnosis

11. Is the use of xylitol chewing gum more effective than placebo in reducing the incidence
of dental caries in children?
Answer: Prevention

12. Is a combined diet and exercise intervention for weight loss, compared to no
intervention, effective in improving reproductive outcomes of adults with obesity and
infertility?
Answer: Therapy

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B. Identify the PICO elements in the following research questions

1. Is yoga more effective than antidepressants in relieving depressive symptoms in women

with polycystic ovarian syndrome?
Answer
Patient/Problem (P): women with polycystic ovarian syndrome
Intervention/exposure (I): yoga
Comparison (C): antidepressants
Outcome (O): relief of depressive symptoms

2. As compared to placebo, is prophylactic anticoagulants more effective in preventing

thromboembolic events in people hospitalized with COVID‐19?
Answer
P: people hospitalized with COVID‐19
I: prophylactic anticoagulants
C: placebo
O: prevention of thromboembolic events

3. Is there a difference in overall survival between obese children compared to children of

normal weight at initial diagnosis of leukemia?
Answer
P: children with initial diagnosis of leukemia
I: obesity
C: normal weight
O: overall survival

4. In people with COVID-19, is saliva testing more accurate in detecting SARS-CoV-2 than
nasopharyngeal swabbing?
Answer
P: people with COVID-19
I: saliva testing
C: nasopharyngeal swabbing
O: detection of SARS-CoV-2

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5. Is preoperative anemia associated with survival outcomes in patients with endometrial
cancer?
Answer
P: patients with endometrial cancer
I: preoperative anemia
C: not mentioned directly (no preoperative anemia)
O: survival outcomes

6. Is a combined diet and exercise intervention for weight loss, compared to no

intervention, effective in improving reproductive outcomes of adults with obesity and
infertility?
Answer
P: adults with obesity and infertility
I: combined diet and exercise intervention for weight loss
C: not mentioned directly (no diet and exercise intervention for weight loss)
O: improving reproductive outcomes

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C. A group of researchers wish to conduct a systematic review to evaluate the effectiveness of
light therapy for the treatment of delayed sleep-wake phase disorder. This disorder is
characterized by delayed sleep onset times (inability to fall asleep) and difficulty waking up
in the morning. The most common treatment for this disorder is light therapy using light
devices.

The researchers have listed the following terms to use in their systematic search for
relevant articles:

phototherapy “light therapy”

“sleep disorder*” “circadian rhythm sleep disorders”

“photoradiation therapy” “delayed sleep-wake phase disorder”

insomnia “delayed sleep phase syndrome”

“sleep initiation and maintenance disorder*” sleep initiation and maintenance disorders/

phototherapy/ Sleep Disorders, Circadian Rhythm/

Based on this information, use PubMed and identify the MeSH terms for light therapy
and delayed sleep-wake phase disorder and add them to the above list of search terms.
Then, use relevant boolean operators and combine all key terms in a systematic way
that can be used to identify relevant articles addressing the research question in this
planned systematic review.

(Phototherapy/ OR phototherapy OR “photoradiation therapy” OR “light therapy”) AND

(Sleep Disorders, Circadian Rhythm/ OR sleep initiation and maintenance disorders/ OR
“sleep initiation and maintenance disorder*” OR “sleep disorder*” OR “delayed sleep
phase syndrome” OR “circadian rhythm sleep disorders” OR “delayed sleep-wake phase
disorder” OR insomnia)

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D. A group of researchers wish to conduct a systematic review to examine whether
smartphone use is associated with dry eye disease. The researchers have listed the
following terms to use in their systematic search for relevant articles:

Concept MeSH terms & keyterms

Smartphone Smartphone/
Smartphone
“Smart phone”
Cellphone
“Cell phone”
“Cellular phone”
“Mobile phone”
“Tablet phone”
Dry Eye Disease Dry Eye Syndromes/
“Dry eye"
"Keratoconjunctivitis Sicca"
"Kerato conjunctivitis Sicca"
"Keratitis Sicca"
"corneal xerosis"
"conjunctival xerosis"
"Meibomian Gland Dysfunction"
"Dysfunctional tear"
"Ocular dryness"

Use PubMed and run the above listed search strategy using relevant boolean operators.

How many records do the researchers need to screen to identify articles potentially addressing
the relationship between smartphone use and dry eye disease?

Run the search to identify the number of records.

Provide a screenshot of your search results.

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