OBSERVATIONAL STUDY DESIGNS

• Review the different types of observational study designs presented in the Learning Resources: ecologic, cross-sectional, case-control, and cohort.
• Carefully examine the characteristics, strengths, and limitations of each design.
• Consider when it is appropriate to use each of the observational study designs.
• Consider how using observational study designs can lead to improvements in population health.
• By Day 1 of this week, you should have received a communication from your Instructor assigning you to a small group to review two specific articles. Review the two articles your group was assigned, with a critical eye toward the researchers’ use of study design and their selected methods. Although several students will be assigned the same articles, this is NOT a group project; please submit your Discussion posts individually. You will then have the opportunity to discuss and share your thoughts with your colleagues.

BY DAY 3 OF WEEK 3

In your assigned group area:

Post a brief description of the two studies you were assigned, with a particular focus on the study design and methods. Then:

• Describe at least one strength and one limitation of each study’s design.
• Identify the population, data sources, and epidemiologic measures of association that the authors used.
• Finally, share your insights about the appropriateness of the design for the study. Do you agree with the researchers’ choice of design?
• Do you agree with the researchers’ conclusions? Justify your reasoning.