Review Questions for Chapter 9 

1. List elements of epidemiologic hypotheses.
2. What is a dose-response relation?
3. What is a time-response relation?
4. [True or false?] There is a universal scheme for classifying epidemiologic study types.
5. What is the distinction between experimental and non-experimental study designs?
6. Why are randomized designs superior to non-randomized designs? How does randomization work?
7. Susser (1973) stated "non-experimental studies should be conducted under natural circumstances chosen to be revealing." Explain this statement. 
8. Is  "whether a nation has a written constitution" a person-level variable or aggregate-level variable?
9. Is "current health status" longitudinal or cross-sectional? 
10. [True or false?] Longitudinal measurements may be derived prospectively or retrospectively. 
11. What distinguishes cohort studies from case-control studies?
12. What makes a study ecological?
13. What is the distinction between a cross-sectional and longitudinal measurement?
14. Match each study design with its description. Designs: Trial, Case-control, Cohort, Cross-sectional survey, Ecological
    Brief descriptions:
        (1) based on aggregate-level observations 
        (2) non-longitudinal observations
        (3) studies all cases but only a sample of non-cases
        (4) observations study in which individual are followed over time 
        (5) the exposure is assigned according to the study's protocol 

Last update: 11/27/2008  

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