Chapter 11 Review Questions

Last update: 6/16/2011

11.1 - �11.3 Cross-Sectional and Ecological Studies

  1. Is "neighborhood crime rate" a person-level or aggregate-level measurement?
  2. Farr derived a mathematical model that was nearly perfect in predicting cholera rates. He used this model to support the miasma theory of cholera transmission. Why was Farr off base?
  3. Optional: Match the term with its description. 
    Terms
    : integral variable, contextual variable, contagion variable 
    Descriptions

    (1) An aggregate-level variable that derives from compilation of individual attributes.
    (2) An aggregate-level variable that affects virtually all members of a group.
    (3) An aggregate-level outcome variable that affects future occurrences.
  4. Figure 11.5 (p. 198) revealed a positive association between hospital size and accidents rates. The author attributed this to the lower quality social interactions at large hospitals. Suggest an alternative explanation.
  5. True or False? Whether a measurement is longitudinal or cross-sectional depends on the date of occurrence in relation to the date of data collection.
  6. What are notiones vulgares
  7. Table 11.5 (page 201) reveals a positive association between psychosis and low SES and a negative association between neurosis and low SES. Explain how biases might explain  these findings.
  8. Match the bias with its description. 
    Biases
    : detection bias, reverse-causality bias, prevalence-incidence bias 
    Descriptions
    :  
    (1) Long-duration cases contributed to cross-sectional "rates" to a greater extent than short-duration cases. 
    (2) The exposure increases likelihood of diagnosis but does not cause the ailment.    
    (3) The disease causes the exposure. 

11.4 Cohort Studies

  1. Explain why mortality rates in open populations are not longitudinal. 
  2. Explain how Frost's generational cohort studies linked infectious and chronic disease epidemiology. 
  3. Where is Framingham and why do we care? 
  4. Who are Doll & Hill?
  5. Describe the difference between a prospective cohort study and retrospective cohort study. 

11.5 Case-Control Studies

  1. Why are case-control studies efficient for studying rare diseases?
  2. Why are case-control studies efficient for studying diseases with long induction?
  3. This is the cross-product ratio in a 2-by-2 table.
  4. Controls (in case-control studies) provide estimates of the frequency of exposure of _______________ in the population. 
  5. M/C (select best response): The odds ratio from a case-control study is equal to a(n): [(a) incidence (b) prevalence (c) rate ratio (d) rate difference].
  6. M/C: When there is no association between the exposure and disease, the odds ratio in the population is equal to (a) -1 (b) 0 (c) 1 (d) 100

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