Lecture 6: Study Design

Mr. Abdirisak Suleiman Ibrahim

Learning Objective
• Define Study Design.
• Mention different methods of observational studies
• State different methods of experimental studies.
• Define Descriptive Study.
• Mention types of Descriptive Studies.
• State Types of Analytical Studies
• Describe Case-control study
• Describe Cohort study
• Describe Experimental Study
• Define Quasi Experimental Study
Different methods of observational studies

1. NON-INTERVERTION ( OBSERVATIONAL) STUDIES

1.1. Exploratory
1.2. Descriptive
1.3. Comparative (Analytical)
State different methods of experimental studies.

2. Intervention Studies ( Experimental Study)

2.1 Experimental study
2.2 Quasi Experimental study
Define Study Design
• Study Design refers to the plan or strategy to achieve
the research objectives.
DESCRIPTIVE STUDIES
• Descriptive studies are usually the first
phase of an epidemiological
investigation.
• These studies are concerned with
observing the distribution of diseases
or health related characteristics in
human population and identifying the
characteristics with which the disease
in question seems to be associated.

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Define Descriptive Study
Descriptive studies: study to give a full description (clear
picture) of a particular area.
Such studies basically ask the questions

I. When is the disease

occurring?
ii. Where is it occurring ?
iii.Who is getting the disease ?
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Procedures in descriptive studies
• Defining the population to be studied.
• Defining the disease or health condition
under study.
• Describing the disease by
• time
• place
• person
• Measurement of disease

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Mention types of Descriptive Studies
1. Community survey
2. Cross-sectional study
• Cross-sectional study is a research tool used to capture
information based on data gathered for a specific point in
time.
Advantages of Cross-Sectional Study

• Not costly to perform and does not require a lot of time

• Captures a specific point in time
• Contains multiple variables at the time of the data snapshot
Disadvantages of Cross-Sectional Study

• Cannot be used to analyzed behavior over a period of time

• Does not help determine cause and effect
• The timing of the snapshot is not guaranteed to be representative
ANALYTICAL STUDIES
• Analytical studies are the second major
type of epidemiological studies. The
principal objective of the analytical
studies is to test hypothesis.
• There are two principal types of
analytical studies:
• Case control Study ( retrospective study)
• Cohort study (prospective study)

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State Types of Analytical Studies

1. Case-control study
2. Cohort study
Case control study
• A case control study is an analytic
study in which diseased and non
diseased or affected and non
affected subjects are compared in
respect to exposure to suspected
cause.
• quick method to examine the
association between the variables.

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The case control method has three distinct features

• Both exposure and outcome

(disease) have occurred before the
start of the study.
• The study proceeds backwards
from effect to cause.
• It uses a control or comparison
group to support or refute an
inference.
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Advantages of case control study
i. Efficient for the study of rare diseases.
ii. Efficient for the study of chronic
diseases.
iii. Require a comparatively smaller
sample size.
iv. Comparatively less expensive than
cohort and experimental studies.
v. Comparatively quick method than
cohort and other analytical or
experimental studies
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Disadvantages of case control study
I. Can not measure the incidence rate & so, risk of
association cannot be estimated directly.
ii. Problems of recall bias
iii. Selection of an appropriate control group may be
difficult.
iv. Cases and controls may not be a true representative of
the population under study.
v. Information of exposure may be less accurate than
other analytical studies e.g. cohort study.

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 COHORT STUDY
 A cohort study is an analytic
study in which exposed and
non exposed populations are
observed overtime
 to determine association
between exposure to risk
factor and the outcome or the
disease.
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 The distinguishing features of
cohort study are
• The cohorts are identified prior to the
appearance of the disease under study
• The study groups so defined are observed
over time to determine the disease frequency
among them.
- The study proceeds forward from cause
to effect.

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Advantages of cohort study

1. Direct calculation of risk ratio (Relative risk)

2. Incidence of disease may be calculated
3. Clear temporal relationship between exposure an the disease.
4. Minimizes bias
5. Strongest observational design for establishing cause and effect
relationship.

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Disadvantages of cohort study

• Time consuming
• Often requires a large sample size
• Expensive
• not good for study of rare diseases
• losses to follow up may diminish validity

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Describe Experimental Study

True experimental studies have three characteristics:

Randomization
Intervention
Control
Study of new drugs are used experimental design
Quasi-Experimental Study
One of the characteristics of a true experimental design is
missing.
Thank You