Question

Compare ecologic, cross-sectional, and case-control studies with respect to their strengths and weaknesses, and advantages and disadvantages.

Answer 1

Ecologic study:

Population studies which are done to assess the prevalence of a disease or incidence of a disease are called as “Ecologic study.”

Advantages and disadvantages of “Ecologic study”:

• This study provides information in the perspective of health

• Advantage when individual based measurement is not possible

• Utilization of minimal resources.

• Advantage of conducting rapidly

• Possibility of ecologic fallacy and imprecision in measuring the exposure

• Results are at population level as unit of analysis is population or groups.

Strength and weakness of “Ecologic study”:

• Cheap and easy to conduct

• Preferred method of study for health statistics

• High scope of sampling

• Useful to generate hypothesis

• No data found on confounding factors.

• The rate of exposure differs between areas which are opted for study.

• Ecological fallacy may interpret wrong conclusions.