Question

1. To assess the possible influence of psychosocial factors on mortality, a random sample of 1010 adults in Oslo, Norway were recruited to participate in a study. All the participants were interviewed in 1996 to assess psychosocial factors, including religiosity, mental health, and relationships with family, friends, and neighbors. The study participants were then followed-up for 18 years. Compared to persons with high social participation and more close relationships in 1996, persons with low social participation and fewer close relationships were more likely to die during the follow-up period.

What type of study design is this? (Choose the one best answer)

a. ecologic

b. case series

c. cross-sectional

d. case-control

e. cohort

f. randomized trial

2. An investigation was carried out to describe sociodemographic factors associated with syphilis rates. Syphilis rates for each U.S. county were obtained from the national syphilis case surveillance system. Information from the U.S. Census Bureau was used to characterize each U.S. county according to socioeconomic characteristics (e.g., percentage of the population living below the poverty level and percentage residing in urban areas) and health-related characteristics (e.g., teenage birth rate and infant mortality rate). The data analyses showed a strong correlation between indicators of lower socioeconomic status and lower health status and increased syphilis rates.

What type of study design is this? (Choose the one best answer)

a. ecologic

b. case series

c. cross-sectional

d. case-control

e. cohort

f. randomized trial

Answer 1

1.(e) The term cohort effect is used in social science to describe variations in the characteristics of an area of study (such as the incidence of a characteristic or the age at onset) over time among individuals who are defined by some shared temporal experience or common life experience, such as year of birth.

2.(c) Cross-sectional research involves using different groups of people who differ in the variable of interest but share other characteristics, such as socioeconomic status, educational background, and ethnicity.