Chapter 8 Gathering Evidence for Public Health Practice
Origin: Chapter 8- Gathering Evidence for Public Health Practice, 1
1. The nurse is preparing a research study on the number of heart attacks in the community
and the number of individuals who are actively involved in exercise programs following
a heart attack. Using knowledge of research study design, which gold standard for a
research design should be considered?
A) Randomized, control group
B) Quasi-experimental
C) Experimental
D) Descriptive epidemiologic
Ans: A
Feedback:
The “gold standard” for experimental studies is the prospective, double-blind,
placebo-control group design, also referred to as clinical trials or therapeutic trials. In
double-blind experimental studies, neither the researchers nor the subjects are aware to
which group they are randomly assigned. Quasi-experimental and experimental designs
are used to examine causality. Many studies, although experimental in design, are not
able to either randomize selection of subjects or exert the same degree of control of the
study variables that would be found in true experimental studies. Descriptive
epidemiologic studies, which are frequently used in public health, are designed to
acquire more information about characteristics of health (or disease) as they pertain to
person, place, and time. Findings from descriptive epidemiologic studies lead to
hypotheses for future research.
Origin: Chapter 8- Gathering Evidence for Public Health Practice, 2
2. The nurse is preparing to do a research study on the effects of tight insulin control for
diabetes. Using the knowledge that epidemiologic research can be descriptive or
analytical, which would be the strongest study design to consider?
A) Retrospective
,B) Quasi-experimental
C) Experimental
D) Randomized, control group
Ans: D
Feedback:
Analytical research study designs are on a continuum, ranging from strongest to weakest
designs. The research continuum indicates that experimental study designs are the
strongest because they control for all factors except that which is under study, with the
“gold standard” for research design being the randomized, control group design. Two
analytical designs, the prospective correlational design and the retrospective
correlational design, are “weaker” designs on the continuum. Quasi-experimental study
designs are stronger than retrospective studies but weaker than experimental because
assignment of subjects into groups is not randomized or the researcher is unable to
manipulate the variable under study.
, Origin: Chapter 8- Gathering Evidence for Public Health Practice, 3
3. The nurse reads a research article that reviews causality. Using knowledge of research
designs, which types of design examine causality? (Select all that apply.)
A) Retrospective
B) Quasi-experimental
C) Experimental
D) Randomized, control group
E) Case-controlled
Ans: B, C, D
Feedback:
Quasi-experimental and experimental designs are used to examine causality. The “gold
standard” for research design is the randomized, control group design, which is a type of
experimental design. Retrospective, or case-controlled, studies do not examine
causality.
Origin: Chapter 8- Gathering Evidence for Public Health Practice, 4
4. The nurse conducts a study that will follow a group of subjects for two decades. It
involves one group of subjects who have a risk factor for developing diabetes and
another group who do not have a risk factor. The goal is to establish a cause-and-effect
relationship between the existence of the risk factor and the occurrence of diabetes.
Which study design would be most appropriate?
A) Cohort
B) Case-control
C) Preventive
D) Therapeutic
Ans: A
Feedback:
Cohort studies, sometimes referred to as longitudinal studies, are prospective studies
that monitor subjects over time to find associations between risk factors and health
outcomes. In their simplest form, a sample (cohort) of subjects who are exposed to the
risk factor(s) is matched with a sample of subjects not exposed to the risk factor. Cohort
Origin: Chapter 8- Gathering Evidence for Public Health Practice, 1
1. The nurse is preparing a research study on the number of heart attacks in the community
and the number of individuals who are actively involved in exercise programs following
a heart attack. Using knowledge of research study design, which gold standard for a
research design should be considered?
A) Randomized, control group
B) Quasi-experimental
C) Experimental
D) Descriptive epidemiologic
Ans: A
Feedback:
The “gold standard” for experimental studies is the prospective, double-blind,
placebo-control group design, also referred to as clinical trials or therapeutic trials. In
double-blind experimental studies, neither the researchers nor the subjects are aware to
which group they are randomly assigned. Quasi-experimental and experimental designs
are used to examine causality. Many studies, although experimental in design, are not
able to either randomize selection of subjects or exert the same degree of control of the
study variables that would be found in true experimental studies. Descriptive
epidemiologic studies, which are frequently used in public health, are designed to
acquire more information about characteristics of health (or disease) as they pertain to
person, place, and time. Findings from descriptive epidemiologic studies lead to
hypotheses for future research.
Origin: Chapter 8- Gathering Evidence for Public Health Practice, 2
2. The nurse is preparing to do a research study on the effects of tight insulin control for
diabetes. Using the knowledge that epidemiologic research can be descriptive or
analytical, which would be the strongest study design to consider?
A) Retrospective
,B) Quasi-experimental
C) Experimental
D) Randomized, control group
Ans: D
Feedback:
Analytical research study designs are on a continuum, ranging from strongest to weakest
designs. The research continuum indicates that experimental study designs are the
strongest because they control for all factors except that which is under study, with the
“gold standard” for research design being the randomized, control group design. Two
analytical designs, the prospective correlational design and the retrospective
correlational design, are “weaker” designs on the continuum. Quasi-experimental study
designs are stronger than retrospective studies but weaker than experimental because
assignment of subjects into groups is not randomized or the researcher is unable to
manipulate the variable under study.
, Origin: Chapter 8- Gathering Evidence for Public Health Practice, 3
3. The nurse reads a research article that reviews causality. Using knowledge of research
designs, which types of design examine causality? (Select all that apply.)
A) Retrospective
B) Quasi-experimental
C) Experimental
D) Randomized, control group
E) Case-controlled
Ans: B, C, D
Feedback:
Quasi-experimental and experimental designs are used to examine causality. The “gold
standard” for research design is the randomized, control group design, which is a type of
experimental design. Retrospective, or case-controlled, studies do not examine
causality.
Origin: Chapter 8- Gathering Evidence for Public Health Practice, 4
4. The nurse conducts a study that will follow a group of subjects for two decades. It
involves one group of subjects who have a risk factor for developing diabetes and
another group who do not have a risk factor. The goal is to establish a cause-and-effect
relationship between the existence of the risk factor and the occurrence of diabetes.
Which study design would be most appropriate?
A) Cohort
B) Case-control
C) Preventive
D) Therapeutic
Ans: A
Feedback:
Cohort studies, sometimes referred to as longitudinal studies, are prospective studies
that monitor subjects over time to find associations between risk factors and health
outcomes. In their simplest form, a sample (cohort) of subjects who are exposed to the
risk factor(s) is matched with a sample of subjects not exposed to the risk factor. Cohort
