Care and Prevention Research – questions without answers
MSc Health Sciences 2016-2017
Lecture 2: Study designs
1. In epidemiology studies you can either start at the determinant side or the occurrence of interest
side. Name for both sides one study design.
2. What measure of association is used in a case-control study and why?
3. There are 5 types of study designs discussed: cross-sectional, case-control, historical cohort,
prospective cohort and experiment. Describe them.
4. Why isn’t it possible to make a causal interpretation with a cross-sectional study design?
5. Name two other characteristics of a cross-sectional study.
6. Name at least two pros and two cons of a case-control study.
7. Name at least two registries in health care (as a source) when selecting cases in a case-control
study.
8. Name at least two registries frequently used in selecting controls in a case-control study.
9. In selecting the control group of a case-control study the control should have the same study
base as the cases. Explain this.
10. What are two differences between a hospital-based case-control study and a population-based
case-control study, use ‘selection and information bias’ in your answer.
11. What is the goal in matching?
12. Name at least two pros and two cons of a cohort study.
13. What are the four challenges in a cohort study?
14. Name at least three ways to increase efficiency in a cohort study.
15. What do you analyze in a nested case-control (prospective)? What measure of association do
you use?
16. In what situation has a nested case-control design advantages?
Lecture 3: Sources of bias
1. What is bias?
2. There are three types of bias which can be divided in either ‘mistakes in design/execution of
study’ or ‘natural covariance with other values’. Which type of bias belongs to which explanation.
3. Fill in: in a case-control study, the probability that ………… enters the study depends on …………….
4. Fill in: in a cohort study, the probability that …………… enters the study depends on …………….
5. A misclassification can be either differential or non-differential. Explain the difference.
6. What is sensitivity.
7. What is specificity.
8. What is a confounder and what are the three conditions for confounding?
9. What is effect modification?
10. What are the steps to follow when identifying confounding and effect modification?
11. Explain what residual confounding is.
12. Name at least three strategies to prevent selection bias and confounding.
13. Name at least two strategies to prevent information bias.
Lecture 5: Experimental studies
1. Which study design provides the most convincing evidence of causal relationships between
exposure and effect?
2. Three terms define the quality of an RCT, name and explain them.
3. Name at least three criteria for internal validity.
4. Name at least three criteria for external validity.
MSc Health Sciences 2016-2017
Lecture 2: Study designs
1. In epidemiology studies you can either start at the determinant side or the occurrence of interest
side. Name for both sides one study design.
2. What measure of association is used in a case-control study and why?
3. There are 5 types of study designs discussed: cross-sectional, case-control, historical cohort,
prospective cohort and experiment. Describe them.
4. Why isn’t it possible to make a causal interpretation with a cross-sectional study design?
5. Name two other characteristics of a cross-sectional study.
6. Name at least two pros and two cons of a case-control study.
7. Name at least two registries in health care (as a source) when selecting cases in a case-control
study.
8. Name at least two registries frequently used in selecting controls in a case-control study.
9. In selecting the control group of a case-control study the control should have the same study
base as the cases. Explain this.
10. What are two differences between a hospital-based case-control study and a population-based
case-control study, use ‘selection and information bias’ in your answer.
11. What is the goal in matching?
12. Name at least two pros and two cons of a cohort study.
13. What are the four challenges in a cohort study?
14. Name at least three ways to increase efficiency in a cohort study.
15. What do you analyze in a nested case-control (prospective)? What measure of association do
you use?
16. In what situation has a nested case-control design advantages?
Lecture 3: Sources of bias
1. What is bias?
2. There are three types of bias which can be divided in either ‘mistakes in design/execution of
study’ or ‘natural covariance with other values’. Which type of bias belongs to which explanation.
3. Fill in: in a case-control study, the probability that ………… enters the study depends on …………….
4. Fill in: in a cohort study, the probability that …………… enters the study depends on …………….
5. A misclassification can be either differential or non-differential. Explain the difference.
6. What is sensitivity.
7. What is specificity.
8. What is a confounder and what are the three conditions for confounding?
9. What is effect modification?
10. What are the steps to follow when identifying confounding and effect modification?
11. Explain what residual confounding is.
12. Name at least three strategies to prevent selection bias and confounding.
13. Name at least two strategies to prevent information bias.
Lecture 5: Experimental studies
1. Which study design provides the most convincing evidence of causal relationships between
exposure and effect?
2. Three terms define the quality of an RCT, name and explain them.
3. Name at least three criteria for internal validity.
4. Name at least three criteria for external validity.
