Question at position 40 A case-control study is most useful for which of the following?Establishing causal ordering (that the "cause" precedes the "effect")Establishing that an individual-level association exists between the potential "cause" and the potential "outcome" or disease Two of the theseEstablishing that altering the "cause" alters the "effect"

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

Understanding the question requires evaluating what a case-control study can best establish and what its limitations are.
Option 1: Establishing causal ordering (that the "cause" precedes the "effect"). Case-control studies select individuals based on disease status and look back to exposures. They are retrospective and do not reliably establish temporal sequence between exposure and disease, so this statement is not the primary strength of case-control designs.
Option 2: Establishing that an individual-level association exists between the potential "cause" and the potential "outcome" or disease. Case-control studies are well suited to identify associations between exposures and diseases at the individual level, often quantified by odds ratios. This captures a core utility of case-control designs, making this option true.
Option 3: Two of these. Since option 1 is not typically a strength of case-control studies, this option would be incorrect because it asserts two true statements when only one is truly applicable.
Option 4: Establishing that altering the "cause" alters the "effect". This describes a causal inference or intervention study (e.g., randomized trials). Case-control studies cannot demonstrate that changing exposure would change outcome; they are observational and retrospective, not experimental, so this is not a strength of case-control design.
In summary, the question asks you to identify which statement best reflects the utility of a case-control study. The option describing the existence of an individual-level association between exposure and disease aligns with the fundamental use of case-control designs, while the other statements refer to causal sequencing or causal impact, which are not their primary strengths.

View Explanation

Log in for full answers

Similar Questions

Case-control studies can be either prospective or retrospective.

In density-sampled case-control studies, a person who is selected as a control who then remains in the study population and at risk for developing the outcome should remain eligible to be selected as a control a second time.

Which of the following statements is true? For a case-control study to provide valid estimates:

The fulfillment of which concept is crucial to the validity of a case-control study?

A case-control study is more efficient than a cohort study when the disease is rare.

In a consumer society, many adults channel creativity into buying things

Economic stress and unpredictable times have resulted in a booming industry for self-help products

People born without creativity never can develop it

More Practical Tools for Students Powered by AI Study Helper

Homework AI Solver

Stylized AI Paper Writer

Plagiarism Checker Assistant

Citation AI Academic Writing Tool

In-Class Translation Assistant

AI Note Generator

AI Quiz Answers

Past Exam Questions from University Test Bank

Smart Practice Assistant

Adaptive Practice

Making Your Study Simpler