Research Designs (BHS210-Mod5)
BHS 210 Mod 5-SLP ANALYTIC EPIDEMIOLOGY Write 2–3 pages in response to the following question: Describe the basic types of epidemiologic study designs that are used to test hypotheses, identify associations and establish causation. Be sure you support essay with evidence from the literature. ANALYTIC EPIDEMIOLOGY Required Reading Analytic Study Design (n.d.). Retrieved on 10/1/13 from http://www(dot)epidemiolog(dot)net/evolving/AnalyticStudyDesigns.pdf Optional Reading Aschengrau A, Seage GR (2003). Chapter 6: Overview of Epidemiologic Study Designs. Essentials of Epidemiology in Public Health, Boston: Jones & Bartlett Publishers. Retrieved on 10/1/13 from http://publichealth(dot)jbpub(dot)com/aschengrau/Aschengrau06.pdf Cosio G (2005). Epidemiological Overview of Tuberculosis [Presentation]. Retrieved on 10/1/13 from www(dot)paho(dot)org/cdmedia/dpccd01/Presentations/Day1/EPIDEMIOLOGICAL%20OVERVIEW%20OF%20TUBERCULOSIS%202.ppt
Research Designs
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Introduction
Data collection and analysis are the pillars of any research irrespective of the field of study. Depending on the field, there are various formats that are used all of which can be consolidated into designs. As such, there are various designs that have been formulated to represent the variety of ways of collecting and analyzing data.Currently there are five designs, which can be grouped into two major categories namely observational and experimental research designs (Cosio, 2005). The observational group of designs is defined by the fact that, the researchers have to observe their participants without any form of manipulation. In the experimental designs, the researchers have a chance to manipulate their participants to get the desired results. The experimental designs are limited in the studies that involve human subjects as they may run into ethical complications (Analytic Study Design, n.d.).
Epidemiological Research Designs Types
1. Experimental Designs
A. Randomized Controlled Trial
This is one of the most, accurate research designs that researchers rely on. It is due to the fact that the design uses randomization, to ensure that the research is marred with bias. Every research is designed in such a way that it has two groups. One of the groups is called the control group, which is used for comparison (Aschengrau, &Seage, 2003). The other group is called experimental group and it is this that the researchers manipulate. In the health sector, when an interventional drug is being tested, it is the experimental group that is given the drug, while the control group is given the conventional drug. Although the randomization process is quite rigorous, the results are considered to be quite accurate.
B. Quasi Experiment
This design uses two groups of participants, which include the control group and the experimental group. This is quite similar to the Randomized Controlled Trial; however, there is a big difference between the two. Ideally, in the Quasi Experiment the randomization element is not practiced. This means that the researcher has the ability to manipulate the groups with higher freedoms that is normal in the Randomized Controlled Trials (Aschengrau, &Seage, 2003).
2. Observational designs
A. Case control
In the case control designs, the researchers are trying to establish if there is a connection between two groups. This means that, the researcher may try observing the exposure in question and the outcomes that are going to come up within the populations selected. It is the exposure and the outcomes that link the two groups together (Cosio, 2005). One of the researches that can be conducted using the case control group is on the obesity being caused by eating fast foods. In this case, the persons that are obese would be the cases, while the rest of the population, which may include obese and health persons are observed. Most times the control groups, is composed of the healthy parties, althou...