Epidemiological Research Trivia Quiz!
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- 1.
The hallmark feature of an analytic epidemiological study is:
- A.
The use of an appropriate comparison group
- B.
A clear definition of disease that does not change over time
- C.
The random allocation of individuals to treatment
- D.
Publication in a peer-reviewed journal
Correct Answer
A. The use of an appropriate comparison groupExplanation
The use of an appropriate comparison group is the key feature that distinguishes analytic from other types (descriptive) of studies.Rate this question:
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- 2.
A case-control study differs from a cohort study in that:
- A.
Subjects are asked about their exposure status in a cohort study but not in a case-control-study
- B.
Subjects are enrolled or categorised on the basis of their disease status in a case-control study but not in a cohort study
- C.
Subjects are enrolled or categorised on the basis of their disease status in a cohort study but not in a case-control study
- D.
Cohort studies always require many years to conduct, but case-control studies do not
Correct Answer
B. Subjects are enrolled or categorised on the basis of their disease status in a case-control study but not in a cohort studyExplanation
The key difference between a cohort and case-control study is that, in a cohort study, subjects are enrolled on the basis of their exposure, whereas in a case-control study subjects are enrolled on the basis of whether they have the disease of interest or not. Both types of studies assess exposure(s) and disease status. While most cohort studies are conducted over several years, some, particularly those that are outbreak-related, are conducted in days.Rate this question:
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- 3.
This table shows data from an epidemiological study. What type of study was this most likely to be?
- A.
Cross-sectional
- B.
Case-control
- C.
Cohort
- D.
Randomized controlled trial
Correct Answer
C. CohortExplanation
Note that person-time at risk is not calculated in case-control, cross-sectional or ecological studies. It could be calculated in a RCT but the data in this table is unlikely to refer to one as we are not informed about how many persons were randomly allocated to treatment (or exposure) vs. control group (unexposed) we are just told how many of these have (developed) the disease or outcome of interest.Rate this question:
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- 4.
Considering the data shown in this table: What is the incidence rate among those who were exposed to the risk factor under study?
- A.
13.3 per 100 person-years
- B.
13.3 per 100,000 person-years
- C.
35.9 per 100 person-years
- D.
35.9 per 100,000 person-years
Correct Answer
D. 35.9 per 100,000 person-yearsExplanation
70/195,000=0.000359 (x100,000)=35.9 per 100,000 person-yearsRate this question:
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- 5.
Considering the data shown in this table, what is the relative risk of disease for those exposed to the risk factor under study compared to the unexposed? RR=________ (use 2 decimal places)
Correct Answer
2.70Explanation
First, we needed to calculate the incidence rate (IR) among those who were not exposed:
30/225,000=0.000133 (x100,000)=13.3 per 100,000 person-years
(we have calculated the incidence rate among the exposed before = 35.9)
Now, to calculate the relative risk we simply divide the IR among the exposed by the IR among the unexposed: 35.9 person-years / 13.3 person-years = 2.70.Rate this question:
- 6.
To assess the association between a certain rare type of cancer and a sedentary lifestyle, investigators conducted a case-control study with 100 cases (with cancer) and 200 controls (without cancer). Among the patients with cancer, 50 had a sedentary lifestyle history; among the controls, the number with a sedentary lifestyle history was also 50. What is the odds ratio for the association between sedentary lifestyle and cancer? OR= ________ (use 1 decimal place)
Correct Answer
3.0Explanation
The best way to answer this question is to first build a 2x2 table summarising the data (exposure status in rows, disease status in columns) provided in the text Cases Controls Total Exposed (a) 50 (b) 50 100 Not exposed (c) 50 (d) 150 200 Total 100 200 300Rate this question:
- 7.
Consider the following clinical question: To what extent teenage patients who are obese compared to those who have normal weight prior to open appendectomy, have a higher risk of post-operative complications? Which type of clinical question is this? Identify the clinical domain
- A.
Aetiology
- B.
Diagnosis
- C.
Prognosis
- D.
Therapy
Correct Answer
C. PrognosisExplanation
This clinical question is a prognosis question. It is asking about the potential outcome or risk of post-operative complications in teenage patients who are obese compared to those who have normal weight prior to open appendectomy. The question is seeking to understand the future course or prediction of outcomes for these patients.Rate this question:
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- 8.
Consider the following clinical question: To what extent teenage patients who are obese compared to those who have normal weight prior to open appendectomy, have higher risk of post-operative complications? What is the best study design to answer this clinical question?
- A.
Case-control study
- B.
Cohort study
- C.
Cross-sectional study
- D.
Randomised controlled trial
Correct Answer
B. Cohort studyExplanation
A cohort study is the best design for this type of PROGNOSIS question. A cohort study will give you the actual rate of post-operative complications in both the exposed (teenagers with obesity prior to surgery) and the unexposed (teenagers with normal weight prior to surgery) groups, enabling you to compare these (often done with the calculation of a relative risk)Rate this question:
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- 9.
Consider the following clinical question: In male heavy smokers newly diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) would the administration of varenicline be more effective for long-term smoking cessation than nicotine replacement therapy? Which type of clinical question is this? Identify the clinical domain.
- A.
Aetiology
- B.
Diagnosis
- C.
Prognosis
- D.
Therapy
Correct Answer
D. TherapyExplanation
This clinical question falls under the category of Therapy. It is asking about the effectiveness of two different treatments (varenicline and nicotine replacement therapy) for long-term smoking cessation in male heavy smokers newly diagnosed with COPD. The question is focused on finding the best treatment option for this specific patient population.Rate this question:
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- 10.
Consider the following clinical question: In male heavy smokers newly diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) would the administration of varenicline be more effective for long-term smoking cessation than nicotine replacement therapy? What is the best study design to answer this clinical question?
- A.
Cohort study
- B.
Case-control study
- C.
Randomised controlled trial
- D.
Cross-sectional study
Correct Answer
C. Randomised controlled trialExplanation
Clearly, to answer a therapy question a randomised controlled trial is the best design to inform about treatment efficacy. In addition, to be able to avoid information bias, the trialists would have to think of a smart way to blind the patients to the treatment they would receive...Rate this question:
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Current Version
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Mar 19, 2023Quiz Edited by
ProProfs Editorial Team -
Oct 10, 2018Quiz Created by
Isabel Ferreira
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