Epidemiologists use various methods to identify health causes:
- Descriptive Studies: These studies describe the patterns of disease occurrence in populations by time, place, and person. They help generate hypotheses about potential causes. - Analytical Studies: These include cohort studies and case-control studies that test the hypotheses generated by descriptive studies. They are designed to establish associations between exposures and outcomes. - Experimental Studies: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are the gold standard for determining causality. They involve the manipulation of exposure to assess its effect on health outcomes.
