How Do Epidemiologists Identify Risk Factors for Diseases?
Epidemiologists use various study designs to identify risk factors for diseases. These include:
Cohort Studies: Follow a group of people over time to see who develops the disease and who does not, comparing exposed and non-exposed individuals. Case-Control Studies: Compare individuals with the disease (cases) to those without the disease (controls) to identify factors that may have contributed to the disease. Cross-Sectional Studies: Assess the prevalence of a disease and potential risk factors at a single point in time. Randomized Controlled Trials: Assign individuals randomly to receive an intervention or placebo to determine the efficacy of the intervention.
