Several study designs are commonly used in epidemiology, each with its strengths and weaknesses:
Cohort Studies: Follow a group of people over time to assess the impact of different exposures on outcomes. Case-Control Studies: Compare individuals with a disease (cases) to those without (controls) to identify risk factors. Cross-Sectional Studies: Assess the prevalence of a condition or behavior at a specific point in time. Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs): Evaluate the effectiveness of interventions by randomly assigning participants to different groups.
