Case–control

Case–control study is a type of observational study in epidemiology that is often used to identify factors that may contribute to a medical condition by comparing subjects who have that condition/disease (the "cases") with patients who do not have the condition/disease but are otherwise similar (the "controls").

Overview

The case–control study is often used in medical research to identify factors that may contribute to a medical condition by comparing subjects who have that condition/disease (the "cases") with patients who do not have the condition/disease but are otherwise similar (the "controls"). The case–control study is frequently contrasted with cohort studies, wherein exposed and unexposed subjects are observed until they develop an outcome of interest.

Design

The design of a case–control study begins with the selection of cases, which are the individuals with the disease or condition under investigation. Controls are then selected, who are individuals without the disease or condition. The controls should be representative of the population from which the cases were drawn. The exposure status is then determined for cases and controls. The relationship between the disease and the exposure is then tested using appropriate statistical methods.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Case–control studies have several advantages. They are efficient for rare diseases or diseases with a long latency period between exposure and disease manifestation. They are less costly and less time-consuming; they are advantageous when exposure data is expensive or hard to obtain. They are also advantageous when studying dynamic populations in which follow-up is difficult.

However, case–control studies also have significant disadvantages. They are prone to selection bias and recall bias, and it can be difficult to select appropriate controls. They also cannot be used to calculate relative risk.

See Also

• Cohort study
• Epidemiology
• Observational study
• Selection bias
• Recall bias

Case–control Resources
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