1.  What study design is appropriate for obtaining prevalence data?

a. Case-control

b. Cross-sectional

c. Cohort

d. Multiple cohorts

 

2.  Matching is a useful way to control for confounding at the design level of which types of study designs?

a. Case series

b. Cross-sectional

c. Ecologic

d. Case-control

 

3.  In order for random assignment of participants to different arms of an experimental study to be effective at controlling for confounding, what is required?

a. That the sample size be sufficiently large

b. That the patients be blinded

c. That the patients be restricted on the potential cofounder

d. All of the above are required

 

4.  Restriction is commonly used in cohort studies for what purpose?

a. To improve the feasibility of the study

b. To improve the focus of the study

c. To lower the risk of bias

d. All of the above are reasons for restricting the study population

 

5.  What method is most useful for controlling for bias at the analysis level of an experimental study?

a. Randomization

b. Blinding

c. Matching

d. Restriction

e. None of the above

 

6.  A nested case-control is combined into what type of study?

a. Case-control

b. Cross-sectional

c. Ecologic

d. Cohort

 

7. In a retrospective cohort study, which of the following is true?

a. An historical cohort is reconstructed by the investigator with data on the predictor variable (measured in the past) and data on the outcome collected (measured in the past after some follow-up period).

b. A cohort is identified by the investigator with data on the predictor variable (measured in the past) and the cohort is then followed to identify the outcome.

c. The outcome variable is measured by the investigator at the start of the study.

d. A cohort of data is followed, with analyses occurring after all the data have been collected.

 

8. Which type of study plays a supportive role in identifying the research problem, formulating the research question and generating hypotheses?

a. Descriptive epidemiology study

b. Analytic epidemiology study

 

9. What type of matching is where the distribution of the potential confounder is determined for the case group and controls are selected to match this frequency distribution?

a. Propensity score matching

b. Frequency-pair matching

c. Pair matching

d. Frequency matching

 

10.  Which of the following criteria should be considered when establishing whether a statistical association is valid?

a. Chance

b. Biologic credibility

c. Temporality

d. All of the above criteria and more should be considered

 

11.  You want to evaluate the relationship between an extremely rare disease and soda pop consumption. Which of the following study designs would be best for do so?

 a. Case report

 b. Cross sectional

 c. Cohort

 d. Case series

 e. Case-control

 

12. Which of the following is a weakness of the ecological study design?

 a. Takes advantage of pre-existing data

 b. Relatively quick and inexpensive

 c. Allows estimation of effects not easily measurable for individuals

 d. Exposure and disease/injury outcomes are not measured on the same individuals

 e. All of the above are strengths of the ecologic study design

 

13. In a case control study, which source of control is least likely to underestimate the measured association between exposure and disease?

 a. General population

 b. Hospital

 c. Family members

 d. Special groups

 

14. Which of the following study designs is best suited if the exposure is extremely rare?

 a. Case-control

 b. Multiple cohorts

 c. Cross-sectional

 d. Cohort

 

15. Which of the following is not an observational study design?

 a. Case-control

 b. Cohort

 c. These are all observational studies

 d. Experimental

 e. Cross-sectional

 

16. Which of the following is a type of selection bias in an experimental study?

 a. Berkson's bias

 b. Neyman's bias

 c. Loss to follow-up

 d. All of the above are types of selection bias in experimental studies

 

17. Which of the following may lead to bias in a cohort study?

 a. The health worker effect

 b. Berkson's bias

 c. Neyman's bias

 d. All of the above may lead to bias

 

18.  Which of the following is NOT a potential approach for controlling for confounding at the analysis phase of a study?

 a. Restriction

 b. Stratification

 c. Multiple regression

 d. All of the above are effective ways to control for confounding in our analysis

 

19. Which of the following study designs is best suited for assessing an exposure–disease relationship when the outcome occurs rapidly after exposure?

 a. Case-control

 b. Cohort

 c. Cross-sectional

 d. Multiple cohorts