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Study Design & Methodology Flashcards

7 cards from real CPI practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

Read the first 7 Study Design & Methodology flashcards as text

  1. A researcher systematically reviews all published and unpublished studies on a topic and quantitatively pools their results. This is called:

    Answer: Meta-analysis

    A meta-analysis statistically combines results from multiple independent studies to produce a pooled estimate with greater precision.

  2. Intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis in a clinical trial means:

    Answer: Participants are analyzed in the group they were randomized to regardless of adherence

    ITT analysis includes all randomized participants in their assigned groups, preserving randomization and providing unbiased effectiveness estimates.

  3. A study comparing cancer rates in counties with high versus low pesticide use is an example of:

    Answer: Ecological study

    Ecological studies use group-level data (counties) as the unit of analysis rather than individual-level data.

  4. The term 'effect modification' (interaction) in epidemiology refers to:

    Answer: The exposure-outcome relationship differing across strata of another variable

    Effect modification occurs when the magnitude or direction of an exposure-outcome association varies by levels of a third variable (modifier).

  5. A Zelen design in clinical trials is characterized by:

    Answer: Randomization before consent, with consent only for the intervention group

    In a Zelen design, participants are randomized before obtaining informed consent, with consent sought only from those assigned to the experimental arm.

  6. A researcher using a stepped-wedge design will:

    Answer: Roll out the intervention sequentially across clusters over time

    In a stepped-wedge design, clusters cross over from control to intervention at different time points, allowing all to eventually receive the intervention.

  7. Which of the following is the primary purpose of an independent Data and Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB)?

    Answer: Periodically review unblinded data to recommend stopping or continuing the trial

    A DSMB reviews unblinded interim data to protect participant safety and recommend early stopping for harm, futility, or overwhelming efficacy.