Research and Evidence-Based Practice Flashcards

The PICO framework is used in evidence-based dietetics practice primarily to:

Answer: Formulate a focused, searchable clinical research question

PICO (Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome) is a structured framework used to formulate focused clinical questions that guide systematic literature searches and evidence-based decisions.

A dietary intervention reduces cardiovascular disease risk from 20% to 15%. The relative risk reduction (RRR) is:

Answer: 25%

RRR = (control event rate − intervention event rate) ÷ control event rate = (20% − 15%) ÷ 20% = 25%.

A number needed to treat (NNT) of 10 for a nutrition intervention means:

Answer: 10 patients must receive the treatment for one additional patient to benefit compared to control

NNT is the number of patients who need to receive a treatment for one additional patient to benefit compared to those receiving the control, and is calculated as 1 ÷ absolute risk reduction.

A confounding variable in a nutritional epidemiology study is BEST described as:

Answer: A variable associated with both the exposure and outcome that can distort the true relationship between them

A confounder is associated with both the exposure and the outcome; if not controlled for, it can create a spurious or masked association between the exposure and the outcome of interest.

Intent-to-treat (ITT) analysis in a clinical nutrition trial analyzes data by:

Answer: Including all randomized participants according to their original group assignment regardless of protocol adherence

ITT analysis includes all randomized participants in their originally assigned groups regardless of compliance, preserving the benefits of randomization and reflecting real-world effectiveness.

A meta-analysis differs from a narrative systematic review primarily because a meta-analysis:

Answer: Statistically combines quantitative results from multiple studies into a pooled estimate

A meta-analysis uses statistical methods to quantitatively pool and synthesize data from multiple studies, producing a single summary estimate, whereas a systematic review may include only narrative synthesis.

In the evidence hierarchy used by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, which type of evidence is placed at the LOWEST level?

Answer: Expert opinion, editorials, or anecdotal reports

Expert opinion, editorials, and anecdotal evidence represent the lowest level of evidence because they are not based on systematic research methodology and are highly susceptible to individual bias.