Epidemiological study design and the advancement of equine health.
Abstract: The primary purposes of epidemiological investigations are to learn about causal mechanisms related to disease incidence and identify factors for therapy and prevention. Epidemiological studies can be observational--further categorised as descriptive or analytical--or experimental. Investigators performing experimental studies, or randomised controlled trials (RCTs), randomly assign treatments or exposures to study participants for the expressed purpose of the study. The most frequently encountered observational epidemiological studies employed to investigate issues of equine health are cohort, case-control, cross-sectional and case series. A cohort study is an investigation in which the researcher follows (observes) a group, termed the cohort, over time to measure incidence of a particular outcome. A case-control study is an investigation in which the researcher selects a group of affected individuals (cases) and a comparison group (controls) to investigate factors associated with being a case. A cross-sectional study investigates a group of individuals for study that is often defined by membership in a target population and data concerning outcome and exposure are either collected related to the same time-point or data are collected by investigators at the same time. Case series are descriptive studies used to generate hypotheses concerning predictors of disease or recovery that can be performed retrospectively or prospectively. The best evidence for clinical practice is often derived from patient-centred observational epidemiological studies and it is imperative that equine veterinarians become familiar with study designs for the appropriate interpretation of epidemiological findings.
Publication Date: 2009-01-24 PubMed ID: 19165940DOI: 10.2746/042516408x363323Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Review
- Diagnosis
- Disease control
- Disease Diagnosis
- Disease Etiology
- Disease Management
- Disease Outbreaks
- Disease Prevention
- Disease Surveillance
- Disease Treatment
- Epidemiology
- Equine Diseases
- Equine Health
- Longitudinal Study
- Observational Study
- Retrospective Study
- Veterinary Care
- Veterinary Medicine
- Veterinary Practice
- Veterinary Research
- Veterinary Science
Summary
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This research article explains the different kinds of epidemiological study designs and their importance in enhancing equine health. The article urges equine veterinarians to understand these designs for proper interpretation of epidemiological findings.
Understanding Epidemiological Investigations
- Epidemiological investigations are primarily done to understand the causal mechanisms of disease incidence and identify preventive and therapeutic factors.
- These studies could either be observational or experimental.
Types of Epidemiological Studies
- Observational studies can be either descriptive or analytical and are important in investigating equine health issues.
- Experimental studies, also known as randomised controlled trials (RCTs), involve the random assignment of treatments or exposures to study participants for the specific purpose of the study.
Commonly Used Observational Epidemiological Studies in Equine Health
- Cohort study: In this type of study, a particular group (referred to as the cohort) is observed over time to measure the incidence of a particular outcome.
- Case-control study: Here, a group of affected individuals (cases) and a comparison group (controls) are chosen to investigate the factors associated with being a case.
- Cross-sectional study: This study investigates a group often defined by membership in a target population. Data related to outcome and exposure are usually collected at the same time or related to the same time-point.
- Case series: These are descriptive studies used to generate hypotheses concerning predictors of disease or recovery. Case series can be carried out retrospectively or prospectively.
The Importance of Epidemiological Studies in Equine Health
- The best evidence for clinical practice often comes from patient-centred observational epidemiological studies.
- It is crucial for equine veterinarians to familiarize themselves with these study designs to be able to interpret epidemiological findings accurately and effectively.
Cite This Article
APA
Fosgate GT, Cohent ND.
(2009).
Epidemiological study design and the advancement of equine health.
Equine Vet J, 40(7), 693-700.
https://doi.org/10.2746/042516408x363323 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A & M University, College Station, Texas, USA.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Case-Control Studies
- Cohort Studies
- Cross-Sectional Studies
- Epidemiologic Methods / veterinary
- Epidemiologic Research Design / veterinary
- Horse Diseases / epidemiology
- Horses
- Incidence
- Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic / veterinary
Citations
This article has been cited 2 times.- Xu L, Sun X, Huang S, Zhu Z, Qiao J, Zhu F, Mao S, Ding Y, Qiu Y. Degenerative lumbar scoliosis in Chinese Han population: prevalence and relationship to age, gender, bone mineral density, and body mass index. Eur Spine J 2013 Jun;22(6):1326-31.
- Caro JJ, Huybrechts KF. Case-control studies in pharmacoeconomic research: an overview. Pharmacoeconomics 2009;27(8):627-34.
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