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Part I<br />

Analytic study designs - Assignment<br />

The following questions are based on the attached paper "C<strong>an</strong>cer <strong>an</strong>d Tobacco Smoking" (Morton<br />

L. Levin, Hym<strong>an</strong> Goldstein, <strong>an</strong>d Paul R. Gerhardt, JAMA, May 27, 1950, pages 336-338).<br />

1. What study design has been employed (circle one)<br />

A. case-control<br />

B. Cohort (prospective)<br />

C. retrospective cohort (or historical cohort)<br />

D. ecologic<br />

E. May be either a or c<br />

In one or two sentences justify <strong>you</strong>r choice.<br />

2. The comparison group was composed <strong>of</strong> "those with symptoms referable to the same site but<br />

which proved not to be due to c<strong>an</strong>cer." Briefly discuss the appropriateness <strong>of</strong> this comparison<br />

group <strong>an</strong>d its likely effect on the association observed in the study. (3-6 sentences).<br />

3. Histories <strong>of</strong> tobacco usage were obtained routinely from all admitted patients before the final<br />

diagnosis had been established. "This procedure is considered especially import<strong>an</strong>t from the<br />

st<strong>an</strong>dpoint <strong>of</strong> excluding bias." The authors are referring to bias from:<br />

A. selective survival<br />

B. cohort effect<br />

C. <strong>an</strong>teced<strong>an</strong>t-consequent confusion<br />

D. ecologic fallacy<br />

E. selective recall<br />

Explain.<br />

_____________________________________________________________________________________________<br />

www.sph.unc.edu/EPID168/ © Victor J. Schoenbach Analytic study designs - Assignment - 257<br />

rev. 8/31/1998, 9/5/1999, 9/25/1999

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