What Are the Types of Epidemiological Studies Used?
Several types of epidemiological studies are used in toxicology:
1. Cohort Studies: These studies follow a group of people over time to see how exposure to a suspected toxicant affects the development of a health outcome. They are useful for studying rare exposures.
2. Case-Control Studies: These studies compare individuals with a specific health condition (cases) to those without (controls), looking retrospectively at their exposure to identify potential causes.
3. Cross-Sectional Studies: These assess both exposure and health outcome simultaneously, providing a snapshot of the relationship at a specific point in time.
4. Ecological Studies: These analyze data at the population level rather than the individual level, often used when individual data is not available.
