QUESTION 8 European investigators are conducting a study of

QUESTION 8

         European investigators are conducting a study of cell phone use and adverse health outcomes. Healthy persons between 20 and 30 years of age are being asked to allow the investigators to monitor their personal cell phone use via access to phone company records. They are also being asked to allow investigators access to their personal medical records in order to monitor select health outcomes over a 20-year time period. Which type of epidemiological study activity does this investigation most closely reflect?

         Surveillance

         Ecologic study

         Case-control study

(          

         Cohort study

Solution

The correct answer is option B. Ecologic study are studies of risk modifying factors on health or other outcomes based on populations defined either geographically or temporally. Both risk-modifying factors and outcomes are averaged for the populations in each geographical or temporal unit and then compared using standard statistical methods.