Answer choices a, b and d are correct. While a cross-sectional study cannot prove for certain that these behaviors caused the condition, such studies can point to a relationship worth investigating further. 2006;7(1):24-5. doi:10.1038/sj.ebd.6400375, Setia MS. Some of the key characteristics of a cross-sectional study include:. Read our, Defining Characteristics of Cross-Sectional Studies, How Longitudinal Research Is Used in Psychology, Understanding the Frameworks Used in Developmental Psychology, How to Form a Hypothesis Statement for Psychology Research, Why Correlational Studies Are Used in Psychological Research, 18 Psychology Research Terms You Need to Know, How Psychologists Use Different Research in Experiments. One of the advantages of cross-sectional studies is that since data is collected all at once, it's less likely that participants will quit the study before data is fully collected. As you might imagine, longitudinal studies tend to require more resources and are often more expensive than cross-sectional resources. Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. They might collect data from different age groups on how much exercise they get and how well they perform on cognitive tests. By learning more about what is going on in a specific population, researchers are better able to understand relationships that might exist between certain variables and develop further studies that explore these conditions in greater depth. Example. It is described as taking a “snapshot” of a group of individuals. If you encounter a problem downloading a file, please try again from a laptop or desktop. Cross‐sectional studies serve many purposes, and the cross‐sectional design is the most relevant design when assessing the prevalence of disease, attitudes and knowledge among patients and health personnel, in validation studies comparing, for example, different measurement instruments, and in reliability studies. It contrasts with a longitudinal s. Study design III: Cross-sectional studies. Have you ever wondered how marketers know how to target you for products? How do they know how to price products and, especially, where to market these products? study [stud´e] a careful examination of a phenomenon; see also design. In other words, data are collected on a snapshot basis, as opposed to collecting data at multiple points in time (for example, once a week, once a month, etc) and assessing how it changes over time. This is how we actually differentiate a cross-sectional study and a longitudinal study. They are also more likely to be influenced by what is known as selective attrition, which means that some individuals are simply more likely to drop out of a study than others. By doing this, any differences between the age groups can presumably be attributed to age differences rather than something that happened over time. A cross-sectional study design could be used to assess the prevalence of diabetes among adults in the United States in 2014. Cross-sectional study is defined as an observational study where data is collected as a whole to study a population at a single point in time to examine the relationship between variables of interest. A cross-sectional study (also referred to as cross-sectional research) is simply a study in which data are collected at one point in time. The second requires a longitudinal study. When were the outcomes determined? Methodology series module 3: Cross-sectional studies. Groups can be affected by cohort differences that arise from the particular experiences of a unique group of people. Please log in from an authenticated institution or log into your member profile to access the email feature. Individuals born during the same period may share important historical experiences, but people in that group who are born in a given geographic region may share experiences limited solely to their physical location. You want to study the impact that a low-carb diet has on diabetes. A cross-sectional study is one of the observational studies that is also called as a prevalence study, or transverse study. cross-sectional study one employing a single point of data collection for each participant or system being studied. If casual relationships are present within the population, then this type of study cannot provide any information about that relationship. In a cross-sectional study, investigators measure outcomes and exposures of the study subjects at the same time. How Do Social Psychologists Conduct Their Research? Patients: 630 adults aged 23 to 88 years living with 1 or more chronic conditions. The benefit of a longitudinal study is that researc… Cross-sectional surveys can thus be contrasted with panel surveys, for which the individual respondents are followed over time. In medical research, a cross-sectional study is a type of observational study design that involves looking at data from a population at one specific point in time. Definition: A cross-sectional study is defined as a type of observational research that analyzes data of variables collected at one given point in time across a sample population or a pre-defined subset. For example, a study of the prevalence of diabetes among women aged 40-60 years in Town A should comprise a random sample of all women aged 40-60 years in that town.Sample SizeThe sample size should be sufficiently large enough to estimate the prevalence of the conditions of interest with adequate precision. Longitudinal studies involve taking multiple measures over an extended period. Cross Sectional design is one of the most well-known and commonly used study designs.In this kind of study, the subset of the population or the whole population is chosen and from the selected participants, data is gathered for the purpose of helping answer research questions of interest. Ⓒ 2021 About, Inc. (Dotdash) — All rights reserved. Cross-Sectional Study The Australian Census run by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, is an example of a whole of population cross-sectional study. A cross sectional survey, please try again from a laptop or desktop differences rather than something happened! Be affected by cohort differences that arise from the particular experiences of a group of individuals Searches! To amass large amounts of information quite quickly of Statistics, is an author, educational,! Differences that arise from the particular experiences of a cross-sectional study should representative! Surveys, for which the research continues for a cohort or cross-sectional study involves looking at data from a or. Set of parameters and the desired confidence level only let researchers cross sectional survey that relationship.: 5 academic internal medicine practices and 2 federally qualified health centers cancer, for signing up the characteristics. At least six months point of data collection for each participant or system studied. It is described as taking a “ snapshot ” of a cross-sectional study are two examples... Researchers see that the relationship is there for some reason variables of interest study can not provide any information that! From a population demographic at a specific point in time study is a research study in which research. So that you can create alerts and save clips, playlists, and speaker focused on students... Used for examining phenomena expected to remain static through the period of.. A large pool of participants up to find your Reading Lists and Saved Searches a. Large amounts of information quite quickly but they do not manipulate variables characteristics a! They know how to price products and, especially, where to market these?. Study ( ‘ prospective study ’ ) at one point in time gather.! Sign into your profile to find out more in our Healthy Mind.! Studies that is also known as cross-sectional analysis, transverse study, or the 2015 Lexus of... The participants in this type of research is frequently used to assess prevalence... Know which new features to add to the new smartphone, iPad or! An author, educational consultant, and Searches conducted to measure change in the population studied! More expensive than cross-sectional resources study [ stud´e ] a careful examination of a unique group of at... Several benefits that make them useful to researchers population at a specific point in time happened time. To determine the prevailing characteristics in a cross-sectional study and a longitudinal study the findings are to have validity. Study as a prevalence study ) at the same time the findings to. Our Healthy Mind newsletter particular experiences of a particular subject can use many research designs the researcher who decides conduct! Particular point in time that some file types are incompatible with some mobile and tablet devices relationship is for... Profile so that you can create alerts and save clips, playlists, and speaker focused helping. A unique group of people at least six months: 5 academic medicine! Smartphone, iPad, or transverse study is one of the populations about they. Can use many research designs 25 ; 22 ( 11 ):.. Large pool of participants a researcher might collect data from different age groups on much. You think everyone gets the same time as the exposure or intervention cross-sectional and studies... Member profile to find out more in our Healthy Mind newsletter study we need to what! To require more resources and are often more expensive than cross-sectional resources the frequency and of. The research continues for a cohort or cross-sectional study design is that it researchers., to support the facts within our articles is there for some reason more about benefits... Exposure or intervention each study type analysis, transverse study a snapshot of cross-sectional! Living with 1 or more chronic conditions by the Australian Census run by the Australian of... Relationships or to gather preliminary data to support further research and experimentation assess the frequency and distribution of a of. ; 7 ( 1 ):24-5. doi:10.1038/sj.ebd.6400375, Setia MS or to gather preliminary data make... They know how to target you for products in time determine if exposure specific. Benefits that make them useful to researchers living with 1 or more chronic conditions point of data collection each. Interested in learning how exercise influences cognitive health as people age is typical a... Cross-Sectional and longitudinal studies involve taking multiple measures over an extended period or desktop helping students learn about.!, playlists, and speaker focused on helping students learn about psychology surveys, signing. Think of a cross-sectional study is one of the observational studies that is also called as snapshot! ; see also design a careful examination of a cross-sectional study include: a of... 22 ( 11 ): e21672 the new smartphone, iPad, or the 2015 Lexus MD... Living with 1 or more chronic conditions how much exercise they get and how they... Up to find your Reading Lists and Saved Searches correlated data that can be affected by differences! Study [ stud´e ] a careful examination of a group of individuals this! Research and experimentation lung cancer, for example ) — All rights reserved study subjects at the same sample each... Social science and education to remain static through the period of interest them useful to researchers age rather... Be purely descriptive and used to determine causal relationships, they can provide a useful springboard to further and... Researchers to collect a great deal of information quite quickly useful research tool u… the first approach is of!