Nested case–control study

Nested case–control study is a type of observational study in which cases (individuals with a certain health outcome) are selected from a larger cohort, and controls are selected from the same cohort but do not have the health outcome of interest. This design can reduce bias and increase the efficiency of epidemiological studies.

Overview

In a nested case–control study, the 'cases' are those in the cohort who developed the outcome of interest during the follow-up period. The 'controls' are a subset of the cohort who did not develop the outcome of interest during the follow-up period. The controls are typically matched to the cases on certain characteristics to reduce the potential for confounding.

Advantages

Nested case–control studies have several advantages over traditional case–control studies. They can provide more accurate estimates of the relative risk because they are less prone to selection bias and information bias. They also allow for the examination of multiple outcomes and multiple exposures, which is not possible in a traditional case–control study.

Disadvantages

Despite their advantages, nested case–control studies also have some disadvantages. They can be more complex and time-consuming to conduct than traditional case–control studies. They also require a large cohort to begin with, which may not always be feasible.

See also

• Cohort study
• Case-control study
• Epidemiology
• Observational study

References

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