Biostatistics & Research · single question
Which study design most clearly establishes a TEMPORAL relationship between exposure and disease?
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Correct answer: A. Cohort
- A. Correct. A (prospective) cohort follows exposed vs. unexposed groups FORWARD in time, clearly establishing that exposure preceded disease (temporality).
- B. Incorrect. Case-control starts from disease and looks backward, making temporality harder to confirm.
- C. Incorrect. Cross-sectional measures exposure and disease simultaneously — no temporal sequence.
- D. Incorrect. An RCT establishes causation through randomization, but among these the cohort is the classic design 'for temporal relation of exposure and disease.'
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