A cross-sectional study is a type of observational research that analyzes data from a population at one specific point in time—it’s like taking a snapshot of the population.
Imagine you're taking a group photo at your family reunion. The picture captures everyone present at that moment - young kids, teenagers, adults, and seniors. That's what cross-sectional studies do; they capture data from various age groups at one specific point in time.
Longitudinal Study: A research design where data gathering is repeated over an extended period on the same sample group.
Cohort Study: An observational study where subsets of a defined population are identified and followed over time.
Case-Control Study: A retrospective observational study where two existing groups differing in outcome are identified and compared on the basis of some supposed causal attribute.
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