Epidemiology: Study Designs for Lung Cancer and Smoking, Depression and Binge Eating, Detention and Health, Folate and Autism, Alzheimer's Drug

Running head: EPIDEMIOLOGY
Epidemiology
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author note

1EPIDEMIOLOGY
Part 1
The research design most appropriate for studying the relationship between the lung
cancer and smoking is debateable. There is no regression or statistical analysis that can test the
causation as it is not a property contained in the data. The cross sectional, cohort studies and the
case control studies are different types of observational studies, which helps in the evaluation of
the relationship between disease and exposure to different disease causing syndromes (Song &
Chung, 2010). According to Khang (2015) the risk factors of the lung cacker and its explanatory
ability for individual variations in manifestation of disease is diverse of the fundamental
contribution of these factors. The casual contribution of the smoking to lung cancer can be
explained by using the attributable fraction of the exposed. As per Khang (2015), the scientific
studies based on experimental, observational research design provide evidence for the casual
association between smoking and lung cancer. This evidence is dependent on the individual and
group studies that is based conducted with humans as well as animals in laboratories and
communities of both developing and developed countries. The likelihood of the connection can
be calculated depending on the attributable portion for the connotation between lung cancer and
smoking. It can be utilised as an evidence to prove the causation. As per Song & Chung (2010)
cross sectional study cannot be used for inferring the causality as the temporality is not known.
Cohort study is the costly endeavour and requires large sample size with ling follow up duration
for reliable results. Cohort study comes with selection bias even if selecting participants with
exposure. On the other hand the case-control studies are associated with the recall bias and it is
difficult to determine the rate of the disease in the unexposed and the exposed individuals (Song
& Chung, 2010).

2EPIDEMIOLOGY
Part 2
The most appropriate design of study for the subsequent diseases are-
1. The relationship between depression and binge eating with the obese adolescents
and adult community of the society- prospective cohort study
2. The extended effects of detention on the psychological and physical health of
asylum seekers, which is generally observed by the Longitudinal study
3. supplementation with Folate during the pregnancy period and expansion of
autism in descendants- Nationwide cohort study
4. Testing a drug for use in ageing people identified with Alzheimer’s Disease-
double blind placebo-controlled study
Prospective cohort study
A prospective cohort study has several advantages if used for investigating the
relationship between depression and binge eating. As a large sample will be used (adolescence
and into young adulthood) for a long period of time, it is effective to study development of
overweight due to binge eating and high depressive symptoms (Neuman, 2013). As per literature
review there are several studies were binge eating has been established to predict the weight
gains as well as onset of high depressive symptoms. Therefore prospective study is advantageous
in examining such association (Sonneville et al., 2013). This study design is also useful in testing
the effect of folate supplementation during the phase of pregnancy on autism development in
children. It is because the literature has highlighted that the Folic acid consumption during
pregnancy decreases the risk of neurological disorders in children based on various cohorts
(Surén et al., 2013). The rationale for the appropriateness of this methodology in case of both