A study that reports the pattern of a health outcome without testing a cause.
A research design that quantifies the distribution of a disease, injury, or outcome across person, place, and time (e.g. incidence, prevalence, injury rates by sport or season), without comparing groups to test a specific hypothesis about cause and effect. Common examples include surveillance reports, case series, and cross-sectional prevalence surveys. Because there is no comparison or control group, these studies can generate hypotheses and inform screening or resource priorities but cannot establish causal relationships.
This guide was auto-drafted and is pending editorial review.