Question

Identify which of the following six types of study designs most appropriately characterizes the situation described below. To test the efficacy of a health education program in reducing the risk of foodborne and waterborne diseases, the residents of two Peruvian villages were given an intensive health education program. At the end of two years, the incidence rates of important water-borne and food-borne diseases in these villages were compared with those in two similar control villages without any education program.

Cross-sectional study
Case-control study
Prospective cohort study
Historical prospective cohort study
Clinical trial
Community trial

Answer 1

The correct answer is prospective cohort study.

Step-by-step explanation:

A prospective cohort study is a type of observational research used in epidemiology to establish relationship between exposure and outcome.

Essentially, investigators follow two populations (one exposed to the factor under study and one not exposed) over time until the outcome occurs.

With this type of research, incidence (probability of occurrence) can be calculated, because a timeline is present.