Answer:
D. They provide a comparable estimate of the frequency of exposure in the absence of disease
Step-by-step explanation:
Case-control study: The case-control study is also referred to as a case-referent study. This is one of the types of observational study that compares and identifies two different groups which differs in outcome based on a few casual attributes.
In the case-control study, two steps are involved:
1. To identify the cases. Here, the cases are known as a group that consists of the outcome.
2. The controls are a group which is known to be free from the outcome.
In the question above, controls are needed in a case-control study because they provide a comparable estimate of the frequency of exposure in the absence of disease.