Quiz 3, Module Cohort
3. How would you define eligibility criteria for study participants? [Aschengrau & Seage pp. 203-205]
- Everyone working at the factory is eligible
- Only those who have worked at the factory as of September 1, two years ago, AND had been on the job for at least 6 months AND who were shown to be healthy at their initial or annual health check-ups as indicated by employee medical records
- Exclude workers who in the last three months exhibited symptoms of the disease
Answer (a) —
incorrect:
These eligibility criteria would include workers who have been on the job for less than 6 months. Remember, we decided to enroll only those who already worked at the factory as of September 1, two years ago.
Answer (b) —
correct:
Cohort studies measure incident, or new cases of disease. As such, it is important to begin with a disease-free population to determine who develops Susser Syndrome during the course of follow-up.
Answer (c) —
incorrect:
We need to exclude people who were sick at the start of follow-up, not those who became sick during the follow-up period.
