Case-Control Studies

Pankajakshan Vijayanthi Indu; Karunakaran  Vidhukumar

doi:10.30834/KJP.34.1.2021.292

Authors

Pankajakshan Vijayanthi Indu Additional Professor in Psychiatry, Government Medical College, Kozhikode https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3581-4365
Karunakaran Vidhukumar Additional Professor in Psychiatry, Govt. Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9251-2788

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30834/KJP.34.1.2021.292

Keywords:

case-control study, selection bias, measurement bias, odds ratio

Abstract

Case-control studies (CSS) are observational analytic studies done often in instances of rare cases or outcomes. In a case-control study, clearly defined cases and controls arising from the same population is compared for well-measured exposures. The ease of conduct of the study in terms of resources makes CSS popular. However, since the direction of the study is retrospective, selection and measurement biases are potential threats to the validity of conclusions from CSS. Moreover, CSS gives not give a direct estimate of the risk. Another issue with the CSS study is confounding. How these validity issues could be addressed are also discussed.

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