Sample interview questions: How do you approach the selection of appropriate control groups in case-control studies?
Sample answer:
Approaching the Selection of Control Groups in Case-Control Studies
1. Define Exposure Status:
– Clearly establish the exposure of interest and identify cases and controls based on their exposure status.
2. Matching Criteria:
– Select controls that are similar to cases in important characteristics that could confound the association between exposure and outcome. Consider factors such as age, sex, race, socioeconomic status, and region.
3. Population-Based Controls:
– Randomly select controls from the same population as the cases. This ensures comparability in the distribution of potential confounding factors.
4. Hospital-Based Controls:
– Select controls from patients admitted to the same hospital as the cases but with unrelated conditions. This can be beneficial when access to the general population is limited.
5. Community-Based Controls:
– Recruit controls from the community using methods such as random sampling or matching from existing population databases.
6. Frequency Matching:
– Select controls with the same frequency of exposure as the cases. This… Read full answer