Cross-Sectional Studies: Strengths, Weaknesses, and Recommendations
- PMID: 32658654
- DOI: 10.1016/j.chest.2020.03.012
Cross-Sectional Studies: Strengths, Weaknesses, and Recommendations
Abstract
Cross-sectional studies are observational studies that analyze data from a population at a single point in time. They are often used to measure the prevalence of health outcomes, understand determinants of health, and describe features of a population. Unlike other types of observational studies, cross-sectional studies do not follow individuals up over time. They are usually inexpensive and easy to conduct. They are useful for establishing preliminary evidence in planning a future advanced study. This article reviews the essential characteristics, describes strengths and weaknesses, discusses methodological issues, and gives our recommendations on design and statistical analysis for cross-sectional studies in pulmonary and critical care medicine. A list of considerations for reviewers is also provided.
Keywords: bias; confounding; cross-sectional studies; prevalence; sampling.
Copyright © 2020 American College of Chest Physicians. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Similar articles
-
Cohort Studies: Design, Analysis, and Reporting.Chest. 2020 Jul;158(1S):S72-S78. doi: 10.1016/j.chest.2020.03.014. Chest. 2020. PMID: 32658655 Review.
-
Investigating outcomes associated with medication use during pregnancy: a review of methodological challenges and observational study designs.Reprod Toxicol. 2012 Jun;33(3):280-9. doi: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2012.01.006. Epub 2012 Feb 4. Reprod Toxicol. 2012. PMID: 22329969 Review.
-
Evidence-based medicine, systematic reviews, and guidelines in interventional pain management: part 6. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses of observational studies.Pain Physician. 2009 Sep-Oct;12(5):819-50. Pain Physician. 2009. PMID: 19787009
-
[The Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) statement: guidelines for reporting observational studies].Rev Esp Salud Publica. 2008 May-Jun;82(3):251-9. doi: 10.1590/s1135-57272008000300002. Rev Esp Salud Publica. 2008. PMID: 18711640 Spanish.
-
Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE): explanation and elaboration.Ann Intern Med. 2007 Oct 16;147(8):W163-94. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-147-8-200710160-00010-w1. Ann Intern Med. 2007. PMID: 17938389
Cited by
-
Professional beliefs of physicians and allied health professionals and their willingness to promote health in primary care: a cross-sectional survey.BMC Prim Care. 2024 May 27;25(1):188. doi: 10.1186/s12875-024-02412-6. BMC Prim Care. 2024. PMID: 38802787 Free PMC article.
-
Seroprevalence and Associated Risk Factors of Toxoplasma gondii in Patients Diagnosed with Schizophrenia: A Case-Control Cross Sectional Study.Biomedicines. 2024 May 1;12(5):998. doi: 10.3390/biomedicines12050998. Biomedicines. 2024. PMID: 38790960 Free PMC article.
-
A moderated chain mediation model examining the relation between smartphone addiction and intolerance of uncertainty among master's and PhD students.Heliyon. 2024 May 10;10(10):e30994. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e30994. eCollection 2024 May 30. Heliyon. 2024. PMID: 38770334 Free PMC article.
-
The association between ultra-processed food and common pregnancy adverse outcomes: a dose-response systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2024 May 15;24(1):369. doi: 10.1186/s12884-024-06489-w. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2024. PMID: 38750456 Free PMC article.
-
The association of cancer-preventive lifestyle with colonoscopy screening use in border Hispanic adults along the Texas-Mexico border.Cancer Causes Control. 2024 May 14. doi: 10.1007/s10552-024-01885-1. Online ahead of print. Cancer Causes Control. 2024. PMID: 38743343
Publication types
MeSH terms
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
