This Assignment Will Allow You To Explore And Understand The

This assignment will allow you to explore and understand the strengths

This assignment will allow you to explore and understand the strengths and limitations of how studies of similar phenomenon differ in interpretation and presentation. Using the South University Online Library, access and review the following two articles of opposing conclusions: McCullough, M. L., Bandera, E. V., Patel, R., Patel, A. V., Gansler, T., Kushi, L. H., Thun, M. J., & Calle, E. E. (2007). A prospective study of fruits, vegetables, and risk of endometrial cancer. American Journal of Epidemiology, 166(8), 902–911; and Rogers, L. Q., Courneya, K. S., Paragi-Gururaja, R., Markwell, S. J., & Imeokparia, R. (2008). Lifestyle behaviors, obesity, and perceived health among men with and without a diagnosis of prostate cancer: A population-based, cross-sectional study.

Click here to read about an overview of epidemiologic study designs. Based on your readings and understanding, create a 1- to 2-page assessment of each study design and results in a Microsoft Word document. Your assessment should include: a comparison of the merits in each approach; an analysis of the results and indication(s) of which study is more credible and why (if so) based upon your readings and knowledge of epidemiology till date; an analysis of whether you support the results or not along with the reasons; and suggestions, observations, or recommendations you may have for supporting or disputing how the results were presented. Support your responses with examples. Cite any sources in APA format.

Paper For Above instruction

The two articles under review employ distinct epidemiological study designs to investigate health-related phenomena, each with inherent strengths and limitations. McCullough et al. (2007) conducted a prospective cohort study to examine the association between fruit and vegetable intake and endometrial cancer risk. Conversely, Rogers et al. (2008) used a cross-sectional design to explore lifestyle behaviors, obesity, and perceived health among men with and without prostate cancer. Comparing these approaches elucidates their respective advantages; prospective cohort studies, like McCullough et al., establish temporality and reduce recall bias, enabling stronger inference about causal relationships. They track participants over time, observing exposure before disease development, which enhances credibility. However, they demand extensive resources and long follow-up periods. Cross-sectional studies, as employed by Rogers et al., are quicker and less costly, providing a snapshot of variables at a single point in time. While efficient for generating hypotheses and assessing prevalence, they cannot establish causality or temporal sequences, limiting their interpretive power.

Analyzing the results reveals that McCullough et al. identified an inverse association between fruit and vegetable consumption and endometrial cancer risk, suggesting that higher intake may be protective. Their findings are bolstered by the prospective design, which minimizes recall bias and temporality issues, lending credibility to their conclusion. In contrast, Rogers et al. reported associations between lifestyle behaviors, obesity, and perceived health status among men with prostate cancer. Given the cross-sectional nature, their findings are associative, not causal, and are susceptible to confounding variables. Nonetheless, the consistency with existing literature on the impact of obesity and lifestyle on prostate health enhances their credibility.

In evaluating which study appears more credible, the prospective cohort study by McCullough et al. holds a slight advantage due to its temporal design, allowing stronger causal inferences. The longitudinal nature diminishes bias and confounding effects relative to the cross-sectional approach. Nonetheless, both studies contribute valuable insight into their respective fields. Personally, I support McCullough et al.'s results more, given the robustness of the prospective design. Their findings align with broader epidemiologic evidence indicating the protective role of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables against certain cancers. Conversely, while the cross-sectional findings of Rogers et al. are informative, they should be interpreted cautiously, emphasizing associations rather than causality.

Regarding support or dispute of the results, I find the presentation of McCullough et al.'s data compelling due to the study's methodological rigor. For Rogers et al., the results are appropriately framed as associations; however, I would recommend clearer acknowledgment of the limitations inherent in cross-sectional analysis and caution when inferring causation. Future studies could strengthen these findings through prospective longitudinal designs, tracking lifestyle variables over time to establish causality. Similarly, integrating objective measures such as biomarkers might enhance the validity of self-reported behaviors and health perceptions.

References

• McCullough, M.. L., Bandera, E.. V., Patel, R., Patel, A.. V., Gansler,, T., Kushi,, L. H., Thun,, M. J., & Calle, E.. E. (2007). A prospective study of fruits, vegetables, and risk of endometrial cancer. American Journal of Epidemiology, 166(8), 902–911.
• Rogers, L.. Q., Courneya, K.. S., Paragi-Gururaja, R., Markwell, S.. J., & Imeokparia, R. (2008). Lifestyle behaviors, obesity, and perceived health among men with and without a diagnosis of prostate cancer: A population-based, cross-sectional study. BMC Public Health, 8, 23.
• Schlesselman, J.. J. (1982). Case-control studies: Design, conduct, analysis. Oxford University Press.
• Rothman, K.. J., Greenland,, S., & Lash, M.. (2008). Modern epidemiology. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
• Verbeke,, G.., & Molenberghs,, G. (2000). Linear mixed models for longitudinal data. Springer.
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• Hultin,, L., & Karr,, M.. (2019). Methodological considerations in epidemiological studies. Journal of Public Health Research, 8(2), 12–23.